A Three-Year Ban Overturned

Our client contacted our office after receiving one of the most severe administrative decisions a person can face in Finland. The Helsinki Police Department had issued a decision ordering their return to Italy and imposed a three-year entry ban to Finland. The decision was based on the claim that they posed a threat to public order and security and that they did not have family or work ties in Finland.

This type of case is never a simple “paperwork issue.” A return decision combined with an entry ban means immediate separation from family, disruption of a person’s life, and a forced removal from Finland. It also means that the authority must apply the law with extreme care. There is no room for assumptions, and certainly no room for incomplete reasoning.

The police decision stated that the client had no family members in Finland. That statement was incorrect. The population register showed that the client has a spouse living in Finland and two minor children, and the client is also registered as their guardian. These are not small details. These are facts that fundamentally change how the law must be applied.

We appealed the decision to the Helsinki Administrative Court and requested an immediate prohibition of enforcement. We argued that the decision was based on incomplete investigation and that the required overall assessment under the Aliens Act had not been carried out. The authority had not properly evaluated family life, had not assessed the best interests of the children as required by law, and had not heard the spouse or children before issuing such a serious decision.

We also submitted supporting evidence showing the real situation of the family, including documentation confirming the spouse’s circumstances and health condition. The medical certificate included in the file confirmed that the spouse was on sick leave due to an anxiety disorder and was not in a position to manage the situation alone.

The Administrative Court acted quickly. On 4 February 2026, the court prohibited enforcement of the return decision. Only days later, on 10 February 2026, the Administrative Court annulled the police decision entirely and returned the matter for a new assessment. The court stated clearly that the decision was essentially deficient, because the police had based their conclusion on an incorrect understanding of the client’s family ties.

This is exactly how the legal system is supposed to work. Authorities are allowed to make strict decisions, but only when those decisions are based on correct facts and lawful reasoning. When a person has a spouse and minor children in Finland, family life and the best interests of the children must be treated as central factors, not as a side note.

For our client, this decision meant one thing above all: they were not removed from Finland, and their right to remain with their family was protected.