8,744 get Finnish citizenship, 11,491 PR last year

A total of 8,744 people were granted Finnish citizenship in 2020, which was 10,062 in the previous year, said the Finnish Immigration Services (Migri) on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a total of 11,491 people were granted a permanent residence permit in 2020, which was 10,132 in 2019.

Iraqi citizens submitted the largest number of citizenship applications in Finland in 2020.

For years, the largest group applying for Finnish citizenship has been Russian citizens.

“Especially asylum seekers who arrived to Finland in the autumn of 2015 and have been granted international protection are now applying for Finnish citizenship. A person who has been granted international protection must live in Finland for four years before he or she can be granted Finnish citizenship,” said Pauliina Helminen, Head of Branch at the Permit and Nationality Unit.

In 2020, Iraqis submitted 1,881 citizenship applications (2019: 1,588, 2018: 972).

Meanwhile, in 2020, the number of asylum applications was small. Last year, a total of 3,209 asylum applications were submitted (2019: 4,550, 2018: 4,548, 2017: 5,047, 2016: 5,647, 2015: 32,477, 2014: 3,649).

A total of 1,275 first asylum applications were submitted. The number of new asylum seekers was smaller than before the year 2015 (2019: 2,467, 2018: 2,409, 2017: 3,202, 2016: 4,813, 2015: 31,959, 2014: 3,287).

“Due to relocations from the Mediterranean, the most common country of origin in first asylum applications became Afghanistan (148 asylum seekers),” said Antti Lehtinen, Director of the Asylum Unit.