The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) confirmed on 29 September that it will shutter eight additional reception centres or group homes by February 2027, effectively halving the national reception-centre network compared with its pandemic-era peak. The decision follows a sustained fall in new asylum applications—from over 4 000 in 2025 to fewer than 1 500 so far in 2026—and Finland’s tighter border regime with Russia. Centres slated for closure include facilities in Pori, Kotka and Joensuu. About 600 residents will be relocated to larger hubs in Helsinki, Oulu and Tampere, while 200 fixed-term employees face layoffs. Migri director Minna Hulkkonen said bed occupancy has hovered near 50 per cent for months, making the current footprint financially unsustainable. Annual savings are projected at €12 million. For municipalities losing centres the impact is mixed. Local charities worry about diminished integration services, but hotel owners who leased space to Migri during the 2022-23 surge face occupancy gaps just as corporate travel rebounds. The Ministry of Employment and the Economy has set up a task force to help repurpose vacant facilities—for example, as student housing for an expanding foreign degree-programme cohort. Business immigration lawyers say the downsizing underscores Finland’s shift from humanitarian intake toward skills-based migration. Last week the government tabled a bill to introduce a three-week “talent permit”, and officials insist that funds saved from reception services will be redirected to accelerate work-permit processing. Human-rights groups have urged Migri to ensure that voluntary-return counselling remains available in all regions. The agency says mobile teams will travel to remote areas and that online services in 14 languages will launch by December.
Source: Daily Northern
