Afghan evacuees to move different cities

The Afghan evacuees, who arrived from Kabul on evacuation flights will move to different municipalities after their residence permits will be granted, said the Finnish Immigration Service ( Migri) in a press release on Friday.

A goal has been set to keep the time they need to spend at a reception centre as short as possible.

Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres) will agree with the municipalities on the municipal places offered to the evacuees.

About 80 asylum applications have been submitted by the people arrived from Afghanistan on evacuation flights, most of the applicants are family members of persons who have received consular assistance.

Overall, the number of asylum seekers coming to Finland is still low at present.

The evacuees will move from reception centres to municipalities as soon as possible. They have initially been accommodated in reception centres across the country to wait for the granting of a residence permit.

Among the evacuees are also unaccompanied minors. They have been housed in units specially intended for children and adolescents.

“The work at the reception centres has had a good start. They are solving practical problems since those who have arrived have had hardly any personal belongings or luggage with them,” said Pekka Nuutinen, Director of Reception Unit at Migri.

The people, who arrived in the country were tested for COVID-19 on their arrival at Helsinki.

Due to the coronavirus situation, the arrival into the country includes a 10-day quarantine period, which may be shortened with COVID-19 tests.

“Despite the difficult situation of the people who arrive here, the atmosphere at the airport has been calm. We try to make the arrival situation as unhurried as possible. Interpreters have an especially important role in providing information to people in their own language,” said Nuutinen.

The age range of the people evacuated from Afghanistan is broad, and there are several families among the evacuees. Among the evacuees are also children, and the youngest ones are babies.