Finland will push to conclude with agreements Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia immigration

The Finnish government announced today that it will push the European Union to step up its efforts to reduce irregular migration through agreements with Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.

Summit which starts on Thursday is expected to be discussed among other things the results of recent agreements on migration with five African countries (Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal and Ethiopia).

In return for the EU's financial aid required by these countries to impose stricter control measures at their borders and in immigrants returning.

The Prime Minister of Finland Juha Sipila deemed this new approach seems to bring fruit and that the EU should extend this approach to other states, with the aim of increasing returns.

"There is support for this approach in general from other Member States. I will raise this idea (en concluding agreements with Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan) in the Summit, "said Sipila Reuters news agency after informing the parliament.

Although the flow of immigrants to Greece from Turkey declined after the agreement with Ankara in which the EU concluded the arrivals in Italy from Africa on the contrary increased significantly so far this year. Italy has already welcomed 154,000 refugees and migrants and the final number of the year is expected to be even higher.

Finland received 32,500 asylum seekers last year - the majority of persons with Iraqi nationality. Arrivals fell to around 5,500 this year after imposing much stricter policy on immigration and asylum from Helsinki.