The Finnish Migration Board will gradually close 26 refugee reception centres between June 2025 and February 2026. Currently, there are 68 such institutions in Finland, and after the reduction, 42 will remain.
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The reason for this decision was a significant decrease in the number of new asylum seekers. According to the agency, almost 7,000 people currently in the reception system will be forced to either move to other centres or register at their place of residence. This primarily concerns persons with temporary protection who have been living in the country for more than a year and are already eligible for such registration.
Since the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine, tens of thousands of Ukrainians have sought refuge in Finland. As of 2024, more than 60,000 Ukrainian citizens have been granted temporary protection in the Nordic country. Recently, however, the number of new arrivals from Ukraine and other countries has significantly decreased, reducing the need for many accommodation centres.
The Finnish government has assured that the changes will take place gradually, taking into account the needs of people who will be forced to change their place of residence.
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