Finland Times

The Immigration Service in a release said the situation in Somalia has improved, especially in Mogadishu.

The change in guidelines thus affects the decision-making in asylum matters at the Finnish Immigration Service.

According to the Immigration Service, the end result is very similar to the updated guidelines on Iraq which were issued last week.

The Immigration Service said compared to its previous assessment, the security situation has improved in southern and central Somalia.

All people who come from these regions cannot be considered to run a personal risk of falling victim to violence.

According to the Immigration Service, the applications for international protection are examined individually and decided on the basis of the person’s statement concerning personal persecution.

The facts obtained are compared with the available information on the security situation in different regions of Somalia.

However, the Immigration Service said the situation in Somalia is still difficult and the poor living conditions pose an additional challenge in large parts of the country. According to the Immigration Service, there are several people among Somali asylum seekers who belong to groups that are potentially at risk according to the UNHCR and are often considered to be in need of international protection.

During the individual assessment, special attention is paid to these groups, which include women and children, persons belonging to sexual minorities, those who break the Islamic sharia law and the rules of al-Shabaab as well as victims of forced recruitment.