Visa Policy As a Migration Channel
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
VISA POLICY AS A MIGRATION CHANNEL FINLANd VISA POLICY AS A MIGRATION CHANNEL FINLANd 4 Table of Contents 1. INTROdUCTION: PURPOSE ANd METHOdOLOGY FOLLOWEd ������������������ 6 1.1 Methodology �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7 2. POLICY ANd LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE GRANTING OF VISAS IN FINLANd ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7 2.1 National policy and legislation ����������������������������������������������������������������������� 7 2.2 Agreements with third countries ������������������������������������������������������������������ 10 2.3 Recent changes to visa policy and legislation within context of a common EU dimension �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������11 2.4 Recent changes to visa policy and legislation relating to national visas ����� 12 3. PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION ANd ORGANISATION OF VISA POLICY ���� 12 3.1 General procedure followed at the stages of the visa procedure �������������� 12 3.2 Visa issuance for the purpose of legal migration – specific procedure followed in the stages of the visa procedure ����������������������������������������������������� 16 3.2.1 National visa practices for admission of third-country nationals ��������������������� 16 3.2.2 Challenges and success factors for facilitating legal migration ����������������������� 21 3.3 Visa procedures for the purpose of preventing irregular migration ������������� 22 3.3.1 Prevention of irregular migration during the visa issuing and monitoring process ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 22 3.3.2 Prevention of irregular migration through other measures during visa issuing 23 3.3.3 Challenges and success factors for preventing irregular migration ���������������� 24 4. CO-OPERATION WITH THIRd COUNTRIES: CASE STUdIES ���������������������� 28 4.1 Case Study I – Russia ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28 4.1.1 Rationale for case study selection ������������������������������������������������������������������ 30 4.1.2 Historical overview of relations between Finland and Russia in visa matters � 38 4.1.3 Existence of agreements with Russia ������������������������������������������������������������ 39 4.1.4 Other measures ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 40 4.1.5 Statistics ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 40 4.1.6 Findings of Case Study I ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 42 4.2 Case Study II – Nigeria ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 45 4.2.1 Rationale for case study selection ������������������������������������������������������������������ 45 4.2.2 Historical overview of relations between Finland and Nigeria in visa matters � 47 4.2.3 Existence of agreements with Nigeria ������������������������������������������������������������ 48 4.2.4 Other measures ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 48 4.2.5 Statistics ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 50 4.2.6 Findings of Case Study II �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 52 5. EFFECTS OF EU POLICY ANd LEGISLATION ����������������������������������������������� 53 5 6. STATISTICS: VISAS ISSUEd ANd IMMIGRATION TO FINLANd ������������������� 53 7. CONCLUSIONS/SUMMARY ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 56 8. REFERENCES �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 57 Appendix 1............................................................................................................. 61 Appendix 2............................................................................................................. 65 6 1. INTROdUCTION: PURPOSE ANd METHOdOLOGY FOLLOWEd The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between visa policy and immigration policy. It aims at studying how visa policy can be used on one hand to promote legal migration and on the other hand to prevent irregular migration. The national reports and the resulting synthesis report can also be used to inform policymakers, legislators and implementers of practical measures both at the national and EU level about the potential effects of different visa policies on desirable and undesirable forms of migration and the multiplicative effects and consequences that the visa policy of an EU Member State might have on immigration in other Member States. Researchers can also utilise the material of this study and contribute to the development of best visa policy practices based on concrete practical information. Public media can also use the yield of this study to bring forth national interests, in particular with regard to the Case Studies on Russia and Nigeria. It is particularly interesting to contemplate the positive and negative effects that the planned visa exemption agreement between the EU and Russia might have for Finnish border traffic, i.e. for its volume and reasons for entering the country, potentially for issues related to public order and safety in Finland or for irregular migration with its related negative peripheral phenomena. “Finland no longer has a visa policy of its own” was a common view expressed by many parties when enquired about visa policy related information for this study. Finland abandoned the practice of issuing national visas in 2001 as Finland started to implement the Schengen acquis fully. In this sense, Finland no longer has a national visa policy. However, the final results from interviews with authorities as well as various written materials related to visa issuance guidelines and their implementation practices imply that Finland indeed has a certain visa policy where three main characteristics can be perceived: 1. Firstly, the core of the Finnish visa policy is that Finland determinedly seeks EU-level harmonisation in visa matters by complying with the Schengen Agreement as strictly as possible. 2. Another key factor in the Finnish visa policy is that smooth, prompt, customer- oriented and positive visa policy is practised with specific focus on such third countries where it yields significant economic benefits and shows clear interconnectedness with other, longer-term forms of migration that are considered desirable. 3. The third foundation stone of the Finnish visa policy is a counterforce for the second item mentioned above, that is: greater prudence is exercised in visa issuance practices for certain countries of origin due to their more challenging nature with regard to different aspects of illegal entry, such as forged documents, trafficking in human beings, marriages of convenience, threats to safety within EU Member States or other factors generally related to evading admission regulations in certain regions and during certain periods. 7 1.1 Methodology Information for this study has mainly been collected by interviewing relevant authorities. In addition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we interviewed and consulted the following authorities: the Ministry of Interior’s Migration department, the Headquarters of the Finnish Border Guard, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Helsinki Police department, the National Police Board, Finnish Customs and the Finnish Immigration Service. There was hardly any existing research material on the topic and the scarce material that was available discussed only limited aspects, such as Russia’s visa exemption, outsourcing of visa processes and the differences between visa practices in different EU Member States. In Finland, visa policy as such has not been a salient topic in the past few years – the only issue that has raised political debate or been researched is Russia’s visa exemption. In the collection of statistics, there were some challenges with regard to the fact that Finnish authorities had not collected information in the format and to the extent required in the study specifications. Statistical data was available but it had to be compiled into the required format from several sources. 2. POLICY ANd LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE GRANTING OF VISAS IN FINLANd 2.1 National policy and legislation Visa Policy A central feature of the Finnish visa and immigration policy is that visas and residence permits have been separated into two parallel systems. Visas are issued for a short-term temporary residence, the maximum duration of which is three months, while those seeking a longer-term residence apply for a residence permit. The application for a residence permit must be submitted abroad; one cannot enter Finland with a visa and then apply for a residence permit. This also means that no visas are issued for the purpose of applying for a residence permit. Another matter is the fact that Section 49 of the Aliens Act makes it possible in exceptional cases to issue a first residence permit to an alien who has already entered Finland. Even in this case such persons often enter the country with a visa, although it has been issued for a different purpose. The grounds for issuing a visa differ from those of a residence permit. In this