A suspected Russian scheme to obtain Finnish citizenship ran for more than 20 years before Finland noticed
Police and the Border Guard say the size of what they uncovered took them by surprise, and that several naturalizations were still moving through the system when the inquiry opened.
Finnish authorities suspect a complex scheme that involved obtaining Finnish citizenship through fraudulent means for more than two decades, Yle reported. The suspected organizer, a Russian national, is believed to have set up fictitious employment relationships for foreign nationals through companies that had minimal or no actual business operations.
These companies were registered in southeastern Finland between 2003 and 2024. The investigation uncovered at least 12 individuals who obtained Finnish citizenship without proper grounds, and five applications were still incomplete as of 2024. The criminal police commissioner noted that the scale of the case took investigators by surprise.
The suspects reportedly paid for the fictitious jobs and assisted in assembling the applicants' documents. They also helped them pass Finnish language exams and complete study assignments in Finnish. Finnish authorities have tightened their borders since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, restricting travel and hardening their defenses, while Moscow has intensified its efforts in espionage, sabotage, and recruitment across Europe.
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