Commenting on the recent security assessment of Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia by immigration officials, Interior Minister Petteri Orpo stressed that the agency’s evaluation had been independent, and not politically-motivated.
Earlier this week the Finnish Immigration Service said that "In the past few months, the security situation has gradually improved in all three countries, although it may have got worse at times for certain specific areas locally."
"Due to the improved security situation, it will be more difficult for applicants from these countries to be granted a residence permit on the basis of subsidiary protection," the agency said in a press release issued Tuesday.
Orpo said he’s on-side with immigration officials’ view that security in Iraq had improved.
"We have done a great deal of international cooperation in Iraq. ISIS [Islamic State] has not been defeated there; it still controls large swathes of Iraq. But their territory is steadily shrinking and that is improving the security situation in Iraq," Orpo said Friday.
Orpo: "Not a political decision"
Orpo acknowledged that the new guidelines on Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia would have far-reaching consequences, since large numbers of asylum seekers come to Finland from these countries. He said that the situation varies in different parts of each country, but remarked that people could possible return to some part of the country, even if they don’t necessarily return to their homes.
"The people coming from these areas will find it harder to get asylum. However each of them will be processed on an individual basis," the minister added.
Finland and other Nordic countries have attempted to harmonise their asylum policies. The Finnish Immigration Service has said that it wants to eliminate those factors that would serve as an inducement to asylum seekers to come to Finland.
"Each Nordic state has made the same assessment and considers [the situation] with due official responsibility. This is not a political decision," Orpo declared.
Difficulties with EU-Turkey accord
On Friday Orpo was in Brussels for a meeting EU Interior Ministers to discuss the asylum seeker situation and the possibility of providing visa-free access to the EU for Turkish citizens.
The measure was negotiated as part of a deal between the EU and Turkey to help manage the arrival of asylum seekers by returning migrants who come to Greek islands to Turkey.
Orpo said that he suspects that the agreement will not necessarily be implemented as agreed.
"There are known difficulties in implementing it," the minister noted.
However he said that the situation will no longer be as chaotic as it was last summer.
"Even if this agreement couldn’t be put into action, there are many elements that will prevent the situation from escalating out of control," Orpo said.
The EU has also stepped up border controls and west Balkan countries have closed their borders to prevent migrants from entering other parts of Europe from Greece.