MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Finnish Immigration Service on Tuesday updated its guidelines for Iraqi asylum claims, shifting the focus from places of origin to personal stories, after it deemed that security situation in Iraq had improved.
"A person cannot be granted asylum only because he or she comes from a particular area," the migration authority said in a statement.
The Finnish service said security situation specifically in the Babylon Province in central Iraq and in the northern Kurd-dominated province of Kirkuk had largely improved and their residents did not face an imminent threat to their lives. Refugees from Baghdad will also be vetted on results of their asylum interviews, the migration authority said.
Finland currently ranks third among EU countries that are most popular with asylum seekers. Earlier this week, the Finnish Interior Ministry unveiled new projected data on refugees, saying that up to 35,000 asylum seekers may arrive in the country by the end of this year.
