WITH BREXIT JUST AROUND THE CORNER and fears of a “no deal” cliff-edge mounting, UK and EU governments have been scrambling to put in place emergency measures that would protect citizens on both sides of the Channel.

Last week the Finnish parliament announced it will be pushing through emergency legislation designed to protect the rights of UK nationals in the event of no deal. The legislation guarantees the residency, work, and study rights of all British nationals currently in Finland up until at least December 2020.

We spoke to the UK’s ambassador to Finland, Tom Dodd, at the British Embassy to find out more about the state of bilateral negotiations between the two countries and what else Brits should be doing to prepare for Brexit. 

THE FINNISH IMMIGRATION SERVICE (MIGRI) HAS SUSPENDED all negative decisions and removals for Afghan asylum seekers in Finland as the security situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate markedly amid the withdrawal of western troops.

THIS WEEK IT WAS REVEALEDthat the scale of undocumented refugees and asylum seekers in Finland is much greater than anyone anticipated. Recent reports have shown that as many as half of the 30,000 asylum seekers that entered Finland at the height of the refugee crisis may have “slipped underground”, with authorities having little to no details on their whereabouts or wellbeing.

This has been attributed to Finland’s notoriously strict laws on seeking asylum and gaining legal residency in the country.

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES WERE DOMINATED THIS WEEKwith news of the passing of legendary Finnish ski jumper Matti Nykänen, as much of the country mourned following his unexpected death on Sunday evening. Tributes to the troubled and controversial athlete poured in from across the world, with the New York Times dedicating a touching obituary to him.