Other Partners and Projects

The Border Guard is responsible for Finland's internal security, subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. The main functions of the Border Guard are guarding of the land borders and the territorial waters, passport control at the border crossing points, ports and airports, as well as performing rescue operations, especially at sea. After Finland became independent, the government made a decision on 21 March 1919 which provided that the responsibility for guarding the Finnish borders shall rest with militarily organised Border Guard troops subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. The Border Guard developed into its current form after the wars when the Coast Guard was integrated into it and border control was extended to Finland's western and northern borders.

This is a specialised branch of the national police force which drives and coordinates the inter-ministerial action set up in the fight against illegal immigration. It completes police missions including general police missions at airports. Its missions are based around four pillars. The sub-directorate for international affairs, regulation and safety is responsible for cross-border regulation, institutional, international and European cooperation, and port, airport and rail security. The sub-directorate of illegal immigration and territorial services coordinates the fight against organised illegal immigration and improves detection methods of travel documents. It implements the actual removal of illegal aliens through the central removal pillar. The sub-directorate of resources is the management centre of budgetary resources, human and material resources of the border police. It also manages training. The national railway police provide security on all the railways and fight against illegal immigration.