The entrepreneur successfully bid for a €60,000 job involving planting, clearing, and sapling care. Photo: Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva
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A young entrepreneur from eastern Finland lost a lucrative forestry contract with the state-owned company Metsähallitus earlier this year after it was discovered that she holds dual citizenship with Russia.
The woman, known only as Sofia for privacy reasons, had successfully bid for a €60,000 job involving planting, clearing, and sapling care. She was even congratulated by Metsähallitus for winning the contract, until further documentation revealed that she holds both Finnish and Russian citizenship.
That detail triggered a reversal. In April, Metsähallitus informed Sofia that her contract was being rescinded, citing an EU sanctions regulation from April 2022, which prohibits public procurement contracts with Russian nationals, including those who also hold another citizenship.
“Suddenly, I’m just considered Russian again”
Sofia, who is in her twenties, says she has never lived in Russia and has no financial or business ties there. “I don’t even have a bank account in Russia,” she told Yle. “But suddenly I’m considered Russian again.”
She believed at the time of bidding that her dual citizenship would not disqualify her from the tender. Born in Finland, Sofia says she had no say in her dual nationality until she became an adult.
In her formal appeal, she wrote: “When I was born, dual citizenship wasn’t a crime. I couldn’t choose my parents or their nationalities.”
But the response from Metsähallitus was clear: EU sanctions override all other considerations.
State agency: “The regulation is unambiguous”
Heikki Savolainen, Head of Silviculture at Metsähallitus, described the situation as unfortunate, but said the agency had no choice.
“It’s a clear-cut case. We have to act according to the sanctions regulation,” he explained, adding that it’s rare for Russian citizens to apply for forestry contracts.
The EU regulation bans public contracts with individuals who are Russian nationals or entities controlled by them, regardless of any second citizenship.
The agency’s internal documents, including the original acceptance, appeal documents, and the final rejection, confirm that Sofia’s bid had initially met all the technical requirements before her citizenship status became the disqualifying factor.
Sofia believes the decision is unjust and discriminatory.
“As a Finnish citizen, I should have the right to work and run a business,” she said. “The regulation needs to be reviewed—this punishes people born here, people who have lived their whole lives here.”
Kristina Stenman, Finland’s Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, said her office has received dozens of queries about the implications of the EU sanctions, especially concerning dual citizens.
While she declined to comment on Sofia’s specific case, she acknowledged a broader concern:
“Although the intention may be to show solidarity with Ukraine, the way these rules are enforced can raise legitimate questions about discrimination.”
Stenman noted that while equal treatment is a legal principle, different treatment may be allowed if justified by law, such as EU sanctions.
Faced with the potential loss of future contracts, Sofia is now considering renouncing her Russian citizenship. But she says the process is long, bureaucratic, and expensive.
Her relative, who once had to do the same for employment reasons, had to travel to Moscow, endure months of paperwork, and spend thousands of euros.
“It feels awful,” Sofia admitted. “Giving up Russian citizenship doesn’t erase that part of me. It feels like cutting off a piece of who I am.”
According to Statistics Finland, nearly 38,000 people held Russian dual citizenship in Finland at the end of 2022. In recent years, only a small number have successfully relinquished it.
For Sofia, forestry was supposed to be the foundation of her business. Now she’s reevaluating her future.
“I just want the same chance to work as anyone else,” she said.
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
