00:17Продолжение следует...
00:38Продолжение следует...
01:00Продолжение следует...
01:06Продолжение следует...
01:14Продолжение следует...
01:19Продолжение следует...
01:26Продолжение следует...
01:29Продолжение следует...
01:40Продолжение следует...
01:53Продолжение следует...
01:55Продолжение следует...
02:08Продолжение следует...
02:11Продолжение следует...
02:22Продолжение следует...
02:28Продолжение следует...
02:41Продолжение следует...
02:44Продолжение следует...
02:55Продолжение следует...
02:58Продолжение следует...
03:17Продолжение следует...
03:24Продолжение следует...
03:27Продолжение следует...
03:33Продолжение следует...
03:35Продолжение следует...
03:36Продолжение следует...
03:37Продолжение следует...
03:39Продолжение следует...
03:54Продолжение следует...
03:57For example, this return regulation is now on EP, and we also hope that this will come out very fast
04:06so we can have new tools, for example, these return hubs outside the EU.
04:12Of course, because this is one of the things that the Commission has approved now.
04:15Is that something Finland is looking into, setting up return hubs in other third countries?
04:20Well, actually, Finland is doing strict policies and we have made a change of paradigm of the migration policies, and
04:32we are looking for very much new tools for the returns as well.
04:38So I think that all of these regulations, safe countries of origin and this return regulation will be very good.
04:49You said you're looking into new tools. Does that mean you're in discussions with other countries outside Europe for return
04:55hubs?
04:56We need to have this regulation, of course, first. But yes, we are very much interested in that option too.
05:05And what do you make of the criticism of this plan?
05:09Some people would say, well, people who come to Finland and other European countries in search of a better life
05:15are then sent to a country they might have no link to, no family connections to, to a camp, essentially.
05:23Isn't that inhumane?
05:25I don't think it's inhumane, because there is an option.
05:32There is always option to go back to your country of origin, where did you came from.
05:37And the other thing is that asylum system wasn't created for seeking better life.
05:45It was for the protection.
05:47And if we are filling this basket with other reasons, then we are in trouble.
05:58It's not sustainable.
05:59In Finland at the moment, that right to seek asylum is suspended, has been, I believe, since 2023.
06:05If I'm not mistaken, please do correct me.
06:07Is that the new normal for Finland now that people cannot come to your country and seek asylum?
06:12That is not true.
06:14People can come to our country and seek asylum.
06:18But the suspension of the right to asylum in relation to what is happening on the border with Russia, that
06:24is, as you mentioned, changing the paradigm.
06:26What is happening now in our eastern border is that we have closed all the border crossing points.
06:36And we have made this border security law under the certain circumstances, which are very high.
06:44If we activate it, then the border guards have a right to prevent people to enter to Finnish territory.
06:54Or if they enter, we will check if they are vulnerable or in immediate life danger in that country where
07:04they enter to Finland.
07:06If not, then we will return them back.
07:10And in terms of the other threats coming from that border, reports of military buildup on the other side of
07:18the Finnish-Russian border.
07:19How concerned are you about that today and the threats to Finnish security and stability?
07:24Well, I think that it seems like the Russian side is building on their side.
07:37As long as they stay on their side, we are happy.
07:40I want to come back to the EU's migration policy.
07:42There seems to be a certain political current, which Finland probably would count itself part of this group of governments
07:49who really want to tighten the rules.
07:51But there's a smaller group of countries maybe taking a drastically different position, such as the Spanish government recently regularising
07:58half a million migrants in Spain who are there irregularly.
08:04What do you, as the Migration Minister for Finland, make of those policies?
08:09Well, I wouldn't ever success the acts like that.
08:17And the other thing is that when we are having the same area, the Schengen area, the Team Europe, as
08:27people are talking about,
08:31then I think there is a high risk if some countries are doing basically really opposite than the other countries.
08:41Because now, for example, those people are very easily to go to other countries.
08:51So, I think that we need to all feel the responsibility of our common area.
09:05And it comes to migration as well.
09:07The Pact on Migration, which should be implemented from June this year, this was part of this Team Europe, as
09:15part of this solidarity mechanism that they call it,
09:18where there's an option for other member states to take in migrants that reach some of the member states under
09:23most pressure.
09:25Not many countries have picked up on this opportunity, including Finland.
09:29And there are estimates that there might be as little as 10,000 relocations in Europe.
09:35So, my question is, is this pact really working? Is there solidarity?
09:41Well, there is options how to show your solidarity.
09:46And Finland has to choose by helping with money.
09:51But I don't think that European migration policies are resolved by solidarity.
09:58I think we need to work on that way that we really decrease the numbers who is coming to Europe.
10:08And how we do this, we do this in third countries.
10:11And we need to make more innovative solutions, not to bring people in.
10:18And then, you know, we are basically in the situation where nobody wants to relocate.
10:25So, this is not working in that way.
10:28You talk about innovative solutions.
10:30What are those in your view?
10:32What is the EU not doing that it could be doing?
10:34Well, I think that the most important thing is cut the smugglers' money-making machine.
10:42But there's been talk about this for years.
10:44Yeah, I know.
10:44But it's still a problem.
10:45I know.
10:45What needs to be done?
10:46But I think that the most important thing is think how we prevent people to enter the Europe by smugglers'
10:59boat.
10:59You do this by having presence on the other side of the sea.
11:04And you do this, for example, looking for the possibilities of safe ports that if somebody is rescued, they are
11:17bringing back to third country, not to Europe.
11:21So, I think that we need to decrease the numbers.
11:24Finally, just to close off, just for a clarification, you mentioned the presence on the other side of the sea,
11:29you said.
11:29But does that mean more presence for Frontex, more of a mandate for Frontex?
11:34What would that exactly look like?
11:35Well, actually, at this moment, Frontex mandate is re-right.
11:45So, there could be, I think, possibilities for that, for example.
11:50Okay.
11:51Minister, thank you so much for joining us on 12 Minutes With.
11:53Thank you.
Comments