Finnish Immigration Service to establish new reception centres on 24 October

Some of the reception centres to be established are branches of existing reception centres. The Finnish Immigration Service continues to increase the number of accommodation places in existing reception centres.

At present, Finland has altogether 86 reception centres, their secondary branches and service points for people in private accommodation, as well as 8 reception units for minors. Approximately 42,000 people are currently registered as clients in the reception system. Approximately 50 per cent of them live in private accommodation and 10 per cent in municipalities as part of the municipal model for accommodation of people applying for temporary protection. Most clients are people who have fled to Finland from Ukraine.

“The number of people applying for temporary protection keeps increasing, although there are people returning to Ukraine as well. Still, it is hard to predict how the ongoing war in Ukraine affects the number of applicants. We need to prepare for the possibility that there is a significant increase in the number of applicants in winter, which is why an increase in our accommodation capacity is necessary and justified,” says Pekka Nuutinen, Director of Reception Unit.

The Finnish Immigration Service is responsible for directing, planning and supervising the operations of the reception system. The reception centres maintained by the Finnish Immigration Service are located in Helsinki, Lappeenranta (Joutseno) and Oulu. The other reception centres are maintained by organisations, Finnish municipalities, and companies.

New reception centres, situation on 24 October 2022

• The Iisalmi branch of the Kuopio reception centre, Setlementti Puijola, 200 beds. In operation as of 24 October 2022.

• The Porvoo branch of the Loviisa reception centre, Hemcare Oy, 300 beds. In operation as of 1 November 2022.

• The Sipoo branch of the Loviisa reception centre, Hemcare Oy, 300 beds. In operation as of 1 November 2022.

• Seinäjoki reception centre, Finnish Red Cross, 250 beds. In operation as of 15 November 2022.

• The Kuusankoski branch of the Hamina reception centre, Hemcare Oy, 400 beds. In operation as of 1 December 2022.

More information:

• See the website Migri.fi for more information about living in a reception centre and living in private accommodation.

• Statistics on temporary protection

• Press release from 27 September 2022: Operation of reception centres in several geographical areas put out to tender by the Finnish Immigration Service