Red Cross mobile medical team Aavaranta reception center in Kirkkonummi, Finland on 12 November 2015. Photo – Lehtikuva.

The Finnish Red Cross is planning to reduce the number of emergency reception centres due to security concerns.

 

The objective is to close units which can only be considered emergency shelters, said Kalle Löövi, the person in charge of safety of reception centre operations at the Finnish Red Cross.

 

The Finnish Red Cross runs about a hundred emergency reception centres in different parts of the country.

 

Löövi said the transfer of asylum seekers from the emergency shelters to reception centres will improve security, because the condition at reception centres is better and the possibility of internal troubles is less.

 

“When people have reasonable facilities, this sort of irritation threshold between people is reduced,” Löövi explained.

 

Currently, about one-third of the Finnish Red Cross accommodation uses emergency shelters.

 

Suitable emergency shelters will of course be kept in reserve, if a large number of people flock to the country once again, Löövi said.

 

Asylum-seeker was using a mobile phone Auramo reception center in Vantaa, 19 October 2015. Photo – Lehtikuva.

The security measures against external threats at the Finnish Red Cross reception units have also been improved.

 

Several arson attacks and attempted arsons have been carried out in autumn on those units which are already in operations or those slated for operations, the latest being a hotel planned to be used as a reception centre in Asikkala.

 

Patrols have been renewed and camera surveillance has been enhanced, Löövi said. 

 

He said many units were set up at the onset of the refugee crisis and, therefore, some of the security issues have remained pending.