“We prevented the entry of persons either with links to either terrorist organizations or activities,” Salmi said.
He gave no precise details of how many suspects were involved.
The Security Police dispatched its first detectives abroad last spring. After a trial period of a few months they visited Finnish embassies in Ethiopia, Kenya and Syria. During their month-long visit, the detectives participated in local interviews conducted with people applying for residence permits in Finland.
“Our role is to give expert advice in co-operation with the Finnish Immigration Service and the Foreign Ministry. During this pilot operation we were able to uncover persons who, in our view, could have constituted a risk to national security,” Salmi continued. He added Supo’s findings were passed on to those responsible for immigration in Finland.
Supo’s operations abroad gained additional financial support earlier this week in next year’s government budget proposals to the tune of an extra 850,000 Euros to combat terrorism. The expenditure will be used for similar missions in Africa and the Middle East next year.
The Security Police emphasizes combating terrorism at home remains its primary goal. However, investing in operations abroad has its advantages.
“We are able to procure a clear picture from the kind of conditions people wish to come to Finland. It also gives more data on individuals,” Salmi notes.
Ilkka Salmi adds other small European states are interesting in Supo’s experiences in Africa. He believes similar strategies are being developed elsewhere
