New act to lay down provisions on crime combating by the Finnish Border Guard

New act to lay down provisions on crime combating by the Finnish Border Guard

In crime combating, the Border Guard focuses on traffic crossing the external border of the Schengen area, particularly on the combating of crime involving illegal entry into the country. This is done as part of border management. The Border Guard also monitors compliance with the Water Traffic Act, the Hunting Act and the Fishing Act.

In future, the Border Guard will also monitor whether the provisions of the Maritime Act and the navigation rules are violated. Such violations may include failure to ensure good seamanship and the vessel’s seaworthiness in merchant shipping. Good seamanship refers to taking responsibility for the safety of people and vessels. In sea areas, the responsibility for the surveillance of waterborne traffic rests mainly with the Border Guard.

In addition, the Border Guard will start to monitor compliance with the provisions of the Road Traffic Act, such as traffic regulations, at border crossing points more widely than before. At present, the Border Guard mainly monitors the roadworthiness of vehicles and the driving ability of drivers at border crossing points.

The covert coercive measures available to the Border Guard to investigate offences will in future include traffic data monitoring when the Border Guard is investigating a case of aggravated forgery, an aggravated receiving offence or a professional receiving offence.

Currently, the Border Guard has the right to carry out traffic data monitoring when investigating a case of aggravated facilitation of illegal entry and related human trafficking, an aggravated hunting offence or a case of aggravated concealing of poached game.

The act will enter into force on 1 April 2018.

Read more about the project (in Finnish)

Inquiries:

Jaana Heikkinen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 421 603, [email protected]