Translated material
Mannerheim line 2.0
The Government of Finland may block the rights of foreign citizens to buy real estate in areas important to the state in terms of national security. The Finnish Ministry of Defense intends to study who belongs to houses that are in the immediate vicinity of military bases, airfields, tracking stations and other similar objects. Probably, foreigners, first of all, Russians who own real estate in such places, will have to think about moving.
According to the Finnish television and radio company Yle, the deputy of the parliament Suna Kumyalyainen , " it is possible that it will be necessary to block or terminate some transactions on the purchase and sale of real estate-if the acquired property is next to strategic objects." According to her, when considering the corresponding bill in parliament, the list of such objects may be expanded. Accordingly, their surroundings will become inaccessible to foreigners who would like to get property there. It is, in particular, about areas adjacent to the Russian-Finnish border. According to Suna Kumyalyainen, the implementation of these plans may face difficulties: will all buildings in the border zone or, for example, numerous summer cottages in the vicinity of airports will fall under the action of new rules? There are many ambiguities and problems that have yet to be resolved, the deputy believes.
It is possible that you will have to block or terminate some transactions on the purchase and sale of real estate
The reports that the authorities of Finland intend to figure out which of the foreigners and why it buys houses, apartments and land in their country at the end of last year. Then the Finnish media reported the report of the SUPO counterintelligence service, which expressed concern in connection with the allegedly existing plans of the Russian side to begin mass buying up of real estate objects in Finland. As stated in the report, this was supposed to be done primarily in places adjacent to the border and strategically beneficial for possible violation of communications and other hostile actions in case of aggravation of the situation and the invasion of Russian forces into Finnish territory. Counterintelligence proposed in this regard to tighten the rules for buying real estate by foreigners. Some lawyers, however, expressed skepticism. Thus, the head of the Legislative Department of the Ministry of Justice of Finland Anti Linonone said that "the buyer will be able to hide behind the dummies or firms, so it will be difficult to establish who actually acquires one or another object. As a result, the number of bureaucratic procedures related to the purchase of property will only increase." Nevertheless, the decision to conduct appropriate checks at the level of ministries of defense and justice was made.
The reason for this is not least the fears of Finland caused by Moscow policy regarding the countries neighboring with Russia. The Finnish government, in particular, indicates an increase in the campaign of propaganda and misinformation directed against Finland. The head of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Cabinet of Ministers , Mandilic, told Reuters that government security government services managed to record at least 20 information stuffing and other operations regarding Finland and conducted by the Russian side in the media and social networks. As an example, he cited the reports that appeared in the Russian media in September last year about how Finnish social services take away children from Russians living in Finland, accusing their parents of violence, although in fact their nationality supposedly serves the reason for such actions. The Finnish authorities reject such accusations. There is a lot of evidence of high activity in the Finnish information space of employees of the Russian "troll factory" - Radio Liberty has repeatedly reported this.
In this situation, the Finnish government begins the revision of real estate transactions concluded by foreign citizens. Representatives of the authorities do not hide that this is mainly concerned with Russians - simply because they make up a very significant share of foreigners buying property in Finnish territory. However, the nature of future restrictions is far from clear, there is still a lot of work over the final option of the upcoming revision, in an interview with Radio Freedom, adviser to the Finnish Ministry of Defense Matias Warst .
- In fact, we study the current legislation and want to ensure that in some special cases when it comes to real estate acquired by foreigners and located from strategically important objects, the government had legal instruments that would allow it to translate these real estate objects under its jurisdiction. But we do not strive to limit foreigners to own property in Finland as such.
- How will the situation be allowed in the "special cases" that you are talking about? The Finnish authorities buy such real estate objects from foreign owners?
- It is too early to talk about it, the specific mechanism has not yet been developed. In principle, it is clear that at first negotiations will be held with the owners to sell their property to Finnish owners. In cases where the interests of national security will really demand this, and for some reason the sale of real estate in the market will be impossible, the process of expropriation will be launched: the object will pass into the hands of the state that will compensate for its value to the former owner.
We do not strive to limit foreigners to own property in Finland as such
- Will this be done throughout the country or only in the east, near the border with Russia?
- The bill is not yet ready, it is discussed at the level of basic principles. Speaking precisely at this level, yes, the restrictions will concern strategic objects throughout the country, not only of any specific areas.
- What are the reasons for the fact that such measures were generally needed? The Finnish government believes that the security situation has worsened?
- These decisions were outlined in the four -year plan of the current government. ( The legal office of Prime Minister Yukhi Sipil has been in power since May 2015.-RS) . When analyzing the current legislation, it became clear that at the moment the government can do little in the field of national security protection in the event that objects belonging to foreign owners will be used inadequate. This is a matter of protecting national interests.
- Could you explain what exactly the objects of the power of Finland are attributed to the number of strategic? Where exactly to foreigners will be banned from buying real estate?
- We still do not have a clear definition, a list of such objects, it is in work. Discussions are going on about this when working with the bill. So at the moment, specifically, by districts, I can’t answer your question.
- Do you have estimates of how much real estate in Finland belongs to foreigners?
- If I am not mistaken, about 60 thousand real estate transactions per year are recorded in Finland. And of these 60 thousand, only about 400 are foreigners. This is a little.
- Among these foreigners do Russians prevail?
- I will clarify: in this case, citizens of countries who are not part of the European Union are taken into account as foreigners. In the framework of the number of transactions that I named, approximately 400 per year - most of the Russians are Russians.
- But in general, the rules for buying real estate in Finland will also change?
“I can’t assure one hundred percent, but so far from the discussions that go at the departmental level, it is clear that there is no great desire to change the rules in general,” says Matias Varsta, adviser to the Finnish Ministry of Defense.