Fewer asylum applications submitted during coronavirus
Published : 16 May 2020, 00:49
Updated : 16 May 2020, 00:51
The number of new asylum seekers has clearly decreased during the coronavirus pandemic, said a press release issued by the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) on Friday.
From 19 March to 30 April 2020, a total of 78 first asylum applications were submitted.
Most of the applicants have already resided in Finland before the restrictions on entry into Finland came into force on 19 March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
No asylum applications have been submitted at Finnish borders after the restrictions on border traffic came into force.
The date of arrival and the travel route of eight applicants are still under examination through asylum investigation.
‘In general, the number of new asylum seekers has been low in recent years, but right now the number of new applicants is exceptionally low due to the coronavirus,’ said Antti Lehtinen, Director of Asylum Unit of Migri.
A total of 502 first asylum applications have been submitted in 2020.
Meanwhile, the Finnish Immigration Service is making decisions on the pending asylum applications as usual. Asylum interviews were temporarily interrupted from 16 March to 14 April 2020.
Now the interviews are being held in premises where staff members and clients can be sufficiently protected from potential coronavirus infections. The equipment of interview rooms used include plexiglass screens, providing protection against the transmission of droplets.