The suspension was due to significant changes in the security situation in Afghanistan.
As of 9 July 2021, the Finnish Immigration Service has granted international protection to 433 Afghan citizens. However, some asylum seekers have had to wait for a decision because not all the necessary information has been available. These applications can now be processed.
Decisions are always based on up-to-date country data
The Finnish Immigration Service is working closely with the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) to accurately assess the security situation in Afghanistan. Like other countries, Finland still has challenges in gathering the necessary information about Afghanistan. The new decision-making guidelines of the Finnish Immigration Service take into account the EUAA guidelines on the situation in Afghanistan.
The decision-making guidelines issued by the Finnish Immigration Service will be drawn up on a regional basis and supplemented as the necessary information is obtained from the various regions.
Next, instructions are available in the provinces of Wardak and Ghazni.
“The Finnish Immigration Service always uses up-to-date Country Information when making decisions. We are constantly monitoring the security situation in Kabul and other provinces and are ready to adjust our decision-making practices as necessary based on new country information,” said the Director of Legal Services. Jaakko Purontie.
Violence continues in Kabul
The situation in Afghanistan remains volatile. According to the UN, Kabul is one of the areas in the country where the conflict is still most intense. In addition, the humanitarian situation is serious. However, violence has declined in Kabul since the Taliban came to power.
Although the conflict between the previous Afghan regime, the U.S.-led alliance and the Taliban has ended, hostilities have continued between the Taliban and the terrorist organization ISIS, as well as the Taliban and local resistance movements. The Immigration Agency estimates that while the number of security incidents and civilian casualties in the province has fallen sharply, the threat of summary violence has remained at the same level as before the Taliban. The Agency’s assessment has also drawn attention to the serious humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the limited availability of information.
The level of unabated violence at the moment is not that refugees from Kabul could be automatically granted subsidiary protection status. Instead, the circumstances of each asylum seeker are assessed individually.
โIn the asylum investigation process, we take into account the individual circumstances of each applicant and the impact of the security situation in Kabul on the need for protection,โ Purontie said.
The option of internal protection does not currently apply to asylum seekers from Afghanistan. The option of internal protection means an assessment of whether an asylum seeker who has fled the territory of his or her home country could settle.
Many applicants in a vulnerable position
The circumstances of all Afghan asylum seekers will first be examined to find out asylum may be granted on the basis of individual persecution. If asylum is not granted, the Finnish Immigration Service will assess the possibility of granting asylum secondary protection.
Eligibility for subsidiary protection is based on the existence of an individual threat or the situation in the applicant’s home region. The circumstances of each applicant are always considered individually. Decisions take into account the latest available Country Data and the applicant’s personal situation.
“Many Afghan applicants are considered to be in need of international protection. These include children and women without a safety net, sexual minorities, journalists and human rights workers.
If the asylum seeker is not entitled to international protection, the Finnish Immigration Service will examine whether he should grant residence permit on discretionary humanitarian grounds. Decisions shall be based on an overall assessment taking into account the applicant’s humanitarian situation in the country, his or her state of health and other individual circumstances. In the light of the latest available country information on the situation in Afghanistan, many applicants are being granted a residence permit.
The number of asylum seekers in Afghanistan is currently low
In January-April 2022, 91 Afghans applied for asylum in Finland. Of these, 71 were first applications and 20 were subsequent applications. A total of 441 Afghan citizens are currently awaiting a decision on their asylum application.
Fact: Country of origin information is an important part of asylum decision-making
- The need for international protection of an asylum seeker is assessed individually when making an asylum decision. Asylum decisions take into account up-to-date Country Data for the situation of each individual asylum seeker.
- The situation of an asylum seeker is not assessed on the basis of country data alone. The individual circumstances of each applicant will be examined to determine whether his or her return would endanger persecution or serious harm.
- The level of violence caused by armed conflict is assessed regionally, from low to very high. When the level of violence in a given area is judged to be extreme, everyone there is considered at risk.
- Factors influencing the assessment include the number of security incidents and civilian deaths or injuries, the nature of the violence, the number of internally displaced persons, the nature and geographical extent of the conflict, and the daily living conditions of the local population. .
Source: Finnish Immigration Service
Source: The Nordic Page