Finland will expand the powers of police and immigration authorities to exchange information after President Alexander Stubb approved a package of legislative amendments aimed at strengthening crime prevention and national security.
The changes, confirmed on Thursday, will take effect on 1 October 2026 and affect the police, the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), the Border Guard, Customs and the Finnish Defence Forces.
The amendments are part of the government’s wider programme to improve cooperation between authorities and make information-sharing more effective in preventing, detecting and investigating crime.
The Ministry of the Interior said the reforms simplify existing rules governing access to confidential information and expand the circumstances in which authorities are permitted to exchange data.
Migri will gain the right to obtain information on certain warrants for apprehension and will be required to notify police if a person subject to apprehension is identified at one of its premises.
Police will receive broader powers to both obtain and disclose information. Under the new legislation, officers will be able to share confidential information with other public authorities and, in specific situations, with private organisations responsible for critical infrastructure, where the information is necessary to protect public safety.
The legislation also allows police to request information from private organisations when it is needed to prevent threats to life or health.
One of the most notable changes gives police limited access to information held by healthcare and social welfare providers. In defined cases, officers will be able to request confirmation of a person’s identity and whether that person is present at a particular location.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, those powers will apply only in specific situations, including investigations into certain criminal offences, protecting national security and searching for missing persons.
The government said the changes do not allow police to access confidential conversations between patients and healthcare or social welfare professionals. The information available to police will be limited to confirming a person’s presence in a particular place when the legal conditions are met.
HT