Finland can rewrite the law so that people who want to seek asylum in the country can be rejected directly if needed. The Parliament in Helsinki will vote on a tightened and criticized exception law on Friday.
The deportation law is motivated as a necessary defense against Russian hybrid warfare. During the past year, large numbers of migrants have appeared at border crossings along Finland's eastern border – people who are believed to have been actively guided there from Russia.
The law is an exception law that will allow for temporary violations of the Constitution. To make such a deviation from the Constitution possible in the near future, the legislation is being carried out in an expedited format – which requires support from five-sixths of the Parliament's members, at least 166 of the total 200.
In the final stage, much has depended on the Swedish-speaking and liberal Swedish People's Party, which announced on Thursday that nine of the party's ten MPs will vote in favor. Therefore, it seems likely that the law will be passed, unless many MPs deviate from the party lines.
Not allowing people to seek asylum goes against fundamental rights in both Finnish law and EU law. Lawyers and critics have pointed out that the EU Commission can hypothetically take Finland to court and impose large economic penalties if the law is introduced. They point to Hungary, which was sentenced to pay a billion-dollar fine for restricting the right to asylum, although the country did so for other reasons.
The Finnish Parliament's meeting begins at 11 am Swedish time.
