Finland has tightened the rules for obtaining citizenship for migrants using social insurance benefits, Yle public broadcaster reports.
Parliament has approved amendments to the citizenship law that tighten the rules for obtaining a Finnish passport. In order to obtain citizenship, a migrant must have income from work or business, not social benefits.
According to Yle, if the applicant has received social assistance for more than three months within two years, he will not be able to get a Finnish passport.
It is noted that the new rule will not apply to minors and pensioners over the age of 65.
Furthermore, Yle reports that the Finnish government plans to introduce additional grounds for revoking previously acquired citizenship. This rule will apply in cases where citizenship was obtained by "fraud" or in cases of crimes against the state.
