Finland's Chancellor of Justice Tuomas Pöysti has asked the government to justify some of its planned changes to residency and naturalisation laws, including how long an immigrant must live in the country before becoming eligible for Finnish citizenship.
In a statement, the chancellor's office said that the government must clearly demonstrate that the proposed reforms sufficiently take into account human rights as well as the international agreements to which Finland is a signatory.
In its programme for government, the administration led by PM Petteri Orpo (NCP) set out plans to introduce stricter laws on gaining Finnish citizenship.
In practice, this means making changes to regulations regarding residence time, income requirements and probity — in other words having an unblemished record after arriving in the country.
"The government will tighten the requirements for permanent residence. The aim is to encourage integration and provide a view of a future in Finnish society. Finnish citizenship is not something that will be granted automatically. It will require successful integration," the programme for government states.
Pöysti's statement described the planned reforms as "quite significant", and noted that the government had not paid enough attention in its drafting of the law to how the changes might affect people receiving international protection or those without citizenship.
He further added that the rights of children should also be more sufficiently taken into account.
The Chancellor of Justice serves as the "supreme guardian of the law" in Finland, according to the office's website, overseeing the legality of the government's activities. The post is appointed by the President of Finland.
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