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full screen The government wants to see deepened police cooperation at the border between Sweden and Finland. Archive image. Photo: Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva Via AP
Police officers from Finland will be allowed to intervene against criminals on Swedish soil. It can be relevant in the case of serious crimes such as murder, rape and robbery, in situations when the Swedish police cannot arrive in time themselves.
On Wednesday, the government will decide on a bill on deepened operational police cooperation at the border between Sweden and Finland in the north. The proposal means that police officers from Finland will be allowed to carry out urgent police duties on Swedish territory.
The background is that the police may find it difficult to get to ongoing crimes that take place outside the central cities. In these situations, Swedish police must be able to request help from the neighboring country.
Police officers from Finland will be allowed to intervene in serious crimes such as murder, robbery, kidnapping and rape, while waiting for Swedish police to arrive.
Goes further
Finnish police must also be allowed to intervene without Swedish police requesting it in situations that involve immediate danger to someone’s life or health, for example in accidents and natural disasters.
According to the government, the proposal goes further than many of Sweden’s collaborations with police in other countries, and means that Finnish policemen are given relatively far-reaching powers to intervene in the Swedish border area.
The municipalities where this will apply are on the Swedish side Haparanda, Kiruna, Pajala and Övertorneå. In Finland, it concerns the municipalities of Enontekis, Kolari, Muonio, Pello, Torneå and Övertorneå (Ylitornio).
There is so far no date for when the changes to the law will come into force.
“Must do everything”
Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) emphasizes that organized crime is cross-border.
“We must therefore do everything we can to access crime across borders. Strong police cooperation between Sweden and Finland is more important than ever,” he says in a written comment.
It was the previous government that entered into the agreement that is the basis for the deepened police cooperation. Now the bill is sent to the Legislative Council, and then it must be approved by the Riksdag. The Finnish Parliament has already approved the agreement.