Border procedure

The Finnish Immigration Service can apply a border procedure to your asylum application if the grounds presented in your application suggest that the Finnish Immigration Service can consider the application inadmissible or use an accelerated procedure to process the application.

Considering an application inadmissible

The Finnish Immigration Service can decide that your application is inadmissible if it after conducting a preliminary examination considers that there are no grounds for continuing the examination. This can be the case if you, for example, have made a subsequent application that does not include new findings that would require the Finnish Immigration Service to examine the application. For more information about inadmissibility, see the page When is an application not processed in Finland? (available in Finnish, English and Swedish).

Accelerated procedure

When the Finnish Immigration Service applies an accelerated procedure, your application is processed faster than usual. The Finnish Immigration Service can process your application faster than usual if you have not presented grounds for international protection laid down by law, if the grounds presented in your application are clearly implausible or if you have misled authorities, for example. Misleading means that you have presented false information or documents or deliberately withheld relevant information or documents about your identity or nationality that could have had a negative impact on the decision. If the Finnish Immigration Service rejects your application in an accelerated procedure, it can consider your application manifestly unfounded. For more information about accelerated procedure, see the page Accelerated procedure (in Finnish, English and Swedish).

How asylum applications are processed in the border procedure

When you have applied for asylum in Finland, the border control authorities will register your application and take your fingerprints, signature and photograph.
The border control authorities will refer you to the border procedure and to a reception centre. The border control authorities will give you information and instructions concerning the border procedure and the processing of your asylum application. Your reception centre will give you more information about the processing of your asylum application and your rights and obligations.
- The border control authorities may place you in detention and refer you to a detention unit. In that case, you will immediately be notified of the grounds for your detention and given further information about detention. Detention units are closed units, and it is not possible to leave the unit area.
- If the Finnish Immigration Service finds that your application should not be subject to the border procedure, your reception centre or detention unit will give you a notification of the termination of the procedure. In that case, the processing of your asylum application will continue under the normal procedure.
During the border procedure, you have an obligation to stay within the area of the reception centre in which you have been ordered to reside. You are not allowed to leave the reception centre area without permission. The reception centre will give you more details about the area which you are not allowed to leave. If you have been placed in detention, you will have more restrictions than when residing in a reception centre.
If the Finnish Immigration Service considers that your asylum application should be subject to the border procedure, it will soon invite you to an asylum interview. The Finnish Immigration Service will usually hold the interview via a video link so that you can attend the interview at your own reception centre or detention unit.
- Together with the invitation, you will receive information about your rights and obligations during the interview, together with practical instructions and information on how to prepare for the interview and what happens on the day of the interview. Read the instructions carefully before the interview.
After the asylum interview, the Finnish Immigration Service will make a decision on your application. The Finnish Immigration Service examines each application individually, thoroughly and fairly. Your application will be examined in the same way as applications that are not subject to the border procedure.
The police will serve the decision on you. You have the right to appeal against the decision. Written instructions for lodging an appeal come with the decision. Lodging an appeal does not affect the border procedure applied to your application. The border procedure will continue until you receive a notification of its termination from your reception centre or detention unit.
Your reception centre will inform you when you no longer are subject to the border procedure or required to stay within the area of your reception centre. You will receive a written notification of the matter. If you are held in detention, you will receive the notification from your detention unit. You will get a separate notification about the termination of your detention.
- The border procedure is terminated if the Finnish Immigration Service has not made a decision on your matter within four weeks of the date on which you applied for asylum. The border procedure can also be terminated in other situations specified by law.

Processing time

By law, the Finnish Immigration Service must issue a decision on your asylum application within four weeks of the date on which you applied for asylum if the border procedure is applied to your application. The border procedure does not, however, end when the decision is made. The border procedure will continue until you receive a notification of its termination.

Obligation to stay within the area of your reception centre

When you have been referred to the border procedure, you have an obligation to stay within the area of the reception centre in which you have been ordered to reside.

You are not allowed to leave the area specified by your reception centre. The area is marked so that you know where you may move.
You have an obligation to stay within the reception centre area as long as you are subject to the border procedure.

If you are held in detention, your detention unit will tell you where you are allowed to move.

You can apply for permission to leave the reception centre area for important personal reasons. Such reasons include, for example, a close relative’s serious illness or funeral. Ask your reception centre for advice on how to apply for permission. If you are held in detention, it is not possible to get such permission.

You will get a written decision on your application.
If you get permission, the decision will state for what purpose and for how long you are allowed to leave the reception centre area and where you are allowed to go.
You have the right to appeal against the decision. Written instructions for lodging an appeal come with the decision.

If you leave the area of the reception centre in which you are ordered to reside during the border procedure, or you do not return to the reception centre by the time specified in your permission, the police or the border control authorities may then decide to place you in detention.

Ask your reception centre if you have questions about, for instance, your underage children’s school attendance or about healthcare and medical care services that are not provided by your reception centre.

Detention

The police or the border control authorities can place you in detention during the border procedure. Detention units are closed units, and you cannot leave the unit area. You must be immediately informed of the grounds for the detention by the police or the border control authorities. You must also be given information about the processing of the matter that concerns the detention, and about your possibility to receive legal aid. For more information about detention, see the page Detention.

Legal aid

You have the right to get legal aid, meaning that you can meet a legal counsel during the processing of your asylum application. Your legal counsel will give you advice on all matters that concern applying for asylum.

If you wish to use a counsel, you need to find one by yourself. Public legal aid offices can provide legal aid in urgent situations, so it is possible to get a counsel at short notice. The Finnish Immigration Service may hold your asylum interview without a counsel being present if you do not get a counsel before the interview. The legal counsel decides whether it is necessary for him or her to be present at the interview. You can ask your reception centre or detention unit for advice on how to get a counsel.

Returning to your home country or country of permanent residence voluntarily

You can return to your home country or country of permanent residence voluntarily any time during the processing of your asylum application. If you have received a negative decision on your asylum application and wish to return voluntarily, notify your reception centre or the police as soon as possible.

You can apply for assisted voluntary return. There are certain criteria for receiving assistance which will be examined when you apply for assistance. Before returning, you must cancel all pending applications and appeals. You can ask your reception centre for advice. For more information about voluntary return, see the page Voluntary return .

More information about asylum examination and your rights and obligations during the processing of your application

The border control authorities will give you the following instructions:

Asylum seeker: You have been referred to the border procedure
Information for asylum seekers

Termination of the border procedure

When the border procedure applied to your application is terminated, you will receive a written notification of the matter from your reception centre or detention unit.

The border procedure is terminated if one of the following applies:

There are no grounds to consider your asylum application inadmissible.
There are no grounds to process your asylum application in an accelerated procedure.
The Finnish Immigration Service has not made a decision on your asylum application within four weeks of the date on which you applied for asylum.
The decision of the Finnish Immigration Service has not been served on you within seven days of the date on which the Finnish Immigration Service made the decision on your asylum application. This period of seven days must include five working days.
An administrative court has issued a decision on prohibition of enforcement.
Four weeks have passed since the decision on denial of admittance or stay issued to you became enforceable. When a decision on denial of admittance or stay becomes enforceable, removal from the country is possible under law.

When the border procedure is terminated, you have the right to leave the area of the reception centre in which you were ordered to reside. You are obliged to leave Finland if the Finnish Immigration Service has issued a decision on your removal from the country and the decision is enforceable.

If you are held in detention, you will be notified separately when your detention ends

You will receive a separate notification when your detention ends. You will receive the notification from the district court, the police or the border control authorities. When your detention ends, you will be transferred to a reception centre.

Make sure that your contact details are up-to-date and that Finnish authorities can reach you

Always make sure that your contact details are up-to-date and that you can be reached by your reception centre and Finnish authorities. Inform your reception centre of any changes in your address, telephone number or email address. Once the border procedure is terminated, you may be transferred to another reception centre. The employees at your reception centre will give you further advice and guidance.