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Nearly 10 pct asylum seekers in Finland change mind this year

Xinhua, December 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

Nearly ten percent of the asylum seekers in Finland have cancelled their applications and chosen to return, Finnish national broadcaster Yle reported on Tuesday.

Officials said 2,868 applicants have voluntarily halted their processes to obtain asylum status. About 1,600 of them have been taken in November and December.

A total of over 3,200 asylum seekers have arrived in Finland this year, ten times of the normal annual number.

If the people can pay their return trip themselves and have a valid ID they can go even on the same day, but if they have no funding or no documents they can ask for assistance.

The International Organization of Migration assists practically the voluntary leavers and offers help when they arrive at the destination. Some 1,100 asylum seekers in Finland have asked for assistance, Yle reported.

Besides the cost of the travel, Finnish authorities give 50 euros cash to each of them.

If the asylum seekers can pay the trip on their own, they can get one way economy class tickets to a destination such as Iraq at 500 to 700 euros. Travel agents say that during the current holiday season fares can be higher.

Many airlines offer so called distressed passenger flight tickets that are at the low end of the one way fares available.

Yle quoted Finnish officials as saying one of the reasons for the asylum seekers' departure is the realization that Finland was not what it had been expected. Endit