Finland Times

The latest estimation made by the Finnish Immigration Service shows that the number of asylum seekers arriving in Finland in 2015 may rise to 15,000, said Finnish Ministry of Interior in a statement on Thursday.

The ministry said that the new prediction, which is 10,000 higher than previous one, was based on the number of applications received this summer.

Earlier this year, the Finnish Immigration Service estimated that asylum seekers in Finland would exceed 7,000 in 2015, which was an all-time record in Finland. The previous record was set in 2009 when Finland accepted 5,988 asylum seekers.

If the latest forecast is realized, it will be definitely a new record in the Finnish history.

The main reason behind the high figure is the escalating crises in North Africa and the Middle East. Currently, the number of asylum seekers is growing throughout Europe.

Petteri Orpo, the minister of Interior, told media that by mid-August the number of asylum seekers arriving in Finland had already reached 5,293, most of which were from Iraq, Somalia, Albania, Afghanistan and Syria. The figure in 2014 was only 3,651.

 

The Ministry of Interior said that the Finnish Immigration Service will hire 70 and the Finnish Police 50 additional employees in order to deal with the increase in asylum applications.

With the additional employees, the immigration authorities and the police would be able to process about 10,000 applications a year, added the ministry.

Moreover, the Immigration Service has worked together with local authorities and the Finnish Red Cross to open more reception centers to accommodate more asylum seekers.

In spite of the joint efforts made by member states of the European Union, it is also important to tackle the root of the migrant crisis, claimed Orpo.  

Meanwhile, Finland has cut the financial support for asylum-seeking families by about 10 percent from 2009's level, reported Finnish national broadcaster Yle on Thursday.

In 2009, a five-member asylum-seeking family arriving in Finland received up to 1,277 euros monthly allowance, which covered food and other basic living expenses, according to Yle.

The Finnish Immigration Service told Yle that currently such an asylum-seeking family receives only 1,140 euros per month, which are about 10 percent less than in 2009, even though the cost of living is rising in Finland.

Accommodation is free of charge for asylum seekers in reception centers.

Jorma Kuuluvainen, director of the reception unit of the Finnish Immigration Service, said that the support is designed to cover those families' essential living cost, including food, clothing and basic hygiene.

He added that asylum seekers can also receive some degree of health care in case of acute needs.

With increasing number of asylum seekers swarming into Finland, the country is in short of funding despite the reduction of the financial support for refugee families, according to Kuuluvainen.

The Finnish immigration authorities will ask for an additional 19 million euros from the government to finance reception centers and other related services.

If the current trend continues, even the additional funding may not be sufficient, said Kuuluvainen.

The European Union (EU) is struggling with an unprecedentedly tough migrant crisis this year with some 340,000 migrants crossing Europe's external borders, said Frontex, the EU agency for the management of cooperation at the external borders of the member states.