Last six months saw Finland expelling 90 Russians from its borders.
In the first half of 2025, Finland has seen a significant increase in deportations, with a total of 1,400 individuals being sent back to their countries of origin. This represents a 31.7% rise compared to the same period last year.
The Helsinki Police Department has attributed this increase to enhanced public order and safety surveillance. However, another contributing factor could be the new law passed in July 2024, which allows for the temporary suspension of asylum applications at the eastern border with Russia, leading to tighter controls.
The most affected nationalities include Russian citizens, with 90 individuals deported between January and June 2025. Other notable nationalities include Estonian, Romanian, and Iraqi citizens.
The primary reason for these deportations is the absence of a valid residence permit, reflecting a broader trend of tightening immigration controls across Europe. Specifically, the search results do not detail specific types of crimes committed by deportees. However, the emphasis on residence permit issues suggests that administrative violations are a primary concern rather than criminal offenses.
In some cases, escorted deportation is used when migrants refuse to leave voluntarily, commit serious crimes, or lack necessary documents. The number of deportation cases involving police escorts has increased to 271 out of 1,400 cases.
EU citizens are often deported for violating drug laws and committing crimes against life and health. For non-EU citizens, the most common reason for deportation remains the lack of a residence permit.
This surge in deportations from Finland reflects a regional trend towards stricter immigration enforcement, influenced by broader European policies and geopolitical pressures. The government can deport arriving refugees if it deems the country at risk of "hybrid influence."
[1] Finnish police statement, June 2025.
- The increase in deportations in Finland, observed in the first half of 2025, could be associated with the new policy-and-legislation, specifically the law passed in July 2024 that allows for the temporary suspension of asylum applications at the eastern border with Russia.
- The Finnish government's strong focus on general-news related to immigration enforcement, such as the surge in deportations and the new legislation, indicates a broader trend of politics across Europe aimed at tightening immigration controls.
