Free movement and the refugee crisis on the agenda of an extraordinary meeting of Ministers for Nordic Cooperation
Press release 72/2016
18 April 2016
The Ministers for Nordic Cooperation will convene for an extraordinary meeting in Oslo on 19 April. The meeting will be held in connection with the Nordic Council's Theme Session and focus on the migration and refugee crisis and enhanced border controls cooperation. Finland's representative at the meeting will be Minister of Transport and Communications Anne Berner who also serves as Minister for Nordic Cooperation.
The Ministers' aim is to decide on a multi-annual support programme for the integration of refugees and migrants in the Nordic countries. The decision will specify and markedly expand on the decision-in-principle made at their meeting in Nuuksio, Finland, on 3 February 2016 and strengthen the role of the Council of Ministers in supporting the integration process.
The Ministers will also discuss the possibilities of jointly following and assessing the financial and other effects caused by the temporary border controls for the Nordic countries.
The meeting will be attended by the Finnish Presidency and ministers from Norway, which will be the next Presidency, and the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers Dagfinn Høybråten. Other ministers will participate via a video connection.
This Ministerial meeting supports Finland's objective to reinforce the significance and topical nature of Nordic intergovernmental cooperation.
On the same day, the Nordic Council will hold a Theme Session at the Storting in Oslo to discuss the impact of border controls on Nordic cooperation.
Finland's Minister for Nordic Cooperation Anne Berner will present an oral report on the matter and open the debate at the session.
The session will also discuss a number of questions and proposals dealing with the refugee and migration situation, put forward by members of the Nordic Council and party groups.
Inquiries: Kari Kahiluoto, Chief of the Secretariat for Nordic Cooperation, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, tel. + 358 295 351 556 and Kristo Lehtonen, Special Adviser to Minister Berner, Ministry of Transport and Communications, tel. +358 50 464 9779.