Earlier, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled that both women, one from Egypt and the other from Russia, must be deported in accordance with current laws on residence permits. They are living with their children, who are legal immigrants. The two cases are unrelated.

"It's clear that the law is being changed in order to allow human circumstances to be taken into account in individual cases," Paatero told YLE. "With this backdrop it would be illogical to rush through the deportation."

Another reason for the delay is that the Russian grandmother has applied for a new residence permit.

Although the Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the women were not eligible for residence permits, the President of the Court, Pekka Hallberg, feel that the laws should be changed. He said Wednesday that there should be room in immigration policy for leniency in these cases.

Both grandmothers say they have few relatives left in their home countries, and should be allowed to stay with their children who take care of them.

Official immigration policy allows for residence permits for the immediate families of legal immigrants, but does not consider grandparents to be part of the “immediate family”.

Finnish Leadership Mulls Changes to Aliens Act