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Finland raises estimate of number of asylum seekers to 50,000

Xinhua, October 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

Finnish Interior Ministry has raised its estimate of the number of asylum seekers arriving in Finland this year from 30,000, made nearly a month ago, to 50,000.

The recent estimate is made based on the fact that about 11,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Finland until September, said the ministry in a press release on Friday.

The open of the rail connection, which is from southern Sweden to Luea in the north on Saturday will increase the number of asylum seekers travelling to Finland in a short time, according to the ministry.

The latest figure is almost 10 times the historical record in 2009, when Finland accepted 5,988 asylum seekers. If the forecast is materialized, it will be definitely a new record set in the Finnish history.

To curb the increasing number of asylum seekers, great domestic and EU-level efforts have been made. Finland on Wednesday announced to suspend processing of Iraqi and Somali asylum applications, and the decision can hopefully influence the escalation of the trend, noted the ministry.

In order to accommodate asylum seekers, the Finnish Immigration Service has worked together with local authorities and the Finnish Red Cross to constantly open more reception centers. Presently, there are about 30 reception centers in Finland. Endit