Finland repatriates Finnish citizen deported from northeast Syria

On Monday 6 May, the autonomous administration of northeast Syria deported a Finnish citizen it had detained to Finland. The person in question is an adult man who was taken to Syria as a child in 2014. He is not suspected of criminal activity in Finland or in Syria.

The Finnish authorities received the deported person and escorted him to Finland. Finland made the arrangements in international collaboration with authorities from allied countries, the United States in particular.

Under section 9 of the Constitution of Finland, Finnish citizens must not be prevented from entering Finland. The competent Finnish authorities cannot refuse to cooperate with the deporting party in situations where a refusal would mean actually preventing the return travel of a Finnish citizen.

The person will pay for his return transport at his own cost in accordance with the Finnish Consular Services Act.

The consular services of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs have prepared the matter in close cooperation with security authorities and with authorities within the administrative branch of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.