Finland Times

 

Immigration services asylum unit director Esko Repo spoke at a press conference on Thursday. Photo Lehtikuva.

About 14,000 asylum seekers, including 2,500 under-aged children, are still waiting at reception centres for a decision on their asylum applications, the Immigration department said on Thursday.

 

More than 32,400 refugees arrived in the country in 2015, while this year 4,200 asylum seekers had arrived until the end of August, the Immigration department told a press conference.

 

The interior ministry estimates an influx of about 10,000 refugees a year in 2016 and 2017.

 

“The number of future applicants is extremely hard to predict, but the indication nevertheless is that the number of asylum seekers arriving in Finland may permanently have settled at a higher level than before,” said Immigration Services Director of Asylum Unit Esko Repo the at the press conference.

 

Most of the refugees last year came from Iraq and this continues to be the case. 

 

More than 21,000 refugees came from Iraq last year and 900 this year so far.

 

Iraqi refugees at a reception centre. File Photo Lehtikuva.

As during previous years, the subsequent largest numbers of refugees came from Afghanistan, Somalia, and Syria.

 

During the last few weeks, the number of asylum seekers from Syria has increased as several asylum seekers have arrived in Finland under the EU relocation scheme. 

 

The number of Turkish asylum seekers has also slightly increased in August, possibly because of the political situation in Turkey.

 

In August alone, 22 asylum seekers arrived from Turkey, when a total of 56 asylum seekers have arrived from Turkey during the whole year.

 

“We have not yet conducted asylum interviews with the asylum seekers from Turkey but it is entirely possible that among them are persons who have left the country due to recent events,” said Esko Repo.

 

In 2016, a number of reception centres were closed and their accommodation capacity reduced. About 24,000 asylum seekers were registered at reception centres at the end of August. 

 

The goal is to have accommodation capacity of 16,000-17,000 next year and down to 10,000 by the end of 2017.