3238th Meeting, 118th Session, Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)

Good morning, colleagues.
Excellency, ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome back.
I declare open the 3,238 meeting of the committee on the elimination of racial discrimination.
Today, we will continue consideration of the combined 24th to 26th periodic reports of Finland.
I would like to warmly welcome back the delegation of Finland appearing today before the committee, led by Kirsta Oyon Director Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
I also look forward to continuing the constructive dialogue we started yesterday.
As I reminded the colleagues yesterday, we have two segments today as well, and we will focus on the themes in segment three of situation of Sami, Roma, and other groups, including people of African descent, and segment four, situation of non citizens, including migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
Again, a kind reminder to all on the need for the strict management of time.
Without further delay, I'm going to give the floor to Mr.
Balsa Ja, the country rapporteur, for his questions for about 10 minutes.
You have Hello, and good morning to everybody.
I also welcome back, distinguished delegation from Finland.
Today, as the chair noted, we will deal with Segment three and later four.
I will have some remarks and questions concerning the situation of Sami and also people of African dissent.
Then also co rapporteur will share her remarks and questions concerning Roma and issues of education.
But now without further ado, as regards my part and questions concerning Sami, that's also in fact split into two areas, the issues of self determination and political participation.
As well as the issue of land natural resources.
The committee took note of the adoption of the 2025 a of the amended Sami Parliament Act and welcomes state party efforts to strengthen the participation and self government of the Sami people.
We also noted and welcome the final report of the Sami Truth and Reconciliation Commission published in December 2025.
We also noted the commission proposals as regards structural discrimination, language rights, land rights, government, as well as cultural revitalization.
Now, having all that in mind, I think that it does not need to be recalled that this committee has been interested in the situation of Sami for a long time that's expressed in our previous concluding observations.
Now, despite the positive developments, we still remain concerned about the implementation of the rights of Sami people to self determination.
Let me also recall the 2022 opinion of this committee concerning communication number 59 slash 2016 submitted by miss Aneurgam and others versus Finland, in which the committee found a violation of Article 5C and called upon Finland to provide an effective remedy and to genuinely negotiate a revision of Section three of the Sami Parliament Act in a manner respecting the Sami people's right to free prior and informed consent concerning their membership and political participation.
We know that there were some attempts to do it in 2023, but finally, and apparently more time was needed until it has been done.
Please tell us about it.
We also know there was some controversy concerning the concept of dissent when the conclusions of this individual communication in our opinion were considered.
Perhaps you could tell us something about these controversies.
As you know, the committee is quite consistent in its interpretation of Article 1 and the meaning of dissent as a factor.
Um, so we also remain, let's say, interested but also concerned about reforms that despite the legislative reform, important questions concerning the Sami electoral role and the relationship between state authorities and the Sami parliament remain discussed or contested.
In that respect, perhaps you could also inform us more about the issue of the forest Sami as voters to the Sami parliament in Finland.
We would appreciate your feedback in this matter.
We also would like to know how does the state party ensure that the Sami parliament has genuine and effective influence over decisions concerning the Sami people rather than merely an opportunity to express its views.
What is exactly the function and role of the Sami parliament? What safeguards are in place to ensure that the definition of membership of the Sami community and eligibility for the Sami electoral role respects the collective right of the Sami people to determine matters concerning their own membership.
Could you please also tell us what resources are allocated to the Sami Parliament to enable it to exercise effectively its enhanced responsibilities under the Amended Act? Now, as regards land natural resources, the committee takes note of the state parties use of the ACF con guidelines and of mechanisms intended to reconcile land use, natural resource management, and the protection of semi culture and traditional livelihoods.
It also notes that the state party's recognition in its periodic report of the importance of semi participation in land use planning and impact assessment.
Nevertheless, the committee is concerned, however, that by reports that the principle of free prior and informed consent is not consistently incorporated into Finnish legislation and practice concerning land use, mineral exploration, mining, energy projects, and other activities affecting semi traditional territories.
The committee notes that in 2024, the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the committee on economic, social, and culture rights found violations concerning mineral exploration activities affecting Sami territory in circumstances where FPIC and adequate cumulative impact assessments has not been obtained.
The committee is also concerned that although the amended Sami Parliament Act strengthens consultation and negotiation requirements, It does not appear to establish a general requirement for obtaining the consent of affected Sami communities in relation to activities that may seriously affect their rights, traditional livelihoods, or culture.
In this respect, we would like to know in what circumstances is the consent of the Sami people required before a project affecting their lands, culture, and economic activities may proceed.
How are cumulative impact of multiple projects assessed, including the combined effects on reindeer, herding, fishing, hunting, cultural practices, biodiversity, and the transmission of Sami culture to future generations.
These would be my question on the SAI.
There will be also further questions by doctor Almsnat concerning education.
I might also We have an additional one.
I took interest in the Khamis Sami language, the one which seems to be defunct or dead and there are some activities to revive it.
Is there anything that you would like to share with us? Is the state as such engaged also in the respect of reviving the Khamisami language.
Now, with respect to people of African descent, Muslims, and other groups, The committee takes note of the State party's anti racism action plan and of its initiatives to address discrimination against people of African and Asian descent, Muslims, Russian and Estonian speakers.
It also notes the state party's participation in European initiatives aimed at combating racism and promoting equality.
Nevertheless, the committee is concerned by evidence indicating high levels of racial discrimination experienced by people of African descent as well as Muslim communities in Finland.
The committee notes that the recent FRA data indicate that 43% of people of African descent in Finland experience some form of racist harassment and 54% experienced racial discrimination during the relevant reference period.
The committee is also concerned by evidence indicating high levels of discrimination against Muslims.
And the committee is further concerned about reports of racist harassment and discrimination by politicians and persons holding public office.
In fact, yesterday, we have, I think already discussed that to some extent.
Now, what targeted measures has the state party adopted to address afrophobia and anti Muslim racism beyond general anti discrimination measures? What measures have been taken to address discrimination against people of African descent in employment, housing, healthcare, interactions with law enforcement authorities? What measures have been taken to address anti Muslim discrimination, including discrimination in employment, housing, and access to services, as well as racist rhetoric portraying Muslims as a security threat.
Finally, what measures are available to investigate complaints concerning discriminatory statements or conduct by elected officials and other public officials.
This would conclude my preliminary questions for this segment.
Mr.
Cha, if I may ask you to give the floor to miss Al Misnad.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr.
Balzak.
Madam Almnad, you have the floor.
10 minutes.
I will try my best.
Good morning, everyone.
My first part is about Roma.
Roma, the committee note that the state party successful National plan for Roma for 23 2030 measured or aimed at improving Roma participation, education, employment, housing, access to service.
But despite this effort, Roma who only number 10,000 the committee remain concerned that about persistent anti gypsism and socioeconomic inequality experienced by Roma.
Valuable evidence indicate continuing discrimination in employment housing, violence, also hate speech targeting Roma.
In a study by the European Commission 2023 indicated that 72% of fans believe that discrimination against Roma in Finland is widespread.
The question, what concrete results have been achieved under the most recent national policy plan which has been approved in terms of reducing unemployment, access to education, housing, and health? What measures specifically has been taken to compact anti gypsism as a distinct form of racism? What measure has been taken to address discrimination against Roma access to housing employment, including discriminatory treatment based on names, appearance, or traditional Roma clothes.
How are Roma's community involved in designing, implementing, and evaluating policies concerning their life and themselves? The second part is about education in general.
According to separate report, Indigenous Sami and other minority communities have expressed concern about the underrepresentation of their children within the education system and lack of culture, sensitivity in finished school.
This concern include insufficient recognition and teaching of the historical culture and linguistic heritage of this community.
One study examined the Finnish national core curriculum found the curriculum continued to emphasize eurocentric historical narrative and does not recognize or adequately represent minority group in Finland.
The high dropout rate among Roma children raised concern.
A study of basic education conducted in 2000 2001 identify the main contributing factor are frequent school absence, challenging family circumstances, harassment, bullying, and lack of adequate support from teacher.
Furthermore, of course, the Roman language remains endangered in Finland with limited efforts to revitalize it.
Government of Finland made significant efforts to improve education opportunity for its family in area by establishing school and providing learning for children with Sami language.
I think Sami, although maybe it's not enough, but it's one of the minority who are really getting a lot of surfaces in terms of education and other benefit.
At a primary school, for instance, semi language education often require the skill mother tend to be officially registered as Sami at the national population register, which may limit access for some children.
Many Sami children live outside the designated semi homeland area.
Approximately 59 of Sami children reside in other parts of the country where access to Sami language education is limited because the school are primarily established an area traditionally inhabited by national minority or where they are present in substantial number.
The question is the ombudsman report discrimination in basic and vocational education, directing youth and immigrant backwards towards certain field involving manual labor.
This is the issue.
It's always when Roma education appear in reports.
There's always emphasis on vocational education because although it's wrong, but vocational education is looked at discipline for people who are not really academically high or I don't know why this connection between vocational education and roma or minority children.
The update statistic enrollment, I think what would be very beneficial for us as a committee is data statistic number.
For instance, we cannot assess the education of children of minority unless we know, for example, what is the enrollment ratio for Roma or other minority in a pre primary education, primary education, secondary education, higher education.
And what measure has been taken to address enrollment dropout among children from this group? What effort the state party making to revitalize the Sami and Roman language and other endangian language? What services provider for minority with children with special needs? Because some reports indicate these are the most affected people.
The second segment is situation of non citizens including migrant asylum That's after the break after the break.
Sorry, sorry.
I finished.
Oh, my God, there was It.
You're done.
Yes.
I should have slowed down.
Thank you very much.
This is the first round of questions, the members of the delegation.
I will return the floor to you for responses and you have 25 minutes, ma'am.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairperson, distinguished members of the committee.
Good morning.
We are very pleased to be back here.
With regard to the SAMI issues and the impact of your committee, I think it's such a good example.
In Finland, we are quite often asked that what kind of impact the UN treaty bodies are having on our legislation and policies.
I think that your committee's views and recommendations have really had an impact in Finland, if we think about the recent development regarding Sami Parliament Act and other issues linked to indigenous Sami people.
We can really see, for instance, how the Supreme Administrative court in Finland, the highest one, in its reasoning is really referring and using your concluding observations and views.
I think it is such a good example.
A reference was made to the individual communication on Naram and others versus Finland.
Here we have submitted two follow up reports.
The latest one was on the 17th October last year, and our understanding is that the dialogue with the committee is still pending, and we are in the position to provide further information to the committee if that is requested.
But we have taken multiple measures in order to implement the committee's views and recommendations.
Then I would like to show one example of the dialogue between the government authorities and Sami Parliament.
Finland is currently carrying out an inventory of old growth and natural forests of state owned land.
As you know in the Sami homeland, the government state owns 90% of the lands.
Of course, this inventory includes the Sami homeland.
The purpose of this work is to establish a comprehensive and comparable knowledge base for decisions concerning the protection of these forests.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry established a cooperation group in 2024 to monitor and coordinate this inventory work.
The Ministry and the Ministry of the Environment and different areas of Metz Haltus which is a governance body for Finnish Forestry.
It's a state owned enterprise.
Are represented in this group.
Since the beginning of this year, the SAMI Parliament has also been represented in the group as the focus of the inventory work shifted to the SAMI homeland.
This process has included dialogue and consultations with the SAMI Parliament.
The consultations have been conducted under Section nine of the SAM Parliament Act, and these have been really concerning these inventories and criteria used.
The consultations have been ongoing since autumn.
2024 and the most recent official consultation took place in February this year.
The parties have also sought to compare different approaches to identifying growth and natural forests.
In the February this year, consultation the criteria used by the government were compared with the criteria proposed by SAMI Parliament's own SMI working group and it was agreed that the areas identified by the SMI working group as forests close to their natural state would be compared with Meta Halitu inventory results.
And this will provide comparable information on the respective approaches and criteria.
This work is still ongoing.
The results of the 26 field inventories will be discussed in cooperation group in November this year, and further official consultations under the new Sami Parliament Act concerning the protection of old growth and natural forests in the Sami homeland are planned for February 2027.
And some preparatory discussions will also take place before then.
Following these consultations, the Board of Meta Haltus will submit a proposal to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry concerning forest areas to be protected under the Nature Conservation Act.
Now, I'm happy to give the floor to our delegation and the Ministry of Justice will be first, please.
Thank you very much and good morning everyone.
On the Sami Parliament Act and all the questions related to the new provisions, I can mention that it's been a very extremely long and difficult project.
There has been three committees working over the years.
Now finally, we are very happy that we reached the goal in the end.
It entered into force last year, August, as you know, and in all of these three committees, when you asked about the EAC principle and referred to the Anand and W Gum case, in all these three committees, we have the parliament has the government parties represented and the similar amounts of representatives from the Sumi Parliament in all of these committees.
Also, we held negotiations on the proposal as a whole with the Sumi Parliament and they accepted it.
The self determination has been taken into account in this way as well.
Also, this time when parliament discussed the proposal and the constitutional law Committee decided to make especially one of the changes was quite minor and but two changes, then the board of the sumi Parliament accepted these changes.
The Sumi Parliament, The Constitutional Law Committee was the one preparing the report for parliament and the semi parliament representatives were also always called and invited to take part.
They were closely following and participating in the process and had the opportunity to comment on all statements brought forward.
The one of the main goals of the project was to promote the realization of the self determination of the Sami people.
I can mention that in the second last committee, when we were working on the proposal, the UN expert mechanism on Indigenous people's rights made their first ever country engagement mission and they focused on the two major most difficult questions, that is the electoral role criteria and the obligation to negotiate.
We continued the dialogue until the very end and they were quite happy with the results as well and they accepted also the changes made in Parliament since the Summi Parliament accepted them.
I It was a very heated debate.
Some youth organizations complained that there is a lot of hate speech because the topic was very sensitive and difficult and it was debated in social media and in the news.
It was quite a tough process.
In this sense, there were many various statements put forward.
If I'm frank, also disinformation was being spread and for that reason, very carefully we sent to the parliament uh, the decision by your committee, both in English and in Finnish to try to show that what it actually says because there was an attempt to maybe make various kind of interpretations of the decision.
It was quite a challenging process, but uh the result was was nice to have after all this.
We have actually because of Embry request, we have an English translation of the Constitutional Law Committee's report except for the dissenting opinions.
It was very long, but what the majority of the committee how they looked at the different issues Also, there were many claims of discrimination that some groups are now being discriminated because of the electoral le criteria were changed, but the committee discusses this theme as well and the position of the Ministry of Justice and the government was that it's not discriminatory and the criteria were prepared in close cooperation and according to the will of the Sumi Parliament, I This discussion of Forest Army, it was a topic that was raised quite recently, taking into account that this project has been ongoing.
When the first work was done, there was no discussion or even mentioned this whole term.
It was something that has risen in recent years and it's used in various ways.
For example, in Sweden, there is a party that is called Forest Army and they are they are the Sami who are performing reindeer herding in the forest compared to those in the mountain, but we don't have the same distinction or the same groups in Finland.
It's quite a debated term in itself, but I can send you the report from the committee where when you have all the details on this issue, Um, and at the moment, the criteria, the election committee of the sumi Parliament is going through all the electoral role to start with a clean table that it will be equal for everyone to apply based on the new criteria when it's heading for the next elections next year.
And regarding resources for the sumi Parliament, I can send you a table on how the amount of resources has developed over the years.
And because of these legislative changes, we have increased the resources of the Summi parliament because there is, for example, the appeals review body that would be established that needs resources and also for the sumi parliament to have possibilities to hold negotiations in a timely manner, and 600,000 was added this time.
We're happy that all the cuts that has been made all over the sectors that we have tried to protect the needs of the Sumi Prament at some level.
When it comes to the e principle and the obligation to cooperate and negotiate, we are now in line with the international obligations, the legislation, the previous act was pretty outdated and we tried to inform authorities that you still have to take the epic principle into account, but now we have much more detailed legislation as well.
I You have to try to reach consensus with the Sumi Parliament or obtain its consent prior to decision making.
But however, the Sumi Parliament does not have veto rights because the authorities, they might need to take into consideration other groups and other fundamental human rights as well.
You cannot give a right to veto, we have also added now provision on the process to make sure that all the parts of the Epic principle will be taken into account that you will actually have the negotiations in a timely manner when there is also a concrete possibility to to discuss when everything is not already planned and decided and to give them parliament information in advance and time to discuss the matter within their own organs, et cetera.
And we have organized training in close cooperation with the sumi parliament for authorities and they have been very popular this training and there's some material on the websites, kind of checklists, what to think about before negotiations, during negotiations, and after.
We're trying to support the authorities who In some cases were a little bit lost early on when the prohibition was very short and all authorities are not every day dealing with issues that are related to the Sami parliament in any way.
Now in the Act, we also have a new section nine A on the obligation for authorities on the one side, try to promote Sami rights and to avoid that the rights are being weakened due to projects and this is something that is not new.
We already have the rights of Sami to maintain their culture and language in the Constitution and we have an obligation in the Constitution that authorities must safeguard fundamental and human rights.
This means also proactive obligation to be proactive in this regard and take into account Sami rights on its own initiative also when authorities plan and Yes, you asked about cumulative assessment.
This is, as I mentioned already, this is necessary at some level in order to be able to take into account the constitutional obligations to promote and the new obligation nine A, and also, of course, the political and civil convention not to deny the rights, et cetera in the wording of the act, it's not mentioned itself, the obligation or the obligation to assess effects.
Did I reply all the questions? Yes.
The Kemi Sami language.
The government has not been active in trying to bring alive the language that has been unfortunately not used for so much time.
We have three Sami languages spoken in Finland and we have huge challenges already to try to support, especially the called Sami language that they have very few users and and also in A Sami and all of the languages we have a lot of challenges.
We are trying to at the moment, we are assessing the Sami Language Act and also we will have negotiations with the Sami Parliament.
This is something that the Truth and Reconciliation Committee also has recommended and what the Sumi Parliament has asked for also, so we'll try to look at the Act and have some report ready before the next governments take office.
But maybe I stop here and leave some time for the colleagues.
Thank you.
Thank you and good morning.
My name is Hanna Kunen.
I'm from the Ministry of Environment and I will continue on the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the Aqua Co guidelines.
Since 2013, Finland has applied the AkquaCn guidelines through a cooperation model between Meta Holitus and the Saudi Parliament.
These guidelines govern management and use plans for wilderness areas and nature reserves, as well as nature reserve plans in the Sami homeland, ensuring the resource use and protection, safeguard the cultural, environmental and social conditions necessary for sustaining traditional Sami livelihoods.
And in 2023, the Ministry of Environment has published a report guidelines concerning Indigenous peoples in the UN Convention of Biological Diversity and perspectives on their national implementation in Finland.
This report can be sent to the committee afterwards, and this report contributes to the implementation of Article HA in the Sami Homeland and support initiatives aimed at strengthening Sami indigenous rights and safeguarding traditional knowledge.
And the Ministry of Environment has also published in 2026 ethical guidelines based on the UN Convention on Biological Diversity for negotiations and cooperation with the Sami reindeer in Sami reindeer herding districts.
The guidelines were developed in cooperation with the Sami reindeer herding cooperatives.
And these guidelines aim to harmonize practices, strengthen the effectiveness of consultations and support the meaningful participation and free prior and informed consent of the SAMI in matters affecting them and to foster trust based cooperation between SAMI communities, public authorities, and other bodies performing public administrative functions.
Thank you.
I'm continuing regarding the mining sector and the Sami rights.
The Finnish legislation contains specific provisions requiring the assessment of impacts on Sami rights in permit procedures that concern mineral exploration, mining, and gold panning in the Sami homeland.
So the authorities are required to engage with the Sami Parliament and other Sami representatives when they assess the impact of proposed projects and permit applications.
The Finnish Mining Act was renewed in 2023 and it strengthens the participation and environmental protection aspects.
Changes have also been made to the government decree on mining operation, which entered into force this year following consultations with the Sami Parliament.
This renewed decree significantly strengthens the consideration of Sami rights in mining related permit procedures.
There are now more detailed provisions on the assessments required from applicants for mining permits concerning the impacts of the activities on the culture in the Sami area.
Thank you.
Education and Sami, thank you for the committee for noticing the efforts that the state in collaboration with the Sami Council has been doing for quite a number of years.
In addition to the latest report, there's been more further concrete measures to strengthen Sami language teaching and also the teachers in early childhood education and care.
It's very important that it starts from early childhood and the language needs have been very important form in order to revitalize these three Sami languages that have been referred to.
Then I just want to mention that we have strengthened the distance learning resources in order to take into account that the majority of Sami children and youth are nowadays living outside of the Sami homeland area and very committed to securing the long term funding and legal basis for this provision.
Good morning.
I will be continuing on the targeted action against racism and discrimination of people of African descent and Muslims and other groups.
Indeed, we are very much relying on implementation of the Nondiscrimination Act and have taken quite general approach covering different discrimination crowns.
This is the approach taken in many administrations, but we are combining also targeted action whenever needed.
And also cooperation with the communities.
Yesterday, I mentioned already the roundtable that we organized with Muslim youth.
We are also working with CSOs of people of African descent.
They are very much involved in the action plan in monitoring and implementing it.
And the state is also given substantial funding to Somali organizations and Muslim organizations for their advocacy work, but also for developing complementary services in order to lower or create equal access to services.
What we are planning at the moment with African diaspora in Finland is an event on the second decade of people of African descent.
It's going to be happening in end of October this year, and we are quite excited about it and also there we focus on genuine partnership with the communities.
Also, the African CSOs are very active in other networks in Finland like the Advisory Board for ethnic relations, also the national one, but also regional ones.
The partnership and participation supporting the participation is very important for government in all ministries.
I'm thinking if I forgot something.
I Yes.
Well, maybe I can mention about the Muslim communities.
The Ministry of Justice is organizing a train of trainers for the Muslim communities in order to gain information on legal remedies in the communities, and we are planning to continue based on this pilot project even after the action plan is coming to an end.
Thank you.
We will discuss next Roma policy, and I will tell shortly about the program in general.
Finland's third national Roma policy runs 2023-2030 and it is based on the EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion, and participation.
And as an EU member state, Finland is committed to the objective of the strategic framework, and as a cross cutting objective, especially participation, which was asked about, is considered in different target areas that are education, employment, housing, health, and also the policy is strengthening linguistic, cultural and social rights.
The participation of Roma, meaningful participation was emphasized and sought to ensure that Roma representatives were actively involved throughout the process.
And so the importance was attached to the participatory process itself and resulting policy decisions reflecting the principle that Roma people should be involved in the development, implementation, and monitoring of policies affecting them not only at the national level, but it is also promoted in intergovernmental processes, a Finland is participating.
As an example, there is a project, Rava de de Posta.
Let's talk about participation, which promotes cooperation between public authorities and ro organizations.
Shortly about in healthcare, there is also an E co funded active agency project coordinated by the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare, where I We are developing health services when developing health services for Roma.
Particular attention is based to culturally sensitive service models, and also gaining trust between Roma communities and public services.
My colleagues can continue.
In education, we definitely want everybody to gain the skills to be able to decide where to continue in the upper secondary level, whether it's high schools or vocational education.
That's why the reform of support was done during this government period, targeting preventive measures, early measures to organize support for school learning and school attainment and this is the big work we've been doing the last years.
Also in the development program that we are now running for the teachers and educational professionals about equity and non discrimination, there are targeted measures for national minorities.
In this process, they've been organized also events with man, pupils and students taking into account listening into their experiences and their views on on measures now that they are doing this practical tools on how to enhance the work with anti discrimination and equity in schools and educational institutions.
But we have continued special efforts to follow up also development and improve, especially for Roma pupils.
There was done a survey last year.
And it shows some indicated positive developments in school participation and attainment and a similar survey was conducted for the early childhood education, but we know that there is work to be done.
And then I just want to mention the extended compulsory education that entered in Act 2022, which enhances participation of all young people to the age of 18 in the secondary education.
And work with student counseling.
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, delegation for your reply.
You will have an extra time after the follow up questions are raised.
I will now immediately open the floor for follow up questions by the country peers and members of the committee.
Please mind the time and be concise with your questions.
Thank you.
You have the floor.
Madam Amsnad.
Thank you.
Thank you for the answering most of the question regarding education.
But the most important question is the data.
I mean, how many Roman children are enrolled in primary? Not only Roma, I mean all minorities in primary, secondary, high out of those at that school age, and how many dropout rate, how many failure rate? I think this indicator is important to show you and to us that things are improving and they are at a good level.
I didn't hear that answer.
Thank you, Chair and also would like to thank the delegation for answers and feedback.
In fact, I just would like to share this remark.
It's been in fact also echoed by the Chief of delegation, Director Or Non that it doesn't happen every day that our recommendations or opinions indeed are directly reflected and are directly a cause of some legislation changes.
That was the case indeed in the amendment to Semi Parliament Act, which is something, well, let's say significant.
We take note of it.
Again, there are also limits to what the committee can say or how it shape the reality on the ground.
I would not perhaps like to now continue on the issue of forest Sami, but thank you for the explanations.
Well, the fact remains they remain excluded.
They lost their language, in fact, or maybe not lost language, but they don't speak it for at least two centuries, so it seems they don't qualify as voters.
But again, this is an extremely interesting example where standards in fact were very deeply considered and taken on board.
Just briefly if you allow me.
I have not mentioned and you have not mentioned the issue of the ILO Convention 169.
The convention, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention of 1989, we recall that at some point, 12 years ago, the Finnish government in a way promised to consider it and there were some, I think the discussions about it.
But perhaps you could brief us in the next round whether this issue has a future.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr.
Balsa Jak, Madam Chapd.
Thank you, Chair and my greeting once again to the delegation from Finland.
My question follows on reports, part of the report by Mr.
Balczk, the contra Rapporteur on anti black racism.
The European Network Against Racism in its 2024 report, which was called Mapping anti racism Plan in Finland, gave Finland 15 out of 20 after evaluating its national action plan against accism the Napar might sound like not a bad score.
But they also pointed out critical areas in need of strengthening, including the lack of desegregated data, the lack of monitoring resources, and the lack of a civil society coalition advocating for the Napar.
And I also highlighted the small team and small budget as obstacles in implementing the Napar.
Given the rising complaints of afrophobia, for example, by the Finland anti right society and the challenges in securing jobs by people of African descent with African names, among other anti black experiences, and despite the diminishing fiscal space, how can the state party prioritize the concerns about afrophobia which is increasing in the state party so that Finland becomes a truly happy country for all.
Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Shepherd, Senor B Santa Vasquez.
Mr.
De Vasquez, you have the floor.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chair.
It's actually the first time that I'm taking the floor in this review of Finland.
I wanted to extend a warm welcome to you.
At the same time, I'd like to thank you for all the answers that you have provided to the questions coming from our rapporteurs in this review.
Having said that, you've provided us with information on Let.
Can you repeat? Just give us a moment.
Okay.
That was working.
Okay.
Thank you.
Change.
Question from the interpreter.
Were you able to hear the English interpretation just now? Yes.
Thank you.
Mr.
Bevski, you have the floor again.
I very much acknowledge the information that you provided us with and you talked about the mining laws, strengthening environmental protections.
Perhaps I didn't grasp everything you said, but it seemed to me that you didn't say whether this mining law has been amended to guarantee the free prior and informed consent of the Sami people.
In this change to your mining law, are you including the free prior informed consent of the Sami people? I also wanted to ask a question on land rights.
What legislation mechanisms have you developed to protect and recognize the rights of the Sami people to be able to own, possess, and indeed to develop the traditional resources that they have acquired and possessed in any fashion.
I say this because I think we heard that 90% of Finnish territory is state territory, if I understood.
But when we have looked at our committee reports in the past, the traditional and historic and ancestral possession of indigenous peoples, in this case, the Sami people should be recognized as per general recommendation of SAD 23.
As regards fishing rights, how are you able to guarantee that the rests, the salmon restrictions I.
What is being done then in order to counter these restrictions? What are you doing in filling to ensure that state authorities actually effectively coordinate with the Sami people and rights holders in cross border issues that do affect the territories of the Sami people? But I'm thinking in particular of the traditional fishing rights.
Thank you.
Thank you, Monsieur Darm.
Thank you, Chair.
My greetings to the delegation of the State Party that since yesterday has been sharing with the committee progress made and efforts undertaken by the government since the last dialogue, and this is, of course, to be commended.
Chair, this morning, I would like to raise a couple of questions.
First on threats against the Sami and the second on people of African descent.
We have heard reports of what's being called the railway line.
This draft or this project for railway line is threatening the Sami in three ways.
First of all, it cuts through Sami lands.
The rail way will divide up pasture land and block the general migration route for reindeer.
I'm wondering what's being done to try to address these threats.
There's also the cultural threats, reindeer raising and ancestral ways of living risk disappearing.
What measures are being taken to try to support and conserve those ways of life of the Sami people if this bill or this project were indeed to happen? The third threat is the destruction of nature because this project fragments the major forest of the North measures being taken to try to engage in free pn form consent of the Sami people.
The second block of questions I have relate to people of African descent.
Now, as an independent nation, Finland did not take part in the transatlantic slave trade.
But Finland was part of the Swedish Empire until 18 oh nine.
Sweden was a producer of iron and oak that was used to try to chain many people across the world.
We've seen also these imperial structures from the past.
I'm wondering what is happening for the second decade of people of African descent that will be launched in October in school textbooks, for example.
Are Finnish children aware of this past that Finland had and how they're connected to tragedy that happened elsewhere? What about the people who have suffered at the hands of the transatlantic slave trade and how can they turn out to be happy people like you are in Finland today? Thank you.
It's three, 4 minutes to spare.
If anyone would like to take the floor.
Members, Okay.
Thank you.
Let me just one small comment about what you have said in your initial intervention this morning.
We appreciate very much the information that the committee's recommendations are being effective and we appreciate that.
We commend the Finnish authorities for Taking care of situations that are highlighted by the committee as issues that require attention and at least trying to make necessary measures to address them.
This is very important for us because your success is also our success.
In that sense, we commend and we encourage the state party to draw along this line, and it will never be enough.
We all know that.
There will always be room for improvement and the committee and the future get togethers like this will also be reminding you of the next steps to be taken.
Thank you.
I'll immediately give you the floor, madam, for replying to the questions raised by the country task force and other members of the committee.
You have 20 minutes for that.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairperson.
After your wise words, I don't have anything to add and I'm happy to give floor back to the delegation and the Ministry of Justice will be first.
Thank you very much for your questions.
If I add a little bit about the question on Forest Sami, how we see it is that you have to take into account the public international law on Indigenous people's rights and especially the UN Declaration Indigenous people's rights and the right to self determination when it comes to to deciding on membership of the group and taking this into account, and in Finland, the Sumi parliament is the legal representative of the people.
We have to respect the views of the Sumi Parliament in this regard.
When it comes to this group that became very active during the last stages of the discussions on the Sumi Parliament Act, the major parts of this group are not part in the electoral role or was not in the electoral role even previously.
In that sense, the situation did not have big changes except for a few individuals.
The ILO 169 convention, this government has not taken a stance on the topic because they prioritized making the amendments to the act on the Summi Parliament.
Of course, these amendments make it so much easier to proceed on this convention as well, since the obligation to negotiate is now in line with the ILO convention as well.
During the previous government period, a memorandum was written on the prerequisites for ratification, but it will need to be updated.
There was efforts in 2014, but we were not successful to ratify the convention at this stage and some changes in legislation has happened since then.
Now the Truth and Reconciliation Committee has recommended also the ratification, so we will see what the next government decides to do.
I can mention that we have translations on a few parts of the summit parliament act and we can send them to you as well if it's of interest.
Thank you.
I will then continue on people of African descent and anti Black racism.
Thank you for your questions.
Indeed, we have taken note of the evaluation by NR and also that of the European Commission of the National Action Plans.
The NR evaluation was mainly focused on the previous action plan.
And I am happy to tell that in the current action plan, we are much improved also in the participation of people of African descent in the design and implementation and monitoring of the action plan.
We have, for instance, given invited representatives of the monitoring network to the government working group meetings so that they can, uh, a kind of follow up and also participate in the discussions relating to the implementation of the action plan.
Also, NR was in their evaluation, making comments about the budget and limited resources, and in the previous action plan, indeed, we had very limited resources mainly based on EU project that we had applied for.
But in the current action plan, we have a state budget of 6 million euros to implement the action plan, which we are, of course, very happy and hope that we will also have in the future resources in order to increase the volume of the trainings and other activities.
And finally, NR was making a comment that there is no coalition of civil society organizations advocating for NAPAR implementation.
This is exactly what we are very proud of that we now have this network of CSOs and researchers to cooperate with.
As regards the second decade, Um, indeed, schools are very important.
We are also planning for our event morning session for schools to raise awareness of racism and anti racism.
I must say, awareness of the history of slavery and also Finland's relation to that is raising in Finland at the moment.
The academia has a very important role in this to play.
We have significant renowned researchers in Helsinki University and other universities as well, including researchers of African descent who have made very good reports to raise awareness about this issue.
I believe that it's a process and slowly this awareness will also be increased in the official school material At the moment, it is also down to teachers what kind of material they use in their education, in their lessons.
There's plenty of material already available at the moment.
I think it will improve in the future.
Just to add on that in the core curriculum for basic education, it's very specifically noted that the colonialism and the consequences of colonialism also as a part of our joint European history.
If I may respond to the Romani question looking at the quote, Romani children go to basic education, that hasn't been an issue, they attend to the school.
Then there's been this question of the attainment in the upper secondary education or vocational education.
Of course, now this prolonged mandatory school path up to age 18 is helping with that.
There is no specific statistics, but there's been studies during by the National Research Institute, which we can send to you.
But this is from the time before this mandatory and going to school up to year 18 was in act.
Now, of course, in order to ensure the school pass for everybody to the upper secondary or education, there is this preparatory, we need to follow up.
There is an obligation from the officials also to follow up every children under age 18.
I could add in general that regarding the third national Roma policy as it's based on the EU strategy, it's also that the commission will monitor.
It's at the EU level based on the surveys of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights and feedback from the civil society, and there will be evaluation and also midterm evaluation carried out.
Hello, everybody.
I'm Petro from the Ministry of Pen Affairs, and I will answer on the question concerning ping rights.
Finland and Norway share two Salmon rivers, Tara River, which is one of the largest Atlantic salmon rivers in the world, and the Naden River, it's a medium sized Salmon river compared to other Norwegian salmon rivers.
According to comprehensive monitoring data, salmon stocks have declined dramatically since 2019 fishing in Tanna River has been closed since 2021.
The fishing ban has proven effective.
Substantially increasing the number of spawning salmon and improving the possibilities for stock recovery.
The adverse impacts of the fishing ban on local communities have been mitigated through granting of cultural exemption permits.
These permits that allow for limited use of traditional salmon fishing ears help preserve the traditional salmon fishing culture of the Tana River and support the cultural rights of the local Sami communities.
In addition, very limited salmon fishing has been permitted in certain Tuna tributaries.
When scientific assessment assessments have indicated that a particular tributary contains a harvestable surplus while maintaining conservation objectives.
The salmon stock in Nadnrier has also declined rapidly over the past few years.
Negotiations between Finland and Norway are currently underway to renew the bilateral fisheries Agreement governing the river.
The existing agreement dates from the 1970s and it no longer meets contemporary standards for sustainable Salmon management.
Furthermore, the Skolt Sami CETA administration and the Finnish Sami Parliament, they play important roles in the Finnish delegation responsible for renewing the Neden Fisheries Agreement.
The Neden River lies within the homeland of area of the Skolt Sami people.
Their participation is thus considered essential.
And the Skol Sami CEA administration has a role as vice chair of the delegation.
Furthermore, Finland conducts an annual consultation process with the SAM Parliament to assess the need for changes to fishing regulations in these rivers and to ensure that indigenous perspectives are incorporated into fisheries management.
Finally, there has been several projects in order to better combine scientific knowledge and traditional indigenous knowledge in salmon management.
For example, traditional fishing methods have been adopted and developed to target invasive pink salmon while minimizing bygatch of Atlantic salmon.
Thank you.
I will continue briefly on the rights on land.
We can help to safeguard Sami rights by ensuring meaningful Smi participation in land use planning and decision making.
This includes applying the principle of free prior and informed consent and engaging in consultation with SAM representatives on projects that may affect the SAM homeland.
Implementing the consultation obligation sets in the Sumi Parliament Act.
This is linked to the ethical guidelines that I mentioned earlier and this can be sent to the committee.
Once I have the floor, I would also like to answer shortly on the question about Roma and housing.
As a part of the national Roma policy, we monitor the development of equality in housing among Roma.
And the latest follow up report is currently being prepared and it will be published by 2027.
And the report examines access to housing, the selection of residents to state subsidized rental housing and housing counseling services from the perspective of the Roma.
Thank you.
If I may continue regarding the question on the free prior and informed consent in the mining legislation, I could answer that the overall direction of the reforms within this area have been towards stronger indigenous participation and more robust protection of cultural rights.
Recent legislative reforms have significantly enhanced the framework for safeguarding Sami rights within the mining governance.
Authorities are now required to pay greater attention to the cumulative impacts on Sami culture and traditional livelihoods and consultation mechanisms have been strengthened.
Together with the developments in the Sami self government legislation, these reforms contribute to a more participatory and rights sensitive decision making process.
We are, of course, always continuing to develop the consultation methods.
Thank you.
Then there was a question about Arctic Ocean railway, which we call men errata.
For this Arctic Ocean Railway, only a preliminary study was carried out at the time, but it is not an ongoing project.
It does not exist at the moment.
But we have the so called Rail Nordica Project.
Which aims to extend the standard European rail width to Finland because this is quite interesting.
The Finnish railway network currently uses a track width, which is approximately 90 millimeters wider than the standard used in most of Europe.
Therefore, we cannot have this direct connection by train from Finland to Europe.
But there was this first pace of this project and this was between Finland and Sweden between Harbor and Antrno and now there have been discussions whether we could extend this one also to Ol and Rovaniemi, these bigger cities in Lapland.
But this is really in the western part of Lapland.
But the so called Arctic Ocean railway project, it does not exist at the moment.
Does the delegation have any more additional information or replies you would like to share? No at this moment.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, delegation.
To turn this into more interactive, we have a few more minutes.
If there are any follow up questions to the follow up, Madam Shepherd, please.
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you delegation for the answers.
Although I didn't hear an answer to the questions I posed on Napar.
If I could get some answers on that, that would be great.
I also heard your response to Monsieur Derby on the issue of textbooks and the curriculum.
I think I heard you saying that the teachers decide on the textbooks and the curriculum.
Is there not an overarching entity like a Ministry of Education or something like that that would oversee or give some guidance.
I just wanted to know about that.
Then several agencies like Erie, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights have issued statements about racial profiling, anti black racial profiling in Finland despite the former legal prohibitions under the Aliens Act.
I wanted to bring your attention to general Recommendation 36, that was adopted by the committee in 2020, and the title is Preventing and Combating racial Profiling by law enforcement officials.
I would urge you to perhaps make use of this general recommendation and pay some attention to what I've been reading about racial profiling of ethnic minorities, including people of African descent in the state party.
Thank you.
Thank you.
If you can very briefly answer these questions.
Otherwise, you will have 48 hours after the end of this process to provide the committee with written answers when and where you wish.
Thank you.
You have the floor.
Eager to answer.
We have a national core curriculum that is to be followed in all schools.
There are local versions, but they cannot take anything out of the national curriculum, but they can make local amendments.
Then this national core curriculum is to be followed by everybody.
Then there are different, how do you say, providers of learning books that follow this national curriculum and teachers are welcome to choose from the materials.
But of course, everybody follow the core curriculum.
Then I have of the sports that was questioned yesterday, but I give the chair the chance to decide when it's appropriate to tell some nice things about sports.
Please allow space for the written contribution as well.
Would that satisfy Madam Shepherd or no.
But anyway, you have noted the questions.
You will have time to reflect on them.
With that, thank you very much.
We will take a break and we will restart our meeting at 11:30 sharp.
I Let's assume it's 11 30 sharp, although it's not.
We will now start Segment four.
I will give the floor to the court reporter, Madame Elm Snot.
To put her questions, you have the floor for 20 minutes.
I will take my time, not the first time.
Anyway, the segment four is about the situation of non citizen citizens, including migrant asylum seeker and refugee.
Actually, there has been so many changes that affected this segment of the society.
For instance, some reports indicate that Finland migration and asylum policies have been shifted towards stricter restriction.
These include an emerging role until 2028.
December 2024, the government extended the Emergency Act, allowing the suspension of the risk to seek asylum at Eastern Europe within Russia and introducing stricter requirements for family reunification.
That was explained because of security issue, but I don't know.
Also, I think the Emergency Act was extended to 2030 as I understood.
The government has cited regulation governing work permits for foreign nationals.
Since September 2014, reduction in social assistance benefits have affected moderate generalized group, including low income individual and persons with disability.
The emergency law limit asylum seeker and the grant and the Also, I think the reduction or there is a new rule in the social benefit that the person have to be resident in Finland for more than three years and this language of Finnish language is of a certain level, which also has been increased in recent years.
For these people, they have what was called integration benefit for those who are unemployment migrant who have residence in Finland for less than three years and who do not meet employment or language criteria which has been already increased to a higher level, they will not be entitled to a Either they will not be entitled or they will be reduced in the social benefit they are giving and also the child care benefits.
Also, the reception allowance has been also reduced.
In 2025, Finnish Immigration Surface Survey of reception center, official found out the recipient severe difficulties covering essential daily expense, such as food, clothing, and hygiene item with many accumulated debt and increasely forced to rely on external food.
So the situation is really getting very difficult with these new rule and regulation for refugee and asylum seeker.
The government has also significantly reduced its refugee quota to 500 a year as of 2024.
The government has introduced legislative amendments that roll back certain protection within migration and asylum policy, including the following.
Comprising the fairness of the asylum procedure by no longer systematically verifying the accuracy of the interview records.
The emergency rule which has been extended limit asylum seeker and give authority to the border people to deny any interest to any asylum seeker, even if they have to use force and also deny any possibility for appeals.
Imposing more stringent requirement for obtaining citizenship and tightening the condition of granting permanent residency, like, as I said, increasing the level of mastering the Finnish language to higher level.
Also, in terms of employment, according to statistics from the Ministry of Justice, 38% of Arabic speaking individual and 31% of Russian speaking individual reported experiencing discrimination in employment.
According to the state report, page 25 29, sorry, discrimination persists in the labor market.
Practically job applicants whose name suggests they are non European background.
Well, the question, what has been the impact of certain legislative changes affecting non citizens and the temporary measure adopted to manage international migration? Please update statistic on the population of asylum seeker, migrant and refugee residents in the country.
Also, please update statistic on asylum application and their outcome.
The average duration of administrative detention, and the number of asylum seeker, particularly children, held and police detention facility.
What measure has been taken to ensure the well being of asylum, refugee and migrant, including access to adequate health care service employment opportunities, family reunification and social assistance.
What measures has the state party taken to prevent and compact violence and reception center.
Also, I think there is one point which I read somewhere concerning the new legislation for this group is that also for health service, it's only allowed for emergency.
But if the issue is not emergent or is not critical, then health assistance might be denied.
These are my question and I hope I will have a good answer for it.
Thank you.
I might have just a supplementary comment and one question.
The co rapporteur has provided some context and detailed questions.
But also, let me make it clear that also the committee is, of course, concerned about the situation on several levels, but also the committee is aware that security situation and security issues are give rise to some concerns when it comes also to situation in Eastern Europe in general.
And what I'm trying to say is that it's so that we have been also discussing it with other delegations and in other contexts that, unfortunately, migrants are also victims of instrumentalization, not necessarily by the state which we discuss it with.
In other words, we are aware of the problem of instrumentalization or weaponization of migration.
We would seek your views about it, but also can you brief us about the general situation at the border, so to say.
Because again, it is not uniquely the situation of Finnish Eastern border.
Other states have some situation of a similar kind.
It's deeply concerning and deeply, I would say, saddening that migrants are used in fact and instrumentalized.
Again, not by your delegation, not by the state concerned.
If you would be in a position also to present us the problem as you see it, we would appreciate it.
Thank you.
Okay.
Thank you very much.
Yes, Madam Asad.
I forgot to mention, it's the right to health.
The new legislation, as I said, but I think I will expand on that.
The new legislation restrict the access for undocumented migrant to mainly urgent health care came in force in January 2026.
Certain exception allowing necessary non urgent care are in place for children, Bant women person with disability.
The person with chronic disease under previous legislation which was enforced 23 25, irregular or undocumented migrant had access to non urgent care that is deemed necessary for healthcare personnel.
I think also this group are affected by the restriction to the service given to them in the healthcare system.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I will open the floor to the responses from the delegation.
You have 20 minutes.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairperson, distinguished members of the committee.
First, I will address the situation at the eastern border between Finland and the Russian Federation.
The border crossing points on the land border here I emphasize land border between Finland and Russia have been closed since 15 December 2023 by virtue of series of government decisions.
Here is now something what I want to firmly emphasize.
Applications for international protection may be submitted at other border crossing points at Finland's external borders that are still open and have been open all the time for air and maritime traffic.
The government has renewed its decision on the closure of border crossing points on the eastern border.
On the 4th of June this year, the government decided that the border crossing points on the eastern border would remain closed and that the submission of applications for international protection would continue to be centralized and this decision will remain in force until further notice.
It is not possible to enter Finland via a border crossing point that is closed.
For example, there may be some physical barriers at the border crossing point.
However, the needs and rights of particularly vulnerable persons will be taken into account and our border guard is very well trained in this regard.
After these decisions to close our border crossing points, there were some extra training for our border guard.
And business as usual, the Finnish Immigration Service examines asylum applications and the circumstances of each asylum seeker are examined in accordance with the law.
After this, the asylum seeker may be granted international protection or denied state in the country.
I must say that the above government decisions have achieved the intended effect and instrumentalized migration has ceased for now at Finland's eastern border.
Then about the Act on Temporary Measures for instrumentalized migration, the so called Border Security Act.
On 16th July 2024, the president of the Republic approved the bill for the Act on temporary measures to combat instrumentalized migration, the so called Border Security Act.
This Act entered into force on the 22nd July 2024, and it was originally in force for one year.
But last year, the validity of the act was extended until the end of this year.
Now, the Finnish Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to extend the validity of this act.
The aim is to submit this government proposal to Parliament in September this year.
The aim of the act is to improve border security and ensure that Finland has effective means at its disposal to combat instrumentalized migration, which is being used to put pressure on Finland and also on other European countries.
The aim is also to prepare for more serious instances of instrumentalized migration.
The Act was drawn up in an exceptional and in many aspects, a new security situation in order to protect national security.
U.
In Finland, our security authorities estimate that the threat of instrumentalized migration at Finland's eastern border remains high.
The situation has not changed significantly since 2025 when the act was previously extended.
Neither is quick improvement expected in the security situation.
The application of this exceptional act would require a separate decision and it would be the last resort to control the situation.
Here again, I want to emphasize that this act has not been applied in any situation.
It is there and in order to be able to apply it, we would need a separate assessment.
It should be very severe situation and then a decision, and then we can apply it, but so far it has not been applied.
The Act lays down the conditions under which Finland could decide to restrict the reception of applications for international protection in a limited area.
It's really limited area on the eastern border on Finland's national border and its immediate vicinity.
If a decision was taken to apply this exceptional act, a person crossing the land border would not be able to apply for asylum.
Of course, there are these certain exceptions.
If a person is in a vulnerable position, then there is separate criteria for that one.
Now I give to the delegation and it will be the Ministry of the Interior first, please.
Yes, good morning, everyone.
My name is Mira Mi Conari and I'm from the Ministry of the Interior.
I will do my best to answer your questions about the migration.
I think I will start with the statistics.
As mentioned yesterday, the numbers of asylum applications have been on a downward trend since the previous reporting cycle, and a total of 20,000 applications for international protection have been lodged in Finland since the beginning of the year 2021.
I think that it should be noted that in the year 2022, the amount of asylum applications was affected by the Russia war of aggression in Ukraine.
However, those who fled Ukraine mainly applied for temporary protection for which since then, over 95,000 decisions have been made by the Finnish Immigration Service.
After the year 2021 to which the last reporting period ended, nearly 24,000 asylum decisions have been made by the Phoenix Immigration Service and in about 43 of the decisions, residence permit has been granted and around 26% of the decisions have been negative.
Rest of the decisions have been inadmissible or the matter has been expired.
Since the last reporting cycle, The five most common nationalities to apply for international protection have been Iraq, Somalia, Russia, Ukraine, and Afghanistan.
Most of these statistics, such as the number of the applications and the decisions can be found in the Finnish Immigration Service website.
Also, it can be used in English.
I think I can then turn to the legislative amendments during this government term.
The government program of Prime Minister Petro Opo aims to improve the management of migration and en chance the efficiency of returns, prevent abuse of the asylum system, and establish clear requirements for residing in the country.
At the same time, it reaffirms Finland's commitment to protecting persons in vulnerable positions, including children, women, and persons belonging to minorities.
While the government program is aimed at controlling immigration, the measures taken implemented with the context of strict legal framework.
Non discrimination is ensured by way of objective and clear legislation by the individual assessment carried out by the competent authorities and by special guarantees for vulnerable people.
All migration legislative reforms are implemented in full compliance with the Finland's international human rights obligations, European law, and the rule of law.
As mentioned before, individuals fleeing war persecution and serious human rights violations continue to have the right to seek asylum in Finland.
Then I think I could add something about the objectives of the amendments made during this government program.
All of these objectives of the legislative amendments have been comprehensive and clear.
As the rapporteur mentions, there has been several amendments, and I think I would be Happy to go through them not in detail, but to mention the objectives of them.
For example, by tightening the requirements for permanent residence permit and the Finnish citizenships, the aim has been to improve the integration of immigrants by encouraging them to work and learn the Finnish language.
The provisions on humanitarian immigration, including asylum procedure and family reunification, those who granted international protection have been amended to common nordic level with the limits of EU regulations.
In order to prevent an undesirable pull effect also.
The pan on so called lane changing has clarified the system of work and education based immigration and highlighted asylum procedure as a separate process.
Also, there was mentioning about the reception allowance and indeed in the year 2024, Finland did change the allowance amount and spending allowance provided by the asylum applicants.
However, the supplementary reception allowance may be granted for expenses arising the specific needs and circumstances of the persons or his or her family that are deemed necessary for securing and dignified living and promoting independent coping.
Ultimately, the supplementary reception allowance ensures that the substance or care of a person is not endangered in an individual situation.
The Finland has also implemented the EU's Directive on reception conditions and the directive provides minimum standards of assistance for asylum applicants, ensuring adequate standards of living for those arriving to EU and also to Finland and seeking international protections.
So far, no amendments to the provisions concerning resettlement, so called refugee quotas have not been enacted in recent years.
There was also a question about the impact assessment, and I just want to say that we went briefly about it yesterday.
My colleague from the Ministry of Justice was telling you about that.
But I would just like to add that after the legislative advent and in force, information will be obtained about the combined effects and the changes can be assessed in more detail in over time as the application practice also develops and when necessary, changes are proposed.
And then there was a question about health care, education, and also the other services.
I think I'm going to add something from the perspective of the receptant services and then I'm going to hand out the answer.
For my colleagues here next to me.
Asylum seekers in Finland are housed in reception centers.
Reception centers can be facility based or residential solutions, and the recipient of the receptance services also has the opportunity to arrange their accommodation independently in private accommodation.
The system is designed to provide comprehensive support and services.
The receptance services include accommodation, a reception allowance, social services, health care services, interpretation, and translation services, and a personal guidance.
Everyone in the reception center has the right to a safe living environment and the centers must take appropriate measures to prevent assault and violence.
Asylum seekers are entitled to emergency care and other health services deemed necessary by the health care professionals and children are provided with health care services on the same grounds as Finn's residents.
All the special needs of vulnerable people are assessed when taking into account and when providing these services.
About education, children ages six to 18 have the same access to education as Finnish nationals.
If I forgot something, I'm going to back.
Yeah.
Thank you.
I come from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and thank you for the question on the healthcare for undocumented migrants and I will elaborate on that.
The right to health care services depends on particularly the grounds of residence in Finland, whether the person has a residence permit or whether the person has a municipality of residence in Finland.
Anywhere the urgent medical care and the last resort necessary social welfare, which is like shelter and food and necessary health costs, they must be provided to all people residing in the country.
But particularly on the undocumented migrants and the health care until the end of 2022, the public healthcare providers were only obligated to provide emergency care for undocumented migrants and other individuals without the residence of the right to healthcare in Finland based on employment or under EU law or bilateral agreements.
But from the beginning of 2023, the new Section 56 A was enacted in the Finnish Act on organizing healthcare and social welfare services.
And granting undocumented migrants as well as other similar groups the right to necessary non emergency care in addition to emergency care.
Under the new Section 56 A, children under the age of 18 would have the right to the same services as Finnish residents.
Section 56 A required that the need for necessary non emergency care was assessed in relation to the length of the patient's stay in the country.
The right to non emergency care under the section was excluded if the person in question had traveled to Finland with the express intent to seek health care services in Finland.
The current government has enacted a further amendment to the Organizing Act providing for more specific regulation relating to the right to health care beyond emergency services for undocumented migrants.
For groups who are not illegally in the country but who do not have the right for the full range of health care services, the right to necessarily non emergency care remains under Section 56 A.
However, from the beginning of this year, 2026, a new Section 56 B has been enacted to define which non emergency health care services public healthcare providers have an obligation to provide for undocumented migrants.
Under the new section, undocumented migrants have the right to necessary non emergency care based on an individual needs assessment, provided that the denial of such services would be clearly unreasonable due to the individual's medical condition or injury or if it would seriously endanger the health of another person or the general population of the welfare.
Or the welfare of an underage child for the care of which the individual in question is responsible.
However, the section sets an obligation to provide health care services relating to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care for undocumented migrants, as well as non emergency health care services which are necessarily due to disability for disabled documented migrants.
As before, undocumented migrant children under the age of 18 have a right to the same services as Finnish residents.
As which group under Section 56 A, the right to non emergency care under Section 56 B is excluded if the person in question has traveled to Finland with the express intent to seek health care services in Finland.
Um, with the recent amendments, the Finnish government aims to ensure that the health care services available to undocumented migrants in Finland do not develop into a pull factor for migration and for neglecting to seek legal status while in Finland.
The amendments underwent careful constitutional scrutiny in the constitutional committee of the Finnish Parliament.
The committee found that while the amendment posed a limitation to the right to health care under Section 19 subsection three of the Finnish Constitution, such limitations are allowed under the Constitution when based on a distinction based on the legal status of an individual stay in Finland and when they do not have to establish personal connection to Finland.
Furthermore, the committee found that the right to equality under Section six of the Constitution allows the distinction based on a person's connection to Finland based on residence or employment.
Do we still have time for the question about the social benefits? I can give you a few minutes.
I'd just like we could wrap up this one.
There was a question about the chronic diseases which I would like to shortly address.
Under the newly enacted Section 56 B on the Finnish Healthcare Act, undocumented migrants disability or chronic diseases do not extend an individual's access to healthcare to cover all non emergency care.
However, the section requires physicians and other healthcare personnel to conduct an individual assessment of the person's medical condition and need for treatment.
Therefore, non emergency care relating to chronic diseases will be provided to undocumented migrants on an individual basis when the criteria in the section 56 A are met.
I'll give it to my colleagues on the new forms of social benefits.
Thank you.
I will try to explain shortly about these two models.
Child home care allowance, the new proposal in accordance with it, it would require that the recipient has resided in Finland for at least three years and it would be payable only to the parent or other guardian who is primarily responsible for carrying the child.
And the objective of this proposal is to promote the more rapid integration of recently arrived parents of young children and also support children's integration into society also through the acquisition of national language so that young children who have lived in Finland for less than three years, their parents would choose early childhood education and care more frequently than at present, and that they would be directed more effectively towards integration services and the labor market.
And uh Actually, it is expected that it would strengthen the economic position of immigrant household as the parents would generally receive general social security benefit, which is at a higher level than the child home care allowance.
Thank you very much, delegation.
All your replies.
I will now open the floor for follow up questions by the rapporteurs and other members of the committee.
Madame Almsnand.
One point raised by some NGO is about the child protection surface.
I mean, the question was, is it still on or not? I mean, I think in 1997, there was report that children from minority like Roma, parents from Middle Eastern background, Russian can be taken away from their parents and put in a separate place or in a separate institution because I think the authority thinks that the parents are not qualified to take care of their children.
The question is, is this practice still on and if it is still on, Homi children are coming under the Social Protection Service in Finland.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chair and let me also sincerely thank the delegation for this very open, frank, interesting dialogue.
The committee has received consistent input indicating that minority women, migrant refugees, but also including them, Sammi and Roma to have the general situation face combated barriers in accessing protection and justice for gender based violence, including intimate partner violence, honor related violence, forced marriage, and FGM.
These barriers include the language, distrust of authority, service shortages.
There is no surprise here.
We know the barriers, insufficient police recognition, a high evidentiary threshold.
So I would appreciate the delegation's response to the following questions.
Please indicate what concrete group specific measures, as opposed to general gender based violence policies are being developed or implemented to address the needs of migrant women, but please include since we haven't discussed this, if possible, Sami and Roma, how these measures were designed in consultation with the women concerned.
Also, reports point to the absence of disaggregated data on violence affected minority women.
Does the state party intend to introduce this collection disaggregated by ethnicity and migration status in this area.
Grevio identifies also high evidentiary threshold and fragmented multi agency cooperation, specifically in relation to honor related violence.
What steps are being taken to improve this police recognition of this form of violence and to ensure also specialist services are available nationwide.
Rather than concentrated in certain regions.
Since I still have some time, I would like also to touch upon the employment.
I think it relates very well with what we just discussed on childcare.
The quality oomudsman notes that women from ethnic and racial minorities face overlapping barriers in employment, linked to sex, pregnancy, family responsibilities, ethnicity, religion, cultural stereotyping, and of course, they are disproportionately, as we know, in low paid, female dominated sectors such as care cleaning and domestic work.
So a what measures are you taking to address this occupational segregation of minorities, minority women in low paid sectors? Could you also report and could you respond as to reports? I think it was discussed, but I'm not sure.
Excuse me.
I apologize if that is on the traditional dress of Va this barrier.
I understand the purpose of this child, this measure on childcare.
But sometimes, again, it's interesting to know if you took into account how friendly are the kindergartens for this culturally also from the cultural sensitivity approach, because what we see a lot is that women, of course, and families, they hesitate to send their children because also they are afraid of the environment that they themselves as well face there.
I think it's very good to have these measures, but also take other measures into account.
Thank you very much.
And If you can the gender based violence.
I'm sure I haven't read anything about that.
Is it considered a public health risks.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr.
Day.
Would you please know? Thank you, Chair.
Chair, my concern relates to the National Plan for Healthcare Development.
Does this take into account or create a legal case for the development of traditional medicine from the Sami people? Is there some collaboration between this medicine and conventional medicine? Does it benefit from subsidy? Do the Sami people have the opportunity to seek medical care or use the traditional means of care as well as being connected to the modern system? Looking at the health care system for the Roma and other migrants, I wonder, is there interpretation available so that the Roma or migrants who cannot communicate in Finnish can also have access to health care services.
Thank you.
Merci.
The floor is still open for members who would like to ask follow up questions.
I do not see any, so I turn to the delegation for replies.
You have the floor, madam, for as much as you want.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairperson.
That was very promising.
Now colleagues, let's shoot.
This language barrier issue is really interesting in Finland.
I just recently saw a map of Europe and there were estimates that how many weeks it takes to learn each of the European languages and there were quite moderate weeks and then there was Finland and there was, forget it.
Language barrier issues are really question in Finland.
But we have quite good solutions and also legislation for that one.
Now I'm happy to give back to the delegation to provide replies, please.
Ministry of the Interior will be first one, followed by Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
Thank you and good morning.
I'll reply on three points.
One is the reception centers and detention facilities.
The main rule is that people are hosted in reception centers and it is only exceptionally that they may be hosted in police detention facilities.
The two cases, either the reception centers are full or the reception center, the nearest reception center is very far.
In the latter case, the person can be hosted at the police detention facility only for four days.
If a police detention facility is not available, the person may be hosted at the border guard facilities, but only for 48 hours.
A child may be never hosted in a police detention facility.
Second, about the intimate partner violence.
This is a field that the police has been working on for a long time because it's been recognized in Finland that this is a problem.
We do not have statistics by ethnicity or nationality, but because we treat it as a whole, as a problem that the police has to address better.
Much has been done and there is an ongoing valid directive to guide the investigations where the nature of this type of violence is explained in detail, also including its manifestations against the minorities or honor based violence and so forth.
In this directive, the police is instructed in a detailed manner how to carry out the interviews, to assess the protection needs immediately as soon as possible, in a discrete manner, to make a risk assessment as well.
As immediately, and they are being also monitored on this because there are cases reported by the parliamentary ombudsman recent cases where the police reports of this violence are lacking.
A lot of attention is paid on this issue.
There is a very detailed manual on the investigation, how to carry out the investigation of this type of violence, domestic violence.
And there is a separate form for honor based violence, how to conduct the investigations.
M is done on this issue.
Another side of the coin is, again, what I was addressing yesterday is the trust in the police.
There is a lot on preventing police prevention work with the minorities in order to gain the trust and in order to victims to be able to report the crime.
Much is being done on this and the last, and then I'll pass on the torch.
There was a question earlier about the instrumentalization of migrants.
There is a phenomenon which the police has recognized, and that is that some of the victims, they are victims of human trafficking.
Organized criminal networks are also part of this phenomenon.
And we've been doing a lot of work again with detailed instructions for the police, for the identification of the victims, how to carry out the investigations, and so forth.
This is part of the ongoing work in that field to fight the instrumentalization of migrants.
Thank you.
A question considering the child protection services.
In Finland and child welfare services, we don't systematically compile statistics on the origin or the ethnic background of the clients, the extensive statistical quantitative data is not available.
But there has been some academic research being conducted and carried out on children and families, especially when the question was about substitute care.
On the basis on which it can be concluded that there is definitely some room for improvement in the service system.
We all probably agree on that.
But according to the Child Welfare Act, Section four says that when assessing the best interests of the child, the consideration must be given to the extent of which the measures or the solutions safeguard the child's linguistic, cultural and religious background and rights, and that is definite in the legislation.
And we have conducted some research about children with ethnic backgrounds in the child welfare services, and according to some of these studies, the children and young people with the foreign background, they have had relatively more placement outside home in substitute care when you compare it to the majority of the population at that time of the survey.
The survey is quite old, so this situation at the moment, it's not very clear.
And unfortunately, there are more emergency and institutional placements outside of home with the groups of children with a foreign background compared to the majority of the population.
The situation might be different if adding socio economic factors, but that requires more research.
The results that we have indicate that the early support mechanisms and general child welfare services, they probably do not adequately meet the support needs of these families with children of foreign background.
And then in the national level, these needs are identified for developing the service system and strengthening the competence of professionals in order to dismantle structures that may cause discrimination.
Earlier, my colleagues probably mentioned the project that we have, the Active agency Project in the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare, and it's a three year project that aims to strengthen the equality and the non discrimination and participation and active agency among people in vulnerable situations, and that includes migrants, also the victims of human trafficking and also the Roma population.
For migrants, this project focuses particularly on the development of social and health services and integration related services pathways so that the public health care and social welfare professionals could identify more the needs of the migrant clients.
Then should I continue on the gender based violence or Okay.
I also my colleague in the Minister of Interior already addressed that, but let me get my notes just a moment.
The main national action plan that aims to prevent violence against women is the action plan for Istanbul Convention.
The plan is drawn by NAPE, the Committee for Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.
It operates in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and acts as a national coordinating body for the Istanbul Convention in Finland.
The current action plan covers the years 26 to 2033, and it includes 37 measures to prevent and respond to violence against women and domestic violence.
One of the cross cutting aims of the action plan is to strengthen the consideration of gender and intersectionality in prevention of violence and that also means the ethnical background.
The action plan includes measures related to also the national minorities such as Roma and Sami.
And many of the measures also explicitly mention vulnerable groups.
Also, the government's action plan for gender equality includes several measures on violence against women, domestic violence, and the other forms of violence.
The measures deal, for example, with prevention of violence and strengthening the services aimed at victims of violence and furthermore the National Action Plan on fundamental and human rights also includes measure on combating the violence.
It's really a cross cutting issue in the government's work.
In addition, there's a separate action plan on preventing female genital mutilation and the implementation of the plan is coordinated and monitored by the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare.
I give the floor to my colleagues.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I can mention that related to the issue on gender based violence as part of the action plan against racism, the Ministry of Justice is strengthening measures against so called honor based violence.
Key actions include ministerial roundtable that we organized last year for civil society organizations as well as judicial authorities.
Based on these discussions, we have commissioned a report that is being made at the moment by a human rights organization on access to legal remedies of victims.
To honor related violence.
Also, the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations has conducted a national survey with the purpose of identifying needs for information and discussions.
Based on the survey or National Expert Service on the topic has been procured from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and this institute will deliver webinars and targeted outreach to communities.
Okay.
I will continue from the Ministry of Justice.
During the government term, the Ministry of Justice has implemented several measures to prevent violence against women and domestic violence.
These measures include clarifying the criminal liability for forced marriage and criminalizing female genital mutilation and the preparation of such acts.
Currently, Vinyl is preparing the implementation of the EU Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence and this directive establishes minimum rules containing Concerning the definition of certain criminal offenses and penalties, the rights of victims in criminal proceedings and protection and support for victims prevention and early intervention, and the government proposal will be submitted to Parliament in autumn 2026.
The Ministry of Justice funds victim support services, including the victim support Finland and the Nona or Zero Line Helpline.
Funding for these services has been increasing during the current government term.
The services by the victim support Finland are intended for all victims of crime, and they are produced nationwide as phone and online assistance as well as personal services at service points.
The website is available in Finnish, Swedish, and English, and there are also several brochures in other languages as well, including a brochure on hate crime for hate crime victims is available in 13 languages.
Um, the Nollnat helpline is available 247 by telephone and via chat on weekdays.
The helpline operates in Finnish, Swedish, and English, but also in nine interpreted languages, free of charge, and it's especially intended for victims of violence and violence against women and intimate partner violence.
Um, Additional funding has also been allocated to support victims of so called honor based violence this government term.
This year, the Ministry of Justice has also awarded 400,000 euros in government grants to four organizations for the prevention of violent and sexual offending.
Currently, there's a project to assess whether certain specific factors relevant to sentencing should be reflected more clearly in the criminal code.
In this context, the need to add domestic violence as an explicit aggravating factor in sentencing is being evaluated.
In addition, measures are included in the victim policy action Program which further improve the position of victims of domestic violence and the Ministry is also currently examining the need to criminalize coercive control and also to expand the use of electronic monitoring in connection with restraining orders.
Question of employment, specifically the employment of migrant women.
Increasing the employment rate of migrant women has been a priority of several Finnish governments, including the present government.
We try to increase the employment rate through measures aimed at migrant women.
On the other side, of course, through developing early childhood education and on the third hand, by supporting and encouraging employers, uh, when they try to diversify there, for instance, uh, how they get new employees.
So if I firstly talk about how we support migrant women and what kind of developments have taken place, um, uh, we have the Integration Act in Finland, which sets out the, uh, the integration measures that are offered to people moving to Finland for different reasons.
These include a personal integration plan and the possibility to participate in integration training where people learn about the Finnish language or learn the Finnish language, as well as information, get information about the Finnish society.
The colleague earlier on told about, the reform of the child home care allowance system, and research has found out that the Finnish home care allowance system has been one of the main reasons keeping migrant women outside of the labor force.
Therefore, we feel that this reform will be a key element in supporting the possibilities for migrant women to get into employment.
On the other hand, the municipalities that are organizing the integration services, they have been given new tools so that they better can reach the migrant women that are staying home with their children.
So we have developed the information sharing a so that the municipalities will be informed about the persons and then can have outreach services and find the women.
We have also developed multilingual guidance given in the municipalities.
We have developed different forms of language training so that it will better suit also the needs of stay at home mothers or other parents that are taking care of their children at home and also different employment pathways are being developed.
A part of this, Integration Act, we also have the government Integration Program, which is a strategic program, including a number of different measures aimed at developing and improving the situation of migrant women.
One of the measures has been specific funding for municipalities to arrange the integration services in such a way that they will meet the needs of women taking care of their children at home.
Um There was the question then about the early childhood education and of course, the hesitation of certain parents and perhaps the lack of trust in early childhood education.
I can tell you that the Finnish early childhood education has cultural sensitivity as a core element.
Also, there's all the time putting an emphasis on the cooperation between the early childhood education and the families so that trust can be built.
Then the third measure is, of course, how we work together with employers in order to encourage them to diverse measures and Finland has really invested in supporting employers in developing more inclusive workplaces.
And we have been offering a free diversity coaching to employers through publicly funded services.
The idea is that employers are more aware of the diversity that is in society and can develop their recruitment practices and so on and attract then more diverse workforce.
Thank you.
Answers the question considering the health care for the Sami people.
The Sami people, they have the same access to the same services as a general population, naturally.
The Finnish healthcare system is based on the treatments that are recognized under evidence based medicine, which as such does not include these traditional methods.
However, the healthcare professionals, they have an obligation to respect the convictions and take into account the culture and traditions of each patient.
Um, the welfare Services County of Lapland, which is the regional authority organizing the public social and health care services.
They has a legally mandated body representing the summit to develop culturally sensitive services in that specific area of Lapland.
To both of the government report on the application of language legislation and an expert assessment by the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare for the Well being Services County of Lapland.
There has been development that has been achieved in Sami language services in the well being Service County of Lapland or in the public healthcare services.
According to the government's language report, the number of Sami speaking employees has been increased by enabling the employees to study Sami language and efforts have been made to transfer employees with the language skills to services in Sami.
New Sami language services across municipal boundaries have been launched to utilize the skills of Sami speaking employees in a wider area.
However, there are still too few Sami speaking personnel to build solid service packs, and there's still a shortage of Inari and Skol Sami speakers in particular.
And sumi speaking, healthcare and social welfare professionals are not separately trained in Finland.
The content of the decrease in the health and social services sector are precisely defined, and it is not possible to include extensive studies in Sami language that would achieve the level of the Sami language required in working life.
During the term of the Office of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the Sami people, there was a special unit for Sami language psychosocial support services, which was in connection with the well being Services County of Lapland.
I think that's enough from me.
Thank you.
But I could add just shortly about legislative amendments related to pregnancy and family discrimination, which remains a problem in working life in Finland.
Even though those amendments do not target specifically certain groups, but they are aims to strengthen the protection to all employees and also through that including the low paid sectors.
For example, parenthood and family caregiving responsibilities will be explicitly included among the prohibited grounds of discrimination.
The Act will explicitly state that the prohibition of discrimination also applies to fixed term employment relationships and obligation to pay compensation for discrimination will be extended to undertakings that hire temporary agency workers.
And also, you can request an employer must provide a written explanation of the reasons of termination or not renewing a fixed term employment relationship and also current one year time limit for discrimination claims related to recruitment decisions will be removed, and, for example, limitation period for bringing a claim will be suspended while the case is being considered by the National nondiscrimination and Equality Tribunal.
Regarding early childhood education and whether it's suitable for minority groups, I can just add that according to the Nondiscrimination Act, service providers such as municipalities in this regard are obligated to have an equality plan and they must assess and promote equality and prepare specific measures.
The Ministry of Justice has prepared lots of material and instructions to support authorities in drawing this equality plans.
Thank you.
Monsieur D Abby? No, Monsieur Giseet Thank you.
Chairman, I'd like to thank the delegation also for these answers today.
I wanted to flag something that was mentioned just now.
On the whole issue regarding the borders.
I think it's a law against temporary migration, if I'm understanding this piece of legislation properly, and there are certain requirements under that law.
It seems that these measures are being put into place.
Let's not forget that this is something that affects other countries as well as the ones inside and I wonder why the state is using this as a measure.
I think there are many areas that you have to work in.
You might have certain contexts or domestic situations that require these border controls, but in what direction are they going? And perhaps you could set up measures that don't necessarily target these local issues.
But, I know that sometimes there are local issues, but the immigration, as I've heard, you might be deemed a source of conflict.
I wanted to raise this issue on these measures that have been taken.
Regarding people being sent back to the border as well.
It's a instrumentalization from inside and outside the country that might be used here.
This was just a general comment that I wanted to make and I wonder if you have any comments to make on that comment of mine.
I.
Do you have a reply to this comment or.
I don't have a comment to the question.
You don't have a comment to the question.
You have something to You have something to add to port.
Go ahead.
I have three more minutes in my hand.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairperson.
We understood that the committee was presenting a comment to our earlier reply regarding this act on temporary measures to combat instrumentalized migration.
I think that we still have one question and that was about sport.
I think that it could be quite a truly nice ending for this dialogue if my colleague could provide some information, please.
Sports in the Ministry of Education and culture have reported following.
Actually, the support for anti racism initiatives within sports has been quite active ever since the beginning of 2020 2000.
For instance, a campaign show so show racism, the red card campaign was implemented in cooperation with the Football players Union and the Finnish Multicultural Sports Federation and also in other sports such as basketball.
There's been specific funding to municipal projects promoting integration through sports.
Also they've included objectives related to preventing racism.
During the 2020s, the ministry has continued to fund sports organizations equality and inclusion projects, some of which especially focused on combating racism.
When cases of racism or other serious misconducts are identified, the ministry may require organizations to provide explanations and may take such incidents into account in future funding decisions.
Funding reductions have previously been applied in cases involving shortcomings related to safe operating environments.
The ministry also supports the disciplinary system for ethical violations in sport, which addresses serious cases such as racism.
Is that may constitute criminal offenses can be referred to relevant authorities and also colleagues greeting from the Finland's active participation in different international organizations in these questions.
Then I'm not sure they was referred to a football referee perhaps yesterday, Mohamed El Amara, who has been known quite broadly in Finland to be the first referee to suspend the football match because of racist abuse from spectators.
He's been a really strong great advocate for equal treatment and for every child's right to participate in sports and recreational activities, and he was awarded the Mental Health Award three years ago, 2032 by the Mental Health of Finland.
They are big role models, of course, important within sports, but also role models for the whole population.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, delegation, for all these replies.
I will now turn to the rapporteur, Mr.
Bal Sj, for his final comments.
Thank you, chair.
I would like to conclude by expressing my appreciation to the delegation of Finland for the constructive and open dialogue that we have had today and yesterday.
I particularly welcome the delegation's openness and readiness to respond to our questions, as well as your readiness to engage in a very open, I must admit, and frank exchange with the committee I think it was very useful to clarify some issues to identify areas where some further attention is required.
I also appreciate the delegation's willingness to provide additional information as well as reflect on the committee's questions and recommendations.
As I already mentioned, the specific case where our recommendations and opinions influence the legislative process are of our particular interest.
I think you would not be surprised that we will, of course, also discuss this case apart from this dialogue and use as an example, a positive example.
So once again, I thank the delegation.
I thank my co rapporteur for excellent cooperation, and I look forward to continuing this dialogue if you wish to send us some additional information, we also stay open.
Once again, thank you very much and have a safe trips back home.
Thank you, Mr.
Balsa Jacques.
I turn to Madam Head of delegation for her final remarks.
Mr.
Chairperson, distinguished members of the committee, on behalf of the delegation of Finland, I would like to sincerely thank the committee for this open, constructive, and I would assess genuinely engaging dialogue we have had during these two days.
For us, this review is not simply an exercise in reporting on what Finland has done.
It is equally an opportunity to listen to reflect critically on our policies and practices and to identify where further efforts are needed.
We have received valuable questions, observations, and recommendations, and we will take these lessons back home with us.
Finland is currently implementing its second consecutive national action plan against racism.
Through this work, we have learned important lessons about what is needed to move from individual measures towards more systematic and sustainable action.
The same time, we are seeing an important shift in government policy on non discrimination.
For the first time, dedicated funding has been allocated in the state budget for measures to promote equality and combat racism, 6 million euros to be precise.
This is significant because until now, Finland's national and non discrimination policies have relied to a considerable extent on two foundations.
First, European Union legislation and its implementation at the national level, and second, EU funded projects supporting that implementation.
Project based work has brought many benefits.
It has required ambition, innovation, partnerships, and accountability.
Projects have enabled us to develop new practices, bring together different actors, and raise awareness of equality and non discrimination among public authorities, stakeholders, and the general public.
The active public debate that we have today in Finland on equality, racism and discrimination is also, at least in part a result of this long term work.
But project based work has its limitations.
Projects have a beginning and an end and they are usually limited in scope.
Lasting change requires continuative permanent structures and adequate resources.
We therefore see effective implementation of existing legislation as particularly important.
The Nondiscrimination Act places clear equality duties on public authorities, education providers, employers, and others.
Our task as a government is not only to maintain a strong legislative framework, but also to support those actors in fulfilling their obligations in practice.
This is ultimately where the impact of our work should be seen in teachers who are better equipped to recognize and address discrimination, in health care professionals who are more aware of the diverse circumstances of their patients, in employers who actively promote equality, and in public services that are accessible and equal for everyone.
These may sound like small, quite everyday examples, but this is precisely where human rights become real.
The success of our policies is ultimately measured by whether they make a difference in people's everyday lives.
We must also recognize that governments cannot bring about this change alone.
Combating racism and racial discrimination requires the participation of civil society as a whole, public authorities, civil society, communities, employers, educational institutions, and individuals.
And we are doing this work in an increasingly difficult international environment.
The global backlash against human rights is making our task more challenging.
It also reminds us why strong international human rights institutions, independent monitoring mechanisms, and dialogue between states and treaty bodies remain so important.
This respect, the work of this committee is invaluable.
A dialogue such as the one we have had during these two days allows us to look at familiar challenges from a different perspective.
It can point to issues that deserve greater attention and help us identify where our policies need to become more effective.
We have listened carefully, I must say that.
Also when the questions have been a bit challenging, we will take your observations and recommendations back to Helsinki and consider them seriously as we continue our work to combat racism and racial discrimination and to promote equality in Finland.
Let me therefore conclude by thanking you, Mr.
Chairperson, the committee, for its expertise, openness, genuine dialogue we have had.
We leave Geneva with valuable guidance and with new elements for the work ahead.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairperson, and thank you to all members of the committee.
Dear Madam Head of delegation, in my turn, let me thank you and your delegation for the frank and constructive dialogue that we have conducted in the last two days.
Thank you for all the replies and information that you have provided for us.
The committee will work on concluding observations now and it will be forwarded to you obviously after the adoption.
Just at this point, I would like to remind that you have until Thursday the 20th, 1:00 P.M.
To provide any further information you think would be useful for the committee to draft its concluding observations.
We have or earlier, the earlier, the better because we have such limited time to consider the, um, uh, state parties concluding observations that we have to, you know, uh, um, take this into consideration as soon as possible.
Um, As I have already mentioned yesterday, if our follow up e, Madame Pla Coula was here, she was going to take the floor to remind you that this time around, again, you will have in the concluding observations, a number of paragraphs that were underlined and marked, flagged.
As requiring an interim report in their implementations.
This time within two years.
That's the last decision of the committee.
I'm sure the authorities will, as usual, be also on time in submitting the follow up report.
I have two more issues to touch upon.
One is that we appreciate your delegation, including a person from the legislature.
Of course, we are used to dealing with the executive power and the administration.
But it is important for us that the Some representative from the legislation also is present to see how we proceed these things.
Thank you, Mr.
Koskantsa for your presence.
Finally, I would like to comment, thank, and voice our appreciation for the authorities of Finland to have paid its UN regular budget assessment for 2026 in full within the first 30 days of this year and thus appearing in the honor roll of the UN.
Thank you very much.
But why I'm raising this? Um There is this talk about the financial crisis liquidity crisis.
The financial crisis is liquidity crisis.
Liquidity crisis doesn't happen on its own.
It happens because states parties do not pay.
Either they don't pay or they don't pay on time.
We appreciate Finland for taking care of this requirement.
But also, I would like to ask you to bring this issue in your bilateral contacts with other states parties, We're in crisis as treaty bodies because our meeting time is getting shorter and shorter.
The OHCHR is having budget problems, therefore, staff problems, and this immediately weakens the treaty body system as far as it can be called the system.
It is very important that we take care of this immediate situation.
Again, thank you and please take this into consideration when you deal with other states parties.
With that, colleagues, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I declare the 3,238 meeting of third closed.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.