The Finnish Ministry of Interior has announced its intention
to impose stricter conditions for family reunions, as permitted by the EU
Family Reunification Directive.
The Finnish Aliens Act will now have an additional requirement that the spouse serving as the sponsor be at least 21 years old. Authorities will also reinstate the need for a minimum amount of time of residency and adequate cash for family members in cases where the sponsor is a minor under international protection.
The aim of the initiative is to restrict the definition of
family in family reunification to spouses and children alone. Only foreign
spouses of Finnish citizens, family members of foreigners employed or studying
in Finland, and family members under Finnish international protection are
currently eligible to apply. The EU Family Reunification Directive, which
specifies the minimal requirements for foreign nationals residing legitimately
on the territory of Member States, serves as the foundation for these
regulations.
In 2023, Finland experienced a spike in the number of
applications for work, study, and family reunification visas (18,253), mostly
from wives or children of individuals who relocated for jobs or studies. In
addition, the nation experienced a rise in the number of applications for
Finnish citizenship, which surpassed the previous high of 14,366 in 2021 with
14,853 applications submitted between January and October. Asylum requests,
however, came from Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Iran in greater
numbers than Finland.
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