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Yossi Tanner, head of consular affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said travel insurance was the most important thing to consider when planning a holiday abroad.
- More Finns are travelling abroad, and at the same time, requests for consular assistance are increasing.
- The most common needs for consular assistance are for lost passports and other minor matters.
- If necessary, travel notifications are a simple way to help the authorities find Finns traveling or living abroad.
The summer holidays are at their hottest and many Finns go abroad for their holidays.
According to Statistics Finland, Finns took more than six million leisure trips abroad last year, including overnight stays.
Even as extreme temperatures and heat waves have intensified in recent years, especially in southern Europe, Finns don’t seem frightened.
Evening News Told earlierDozens of Finnish tourists have been forced to evacuate the Greek island of Kos due to wildfires.
If Finns travelling abroad need consular assistance from the Finnish authorities in various problematic situations, consular officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UM) have questions Yossi Tennerin Usually it’s a small thing.
– The most common reasons for contacting us are various minor issues, such as a lost or stolen passport, or citizens requiring certain services from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tanner said that from the perspective of travel safety, statistics show that the biggest risks for Finnish tourists abroad are transportation and various infections.
On July 2, a wildfire broke out on the Greek island of Chios. Environmental Protection Agency/Australian Conservation Agency
Case Type
Tanner said contacts with Finland had increased in recent years. The reason was increased travel abroad.
– Due to the coronavirus, contacts are decreasing, but otherwise the trend is growing.
Tanner said the increase in aid to the University of Michigan is roughly the same as the increase in the tourism industry.
– Finnish citizens come from all backgrounds from all corners of the world, and Finns form many cross-cultural family ties, which is also reflected in foreign aid efforts.
Tanner said that over the years, there are two types of cases that particularly impressed me.
– We see citizens with mental health problems because these cases are long-term and difficult to treat. A person’s right to self-determination is such an important value that if a person does not need help, it is usually impossible to provide it by force.
– The second category is various serious emergencies involving children.
Tanner was appointed head of the consulate in spring 2022 and previously served as Special Representative for Northeast Syria, participating in a mission to provide assistance to Finnish children in the Huli refugee camp.
– It is undeniable that the children’s suffering has a personal impact, but it should not be exaggerated. For us, these things are first and foremost work.
Tanner said in recent years, the workload of handling consular cases has been heavy and requires a lot of resources, such as child abduction cases.
– In some foreign embassies, individual consular cases may occupy the working time of the entire staff from the Ambassador on down.
– Tanner said that the construction of the Al-Hol complex was so long and difficult that it took a lot of time.
In addition to this, Tanner also evacuated personnel to Finland in Afghanistan in the fall of 2021. After the Taliban came to power, the situation in the country escalated rapidly.
– Two hundred officers were busy evacuating. It was a huge effort, but it was short-lived.
Several Western countries will withdraw personnel from Afghanistan in the fall of 2021. Illustration. Advanced Programming
Travel notifications help authorities
If problems arise, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will contact Finns travelling abroad or staying there (if they have made a travel declaration).
Jussi Tanner says Finns have issued the most travel notifications to high-risk destinations.
– The percentages vary and not everyone reports. We start from the fact that if a crisis situation breaks out, our assumption is that there are actually many more Finns in the area than is known. We also recommend avoiding travel to certain countries and hope that this advice is heeded.
You can submit a travel declaration for all your trips abroad to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs In online services.
If a travel notification is not submitted, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has limited means to contact Finns, etc. in areas of natural disasters.
– We communicate through our own channels and try to make good use of the media. Tanner said that UM is usually very active in consular and crisis affairs.
Traffic and various infections are the biggest risks for Finns travelling abroad, said Jussi Tanner, consular manager at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mikko Huisko
evacuation
If the fact is an evacuation from a foreign destination, the state will not reimburse citizens’ travel expenses.
– If a commercial flight is successful, people will pay the same as regular tickets. Tanner said that if the University of Michigan organizes a charter type solution, we usually charge the same as tickets.
For example, last fall, when tensions between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas escalated, Finland organized evacuation flights from Israel. According to Tanner, a one-way ticket from Israel to Finland costs about 600 euros.
– If necessary, we will make a repayment commitment so that you can pay later. The head of the consulate said that not all costs incurred by the authorities are paid by citizens, but for example travel tickets, an individually determined share of all costs is charged.
Tanner cautions that those who are well prepared for their trip are likely to encounter fewer unpleasant surprises.
– The most important thing before traveling is sufficient and comprehensive travel insurance.
If you want to avoid trouble, for example when renting a car, you should purchase full coverage insurance.
– In the event of a traffic accident, for example, the cost of an ambulance flight can be as much as 150,000 euros, which is a huge financial risk, says Tanner.
Rhodes has always been a favorite tourist destination for Finns. Illustration image. Advanced Programming
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