Finland has extended the appeal periods for asylum seekers who receive negative decisions from the immigration authorities.
According to the latest customer bulletin of the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), a new law which took effect on 1 August 2021 extends the deadlines for requesting a judicial review in the event of a negative decision and facilitates legal assistance in asylum interviews.
Under the new law, an appeal against the Finnish Immigration Service’s asylum decision can be submitted to the Administrative Court within 30 days from the date on which the negative decision was received.
Previously, the appeal period to the Administrative Court was 21 days, so it has been extended for 9 days.
Similarly, the application for an appeal at the Supreme Administrative Court can be submitted within 30 days from the date on which the negative decision of the Administrative Court was received.
The previous appeal period to the Supreme Administrative Court was 14 days. This period has therefore been more than doubled.
Legal advice
According to Migri, the new law will also allow easier access to free legal advice during the asylum interview.
Under the new regulation, the asylum seeker's legal advisor will no longer need to provide urgent reasons for their presence in order to receive payment.
The legal counsel will continue to participate in the interview at their own discretion. If an asylum seeker wants the legal counsel to participate in the interview, they must agree this in advance.
