Published: 27/06/25 | 00:44
The Finnish Immigration Service Migri which was once known for its commitment to procedural integrity now finds itself at the center of growing criticism over its severe delays in processing residence permit extensions which are particularly those tied to work, entrepreneurship and humanitarian grounds. These delays are not just inconvenient but they are disruptive and anxiety-inducing even in many cases life-altering.
Applicants seeking extensions for residence permits often wait months or even years with no clarity or end in sight. Despite Migri’s official time estimates on its website the real-world experience paints a bleaker picture. Countless people are stuck in a legal limbo and are unable to leave the country due to pending decisions and cannot work freely which leads to a hindrance in making long-term plans. Many face emergencies requiring urgent travel but are trapped because they cannot risk re-entry without a decision.
These individuals, including students, skilled workers and business owners are under extreme psychological stress. Migri offers no direct support or updates beyond automated replies and vague timelines. Applicants find themselves stuck in a loop to apply, wait, contact Migri, receive a scripted response and continue waiting indefinitely.
Particularly troubling is Migri’s treatment of entrepreneurs, many of whom have invested significant personal resources and created jobs in Finland. Instead of facilitating a fair and timely review of their contributions Migri often responds with rejections based on ambiguous or poorly explained grounds. These decisions are sometimes sent to the courts for justification which is undermined as effectively passing responsibility without transparency or accountability.
What’s more disturbing is that these entrepreneurs often wait more than a year operating in good faith and contributing to the economy only to be blindsided by negative decisions. With no detailed explanation provided, appealing the decision becomes another bureaucratic mountain which requires more money, time and mental resilience than most can afford.
Migri repeatedly emphasises “a heavy workload” as a reason for delays yet despite acknowledging the problem there is no indication that they are hiring enough staff or improving internal systems to reduce the backlog. As years go by the problem appears to worsen and it is evident that the lack of proactive reform and transparency implies a disturbing level of complacency and if the workload is so heavy why is there no visible commitment to hiring or restructuring?
This bureaucratic inefficiency disproportionately affects those with the fewest resources to challenge it including who are the immigrants, students, low-wage workers and non-EU entrepreneurs. It turns what should be a straightforward administrative process into a prolonged period of uncertainty and unease.
The emotional and financial toll of these delays cannot be overstated as many people have lived in Finland for years integrating into the society, building families and contributing to the economy but without timely decisions from Migri they remain in legal uncertainty. Children are raised not knowing if they will be forced to leave their home and people postpone education, housing and health decisions. Employers hesitate to renew contracts because of unstable immigration status. It is a system that punishes the very people it claims to welcome.
Migri continues to present itself as a fair and rules-based institution but reality tells a different story. When accountability is avoided and when deadlines are broken without consequence with human lives being left in limbo, the system ceases to be just. It becomes arbitrary, indifferent and dangerously detached from the human impact of its operations.
Migri must urgently invest in staffing and resource allocation by hiring more caseworkers and support staff to clear the growing backlog. This step is not vague but instead it is both a moral and practical necessity as without adequate personnel the system will continue to collapse under its own weight which will leave thousands of people in prolonged uncertainty.
Moreover, transparency and accountability must also be vital to reform as applicants deserve timely updates on their cases and detailed explanations behind delays or decisions. The current system’s lack of communication creates confusion and anxiety which erodes trust in the institution.
Particular attention must be paid to the treatment of entrepreneurs and business-based applications should be assessed using clear and consistent criteria with open lines of communication. Vague rejections without proper reasoning will only discourage innovation and punish those who contribute economically to Finnish society.
Furthermore, independent oversight is essential and an impartial body should be established to evaluate Migri’s internal processes, address systemic delays and ensure the agency adheres to realistic and enforceable timelines as without accountability reform will remain superficial.
Finally, compassion must be embedded into processing as in cases involving medical emergencies, children or individuals with vulnerable asylum histories should be prioritized and approached with empathy. The immigration process should never be a cold bureaucratic machine devoid of human understanding.
In the name of administrative order we must not abandon the fundamental values Finland holds dear which are fairness, transparency and humanity. The current state of Migri is not merely a technical failure but it is a humanitarian one. Reform is not just overdue but it is urgent. Every day the backlog continues and real people suffer in silence caught in a system that seems to have forgotten them.
