|
Estonia |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
A proposition was presented to amend the Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens by updating the national list of safe countries of origin at least once a year. The duty to notify the European Commission lies with the Ministry of the Interior. |
EE LEG 01 2019 |
|
Estonia |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The amendment of the Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens allows the PBGB to request assistance from EASO and to be involved in the processing of an asylum application in the territory of another state, based on an international agreement or an EU act. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Estonia |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
The first Estonian Language Houses opened in Tallin and Narva in 2019, offering language courses and facilitating integration. The Welcome Centre in Tartu, Estonia opened to provide information and guidance for all newcomers. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Estonia |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Return of former applicants |
The criteria for the risk of absconding when a return decision is issued were clarified. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Estonia |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The new Victim Support Act entered into force, which aims to further improve the availability and quality of victim support services, for example for victims of human trafficking. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Estonia |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
The administrative court may order an applicant's detention without the descriptive and reasoning part when it is faced with a high number of detention requests. These parts are provided to the applicant if the detention decision is contested. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Estonia |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
Amendments were made to the Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens. In a state of emergency, border guards are allowed to return persons entering in an unauthorised manner without an individual decision. Applications for international protection can be submitted only at designated locations. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Estonia |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The PBGB may now publish the application number and the title of the decision on its website and do not notify the decision in another manner when the applicant's location is unknown or when there is an emergency situation. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Estonia |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
The Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens was amended allowing to extend the registration time limit to 10 working days exceptionally in emergency situations. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Estonia |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Return of former applicants |
The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board started to issue “three in one” decisions combining a negative decision on an asylum application, a return decision and a decision to impose a prohibition to entry. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Finland |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
The Government Programme's proposal was under examination to eliminate the sufficient financial resources criteria for family reunifications initiated by minor beneficiaries of international protection. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Finland |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
The government put a legislative proposal to consultation on the comprehensive reform of integration. The new system would increase the responsibility of municipalities in the integration process. The programme would include an exam in the Finnish or Swedish language. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Finland |
2022 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Finnish Immigration Service announced in March 2023 that it had gathered sufficient, updated country information from Afghanistan on the security situation of different provinces and had been able to start making decisions for all Afghan applicants. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Finland |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The age limit for follow-up care for unaccompanied children was extended from 21 years to 25 years. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Finland |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
The Finnish Immigration Service developed an online course and exam on Finnish society and values. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Finland |
2019 |
Policy |
|
The Dublin procedure |
The first transfer decision to Greece since 2011 was made. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Finland |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Ministry of the Interior launched a project to assess the impact of future migration trends on immigration administration, especially on the functioning of and resources for the Finnish Immigration Service. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Finland |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Statelessness in the context of asylum |
The Ministry of the Interior proposed amendments to the Nationality Act to update the definitions of a stateless person, in line with international treaties, eliminating the distinction between voluntarily stateless and involuntarily stateless person. However, the parliament did not manage to consider the proposal by the end of the electoral term (29 March 2023) and it was allowed to lapse. The next government will decide if the changes are proposed again. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Finland |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The position of crisis and family counsellor was introduced in reception centres. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Finland |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
Based on CJEU Case C-550/16, the Aliens Act was amended and applicants reaching the age of 18 during the asylum procedure are considered to be minors for the purposes of family reunification. |
FI LEG 01 2019 |
|
Finland |
2021 |
Legislative |
|
Legal assistance and representation |
People with a legal training but who are not qualified as public legal counsellors can no longer be assigned as legal assistants to third-country nationals in international protection procedures. Pay differences for legal assistants working on international protection cases were eliminated. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Finland |
2021 |
Policy |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
The national Action Plan against Trafficking in Human Beings was adopted. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2022 |
|
Finland |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
Following an ECHR decision at the end of 2019, the Finnish Immigration Service reviewed approximately 500 cases. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Finland |
2022 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
The Border Guard Act was amended to allow the authorities to centralise the reception of applicants at the border during an exceptionally high number of arrivals. |
EUAA Asylum Report 2023 |
|
Finland |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The implementation of the new, revisited monitoring programme of the national reception system was started. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |