Minister Thors: Accepting prisoners to be considered case by case
Astrid Thors
|
|
|
By Astrid Thors
The Foreign Minister of Portugal hoped that the EU countries might accept prisoners being released from Guantánamo already before President Obama announced the decision to close the prison.
This will be discussed on Monday at a foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
It is good that a possibility presents itself for considering ways of receiving prisoners in the EU. Finland chooses its quota refugees from among people considered to be refugees under the terms of the Geneva Refugee Treaty by the UN Refugee Agency, the UNHCR.
However, the UNHCR has not been allowed to visit the Guantánamo camp, so it is not expected to make any recommendations on resettling the prisoners who are being released. We also do not have information on the prisoners’ backgrounds and need for protection.
It would be hoped that the EU would send a mission to learn about the situation, to evaluate the security risks, and to make interviews, The law on foreigners also gives possibilities for so-called “other humanitarian immigration”, in which case the government can decide on taking foreigners into Finland for humanitarian reasons, or to fulfil international obligations.
The government has not yet taken a stand on if Finland should possibly take anyone. The matter will be returned to following discussions that hav etaken place at the EU. The matter will be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all considerations, including security aspects, and the person’s need for protection.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 25.1.2009
The writer is the Minister of Migration and European Affairs.
More on this subject:
 DEBATE: “Finland should accept prisoners from Guantánamo”
Previously in HS International Edition:
Finland could give refuge to freed Guantanámo inmates (23.1.2008)
Helsingin Sanomat
|
|
