Nordic ministers to discuss more effective returns and other migration issues 

State Secretary Heikki Tamminen will attend a meeting of the Nordic cooperation group on migration and asylum  (NSHF) in Stockholm on 22–23 October as deputy for the Minister of the Interior. 

The ministers’ agenda includes measures to make returns more effective and cooperation with third countries. Effective and swift returns are essential to maintaining the credibility of the migration system as a whole.

The ministers will discuss issues related to a Nordic return hub. A return hub established in a non-EU country could help address challenges related to returns. The EU’s new Return Regulation, which recently entered into force, enables the establishment of return hubs.

The situation regarding temporary protection for Ukrainians in the Nordic countries will also be on the agenda. In summer 2026, the Council of the European Union decided to extend temporary protection until 4 March 2028.

The ministers will also discuss the Nordic countries’ responsibility to protect their citizens and societies. This item is linked, among other things, to efforts to counter the instrumentalisation of migration.

Nordic cooperation on migration has a long history, and it complements cooperation at EU level. The NSHF (Nordisk samrådsgrupp på hög nivå i flyktingfrågor) was established in 1986 on the recommendation of the Nordic Council of Ministers. In addition to the annual ministerial meetings, the cooperation group also holds a senior officials’ meeting once a year. The purpose of these meetings is to promote the exchange of information and cooperation between the countries on migration-related issues.