Reception of 175 asylum seekers from Mediterranean region to be covered from EU's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund

On 2 April, the Government adopted an amendment to the national implementation programme of the EU's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). The amendment concerns how the compensation paid by the European Commission to Finland for the reception of quota refugees is to be distributed. A targeted AMIF application round opens on 3 April.

The national implementation programme will receive an additional EUR 13.3 million from the European Commission’s resettlement appropriations. This is compensation for quota refugees that Finland has received over the past two years.

In the implementation programme, EUR 12 million of the stated amount will be allocated for securing reception conditions for those arriving through the EU's internal relocation mechanism. The remaining EUR 1.3 million will be allocated for improving the integration of quota refugees and for technical assistance in the management of the fund.

On 3 April, the Ministry of the Interior will launch a targeted application round based on the amended implementation programme. The application round ends on 20 April. The application concerns only funding for securing the reception conditions for those arriving through the EU’s internal relocation mechanism and is related to an earlier Government decision to receive 175 asylum seekers from the Mediterranean region.

Coronavirus epidemic slowing the relocation of asylum seekers

On 27 February 2020, the Government decided that Finland would receive up to 175 of the most vulnerable asylum seekers from Member States at the EU’s external borders in the Mediterranean region. Asylum seekers could be relocated from Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Italy, depending on where the situation is the most serious. According to the decision, the reception system costs arising from these relocations can be covered through AMIF funding.

The decision to amend the AMIF implementation programme now makes it possible to implement the previous decision. However, the current restrictions on movement between different countries due to the coronavirus epidemic are slowing the relocation of asylum seekers. Once a decision has been made on the persons to be relocated, the process will begin as soon as practically possible.

Inquiries:

Pauliina Eskola, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 263, [email protected] (AMIF fund)
Iikka Saunamäki, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 267, [email protected] (AMIF fund)
Kukka Krüger, Chief Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 270, [email protected] (relocation of asylum seekers)