Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen. Photo: Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva
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Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said she did not know that the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) had issued new guidance classifying all residents of Gaza as eligible for international protection in Finland.
The statement, made by Rantanen on social media platform X on Thursday, drew sharp criticism from Green Party MP Hanna Holopainen, who accused the minister of either failing to understand her own ministry’s responsibilities or deliberately misleading the public.
“I was not aware of this decision,” Rantanen wrote, adding that the matter had not reached her desk. She said she personally believed the decision involved “enormous risks due to Hamas terrorists.”
Migri’s updated position was first reported by Iltalehti on Wednesday. According to the agency, it now considers all individuals from Gaza as falling under international protection due to the scale and intensity of the conflict. The guidance cites assessments from the United Nations and other international bodies, which have documented widespread violations of international humanitarian law by Israel, including possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
The Interior Ministry oversees Migri, but decisions on asylum eligibility are made independently by the agency and are not subject to ministerial approval.
In response to Rantanen’s remarks, Holopainen said the minister had misrepresented how the asylum process works.
“She either doesn’t understand her administrative sector or is deliberately giving false information about the process,” Holopainen said.
She noted that while the updated guidance recognises that originating from Gaza is a basis for protection, it does not grant asylum unconditionally.
“Security assessments are part of the asylum process. If there are individual security concerns, protection can be denied,” Holopainen said.
Migri’s guidance reflects the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands remain at risk due to ongoing hostilities. The agency’s decision means that applicants from Gaza will be presumed to meet the criteria for asylum unless specific disqualifying factors, such as security threats, are identified during the individual assessment.
Holopainen underlined that such legal procedures are not political but based on international obligations and the Geneva Convention.
Rantanen, a member of the Finns Party, has repeatedly expressed concern about what she describes as the security implications of Finland’s asylum system. On Thursday, she reiterated that in her view, general eligibility from Gaza carries risks.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
