Stop the discriminatory policy of Migri not to accept Palestinian passports

Finland claims to soon want to recognize Palestine—but refuses to recognize the Palestinian people.

Sumud – The Finnish Palestine Network, anti racist, and intersectional organization for Palestinian rights calls on all unions, organizations, and individuals committed to justice, anti-racism, and human rights to sign this petition. We will deliver it to the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to demand an immediate reversal of the discriminatory interpretation of the Aliens Act.

Migri has recently stopped recognizing Palestinian passports as valid travel documents for issuing and renewing residence and work permits. This decision has left many Palestinians in Finland—researchers, engineers, healthcare workers, and students—in legal limbo, facing rejection and even deportation. The decision contradicts the position of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, which says  Finland continues to recognise palestinian passports – signalling that the position of Migri is disputed even among the Finnish authorities. The decision is also criticised  by prominent legal scholars.  

This move is not only harmful—it is isolated and unjustifiable.
– Every EU country recognises Palestinian passports.
– Finland has done so since 1995.
– The only other country to reject palestinian passports recently was the Trump-era U.S. administration, which also barred Palestinian leaders from entering the UN. The EU urges this decision to be revoked .

Is this the example Finland wants to follow?

Migri’s decision:

– Contradicts the principle of equality before the law enshrined in the constitution of Finland.

– Contradicts the requirement for law enforcement to apply law in a manner favourable to fundamental rights. 

– Contradicts Finland’s foreign policy and isolates Finland’s position among EU countries.

 – Undermines the Palestinian Authority and the right to self-determination.
– Inflicts real harm on Palestinians who are educated, employed, and actively contributing to Finnish society.
– Sends a message of exclusion and disrespect to migrant and refugee communities.

– Damages Finland’s public image internationally as a study and work destination.

– Blocks efforts to evacuate students, researchers and children from Gaza, facing starvation, persecution and death. 

While several EU countries are facilitating the evacuation of palestinian students and researchers under scholarship schemes  to study and work in Universities in  France, Netherlands, Ireland, Italy  and other EU countries,  Migri’s decision blocks this opportunity to assist persecuted students and scholars. Migri’s decision further complicates the possibility of evacuating sick and injured children from Gaza under the EU civilian protection mechanism, as requested by the WHO.  

Even Migri has acknowledged that  Palestinians face persecution as a targeted ethnic group, although  it has later reversed its previous guidance. In a time when Israel is committing acts amounting to genocide and ethnic cleansing, Finland must not add to the oppression. 

Migri has announced a review of its practice regarding passports. This review needs to lead to a the following demands fully met: 

We, the undersigned, demand Finland to:

1. Immediately reverse Migri’s refusal to recognize Palestinian passports.
2. Overturn all negative residence permit decisions based on this interpretation.
3. Process Palestinian residence permit applications without delay.
4. Respect the dignity and rights of all applicants holding travel documents, including stateless persons and refugees.
5. Facilitate the evacuation of sick and injured children, as well as students and scholars from Gaza facing persecution, starvation and genocide. 

This is not just about Palestinians. It’s about equality before the law. It’s about migration policies that erase the history, culture, and contributions of refugees and migrants. It’s about making Finland anti-racist and stands on the right side of history.

We call on Finnish authorities, representatives, and media to foster accurate and respectful representations of these communities—including Palestinians, who are doctors, nurses, engineers, researchers, and workers serving this country every day.

This bureaucratic crisis must become an opportunity for:
– Deeper engagement with BPoC experts
– Intersectional justice
– Humanizing the law

Sumud is an intersectional organization committed to the full political rights of the Palestinian people—not merely symbolic or performative recognition. We stand firmly with the principles of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which calls for an end to Israeli settler colonialism, apartheid, and genocide.

We do not frame our struggle through the lens of statehood, especially in the context of ongoing colonial domination and the annexation of all Palestinian land. Instead, we advocate for liberation, equity, justice, and decolonization. Our vision is rooted in dismantling oppressive structures and building a future where Palestinian people—and all oppressed communities—can live with dignity, freedom, and full rights.

We believe that together, we can do better.
Together, we can stop racism.
Together, we can build a liberated future—from Finland to Palestine.

This petition is a call to decolonize and demand justice from within.
Sign now. Share widely. Stand for human rights.