According to Nerg, who has been the interior ministry’s Permanent Secretary until the turn of the year, estimates that a total of 5,000 asylum seekers will receive a definitive negative decision.

In September 2015, Tornio began to receive asylum seekers by bus. Especially Oulu and Helsinki police stations had already received messages about the growing stream. Since June, the Ministry of the Interior has closely followed Sweden as well.

– We had some idea, but we did not believe that the whole European system would fail, so that people would not stay in the first country they entered but wander through Europe all the way to Finland, according to Päivi Nerg , Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry.

In an exceptional situation, Nerg became the most famous official in the country. The serene woman who answered the phone calls of the journalists and told in the evening news what was going on.

Nerg’s work at the Interior Ministry ended at the end of the year. Now she has already started under the State Secretary of the Ministry of Finance.

Approximately 15,000 asylum seekers have been issued a residence permit since the autumn of 2015. There are currently less than 10,000 negative decisions in the reception centers. All final decisions will be made by October.

– We have estimated that about 5,000 will get a final negative decision, Nerg says.

Finland has increased voluntary return, and travel and transportation is paid to the home village. If he does not leave, he will be forced into a police enforced return queue.

– If people can not be found, undocumented can become a security threat.

The Helsinki Council decided in December after a tight vote to granting undocumented healthcare. Nerg points out that the authority is that Finland should not be allowed to create an “interim restraint”.

– We see it as a major security risk that was never before in Finland.