Finland has agreed to settle Congolese refugees next year. The refugees are currently living in Rwanda.
A ministerial working group on immigration policy decided on Finland's refugee quota at its first meeting on Thursday.
According to initial plans, Finland will take in 300 Iraqi refugees from Syria and Jordan, 200 Myanmar refugees from Thailand, and 150 Congolese refugees from Rwanda.
The numbers are based on recommendations by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
"We allocate the quota on the refugees of certain countries, so that there would be a certain continuity in the groups that come to Finland. We do not take new groups every year", explains Mervi Virtanen of the Ministry of Labour.
This year Finland took in refugees from Turkey. Next year their slot is to be filled with Iraqis.
"The Iraqis are in dire straits at the moment. Two million Iraqi refugees have flowed into neighbouring countries", Virtanen says.
Another 100 emergency cases will come to Finland. They include witnesses who have testified before the International Criminal Court, who need to be resettled.
The size of Finland's refugee quota this year -750 - is the same as last year. The refugee quota for 2008 will be confirmed in connection with the drafting of the national budget.
