HELSINKI (Web Desk) – Finland is set to expel tens of thousands of the asylum seekers who arrived in the country last year amid the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe.
Paivi Nerg, Finnish Interior Ministry’s administrative director, has announced that Helsinki expects to expel nearly 20,000 refugees out of the 32,000 it received in 2015.
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The official stressed that each application was being evaluated individually, reports Sydney Morning Herald.
“In principle we speak of about two-thirds, meaning approximately 65 percent of the 32,000 will get a negative decision (to their asylum application),” said Nerg.
“In previous years around 60 percent (of applicants) received a negative decision but now we have somewhat tightened our criteria for Iraqis, Afghans and Somalis,” he added.
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Nerg further said at least two charter flights to deport Iraqis were planned within the following months.
Earlier on Thursday, Swedish Interior Minister Anders Ygeman said Stockholm intends to expel as many as 80,000 refugees whose applications for asylum have been rejected.
“We are talking about 60,000 people, but the number could climb to 80,000,” said Ygeman, adding that the government has asked authorities in charge of refugees to organize their expulsion.
Germany has backed a new draft law to make it easier to deport foreign nationals who commit crimes in the country. The proposal made by justice and interior ministers will expedite the deportation of non-EU foreign nationals found guilty of committing physical and sexual assaults.
