Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo will chair on Friday the ministerial meeting of the Nordic cooperation group on migration and asylum (NSHF).
According to the Finnish Ministry of the Interior, one of the topics at the meeting will be the situation of those who remain in the country without a residence permit.
"Ministers will discuss measures taken by the Nordic countries to prevent the emergence of undocumented migration and a shadow society," the department headed by Ohisalo said in a press release.
Another aim of the meeting is to exchange views on the reform of the EU's migration and asylum policy. In particular, on the solidarity mechanism proposed by the Commission, which would, in situations of migratory pressure and crisis, shift the responsibility for asylum seekers onto other Member States in addition to those located at the external borders.
"The Government considers it important to safeguard fundamental and human rights and the legal protection of individuals in all situations. It is essential that solidarity is binding on all Member States, because we all share the responsibility for asylum seekers entering the EU. This also serves Finland’s interests as an EU Member State with an external border. Finland's positions on the reform are currently being discussed in Parliament," Minister Ohisalo says.
A plan against illegal immigration
Finland's Ministry of the Interior is currently drawing up an action plan for preventing illegal entry and residence for 2021–2024.
According to the government, the action plan will comprehensively seek ways to prevent the emergence of a shadow society. Besides strategic guidelines, the action plan will aim to promote concrete measures to prevent people from staying in the country without a legal right of residence. The work is scheduled to be completed in December.
The NSHF (Nordisk samrådsgrupp på hög nivå i flyktingfrågor) was established in 1986 and holds annual ministerial meetings to exchange of information and promote cooperation between countries on migration issues.
