Finland repatriates citizen deported from northeast Syria

A Finnish national, who was deported by the autonomous administration of northeast Syria on Monday has been repatriated in the country, said the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in a press release on Tuesday.

The person in is an adult man who was taken to Syria as a child in 2014.

He is not suspected of criminal activity in Finland or in Syria.

The Finnish authorities received the deported person and escorted him to Finland.

Finland made the arrangements in international collaboration with authorities from allied countries, the United States in particular.

Under section 9 of the Constitution of Finland, Finnish citizens must not be prevented from entering Finland.

The competent Finnish authorities cannot refuse to cooperate with the deporting party in situations where a refusal would mean actually preventing the return travel of a Finnish citizen.

The person will pay for his return transport at his own cost in accordance with the Finnish Consular Services Act.

The consular services of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs have prepared the matter in close cooperation with security authorities and with authorities within the administrative branch of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

Since 2019, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has repatriated dozens of Finns until December 2021.