The income thresholds will not be lowered, according to the interior ministry.
The Finnish government plans to review income threshold requirements for family reunifications, the interior ministry announced on Wednesday.
In order to do so, the ministry said it has set up a project to prepare needed legal amendments to the Aliens Act.
“In future, a government decree would lay down provisions on the euro amounts required to demonstrate sufficient financial resources. This requirement would apply to family members of people who live in Finland with a residence permit,” the ministry’s release read.
The ministry noted that the Immigration Service’s (Migri) guidelines currently determine the income requirements.
It said that as it reviews the income thresholds, it will consider “their impacts on the availability of labour and on general government finances”.
However, the ministry noted that the income thresholds would not be lowered.
According to the ministry, foreign nationals can receive a residence permit through family reunification if they have family ties in the country. Generally, the family must be financially self-supporting.
The Finnish government tightened the conditions for family reunification last summer.
Migri can soon report suspected labour exploitation
The ministry also noted the project is working on legislative amendments that would enable Migri to disclose information on its own initiative in regard to suspected employee exploitation.
“In future, the Finnish Immigration Service could disclose information on its own initiative to the competent authority if, in the course of its statutory duties, it received information indicating labour exploitation. The aim is to ensure effective prevention of labour exploitation. The project will prepare the necessary amendments to the Act on the Processing of Personal Data in Immigration Administration,” the ministry said.
According to the ministry, the project is also set to draft provisions in the Reception Act, regarding payment cards issued to “applicants for international protection, persons enjoying temporary protection, detained persons, and victims of trafficking in human beings with no municipality of residence”.
