Increases proposed to Ministry of the Interior in technical spending limits

Considerable increases are proposed to appropriations in the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Interior in the technical spending limits presented in the new General Government Fiscal Plan 2024–2027. The appropriation level of the Ministry of the Interior will be c. EUR 2.4 billion at the beginning of the spending limits period, decreasing to c. EUR 1.9 billion in 2027. This represents an increase of EUR 179 to 547 million per year compared to the previous spending limits decision. 

The appropriation level at the beginning of the spending limits period is high due to major projects of the Border Guard and preparedness to cover the costs of receiving refugees from Ukraine. At the end of the spending limits period, the breakdown of appropriations in the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Interior will be as follows: administration 15%; police 53%; Border Guard 17%; rescue services and emergency response centres 5%; and immigration costs 9%. 

The General Government Fiscal Plan for 2024–2027 does not propose any new policy definitions. It is based on current legislation and takes into account the impact of the decisions previously made by Prime Minister Marin’s Government on the expenditure and revenue levels in the coming years. The first General Government Fiscal Plan of the Government to be appointed after the parliamentary election in spring 2023 will be drawn up in autumn 2023.

Significant general increase for the police

An increase is proposed to funding for the police in order to maintain operations at the 2022 level and to cover the rent increases for premises in Oulu and Tampere. Appropriations will be gradually increased from EUR 32 million in 2024 to EUR 42 million at the end of the spending limits period. The ICT costs of the police have grown sharply in the past few years, and this trend is expected to continue. An increase of EUR 32 million in all will be allocated to the ICT costs of the police across the spending limits period. 

Increase for the Finnish Security Intelligence Service for IT system upkeep and new premises

Funding for maintaining the information systems of the Finnish Security Intelligence Service will be safeguarded with a general increase of EUR 1.8 million to their operating appropriation; also, planning and preparation for new premises will continue, and the increase in rent costs, EUR 2.5 million per year, has been taken into account. 

Additional funding for operations and investments of the Border Guard 

Additional funding is proposed for the Border Guard for expenditure arising from growing the size of the European Border and Coast Guard standing corps, from rent and ICT costs, from the building and maintaining of a barrier at the eastern border and from procurements of offshore patrol vessels and surveillance aircraft. An annual general increase of EUR 3 million is proposed for the upkeep of heavy vessels and aircraft and for equipment for recovery of oil and chemical spills. An appropriation of EUR 111.5 million will be allocated to the procurement of offshore patrol vessels for 2025, as per the procurement authorisation. 

Reinforcing rescue services and emergency response centres

National leadership of rescue services, preparedness and civil defence will be reinforced with a permanent addition of resources equal to 11 person-years. EUR 2.4 million annually will be allocated to securing training and RDI at the Emergency Services College. In order to ensure sufficient personnel numbers at emergency response centres, an appropriation of EUR 1 million will be added to the spending limits for 2024, rising to EUR 2 million per year in the following years.

Immigration authorities prepare for growing numbers of applicants

A non-recurring increase will be allocated to personnel resources at the Finnish Immigration Service so that the agency will be able to cope with increasing numbers of applications while developing automated processing of those applications. This increase amounts to EUR 9 million in all across the spending limits period, of which EUR 5 million is allocated for 2024 and EUR 2.5 and 1.5 million for 2025 and 2026, respectively. Immigration is expected to grow, and an appropriation increase will be made to anticipate this, EUR 101 million in 2024 and EUR 76 in 2025. This is due in large part to the costs of receiving refugees from the war in Ukraine. 

Further information
Kati Korpi, Director of Finance and Planning, tel. +358 295 488 513, firstname.lastname@gov.fi
Antti Karila, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 288, firstname.lastname@gov.fi