Migri to close 3 more refugee centres

The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) has decided to close three refugee centres and reduce the accommodation capacity at four other centres gradually, said an official press release.

The total reception centre capacity will be reduced by approximately 800 beds.

The number of new asylum seekers has remained fairly moderate. The Finnish Immigration Service estimates that the number of asylum seekers arriving in Finland this year will be less than 3,000, and the number of subsequent applications submitted will be approximately 2,000.

Approximately 9,500 asylum seekers are currently registered in the reception system, and approximately 5,600 of them live in different types of reception centres.

The Finnish Immigration Service aims for the reception centre capacity to correspond to the existing need for accommodation.

At the moment, there are approximately 400 extra beds at the reception centres, and according to the agency’s estimates the need for beds will decrease with an additional several hundred during the second half of 2019.

The Karkku Reception Centre (Sastamala) with 120 beds capacity will be closed by October 1, 2019, the Kauhava Reception Centre, with 200 beds capacity and the Valolinna Reception Centre (Heinola), with the 170 beds capacity will be closed by January 1, 2020.

Meanwhile, Kristinestad Reception Centre will reduce 50 beds and the new capacity will be 250, Pori Reception Centre will reduce 50 beds and the new capacity will be 200, Vaasa Reception Centre will reduce 50 beds and the new capacity will be 200 as of 1 October 2019.

The capacities of the reception centres on Robert Huberin tie (Vantaa) and in Nihtisilta (Espoo) will be reduced during September–October 2019 in a manner that will be agreed upon separately.