Finnish minister's Somalia visit sparks deportation policy debate

Finnish Minister of the Interior Meri Rantanen visited Somalia on 21 January to discuss cooperation on deporting Somali asylum seekers from Finland, a move critics allege is tied to the Finns Party's political agenda ahead of the April municipal and county elections.

The visit, which included meetings with Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and Minister of Internal Security Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, focused on strengthening bilateral relations in security and readmission arrangements.