Over 1,300 asylum seekers enter Finland from Russia as processing times extend

Since last autumn, over 1,300 individuals have entered Finland via the eastern border, seeking asylum. The Finnish Immigration Service has provided an update on their status and whereabouts.

Approximately 800 of the asylum seekers who arrived from Russia are still awaiting decisions in reception centers across Finland. Juho Repo, a regional director at the Immigration Service, noted that the influx of applications, along with pre-existing ones, has led to longer processing times. Ideally, an asylum application should be processed within six months.

Out of the 1,300 individuals who crossed the border, 50 have been granted asylum in Finland, while more than 120 have received negative decisions. Repo stated that clear negative cases have already been handled. Additionally, nearly 370 applications have been canceled, either because individuals withdrew their applications or went missing for over two months.

Reception centers have reported that 400 of those who arrived from the eastern border are now missing. Of this group, about 260 have been located in other parts of Europe, mainly in Germany and elsewhere in Central Europe or Nordic countries. The remaining 140 individuals are unaccounted for and may have returned home independently or are living in Europe without clear status.

Repo mentioned that some individuals with negative decisions have left Finland for other European countries, while others have been returned to their countries of origin. The majority of asylum seekers—approximately 88%—are young men aged 18 to 39, coming predominantly from the Middle East, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, and Somalia, with some from India as well.

Since the border was closed last November, entries have been sporadic, primarily involving single individuals or small groups. The Finnish government has yet to reopen the eastern border to passenger traffic, having previously approved a law that allows border guards not to process all asylum requests.