Ministry officials are also considering the possibility of completely banning real estate purchases by Russians. They are expected to present their conclusions in December.
On Tuesday, Kaikkonen considered the government’s proposal important in terms of national security, but tried to suppress the discussion about a complete ban. “Even though we take our security very seriously, we must not allow persecution based on nationality to invade this country,” Helsingin Sanomat quoted him as saying in the parliament building.
He reminded that Russians are a relatively large population group in the country, but they hardly face things like the current Russian administration.
However, this year has brought with it a considerable increase in real estate purchases by Russians. The matter has flown out of the public debate this year, and it has come up, for example, after the long-vacant old people’s home in Satakunta’s Kankaanpää was sold to Russian citizens. The farm is located just a few kilometers from the Niinisalo garrison.
Kaikkonen reminded that the stricter visa criteria approved earlier this year have reduced the number of permit applications for Russian real estate acquisitions. “Authorities monitor suspicious activity, and the tools to address such activity are in place,” he assured.
Earlier this fall, he estimated that a ban based on nationality could bring constitutional obstacles and problems.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Source: The Nordic Page