VZCZCXRO7106
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHHE #0159 1000653
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090653Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4225
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0057
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0099
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0066
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0385

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000159 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS 
TO ASSIST IRAQI REFUGEES 
 
REF: STATE 30028 
 
¶1. (U) PolOff delivered reftel demarche to Leena 
Pylvanainen, Regional Manager of the Finnish MFA's Office 
of Middle East and North Africa, and to Ilkka Rentola, 
Counsellor, Unit for Human Rights Policy and Irma 
Lescelius, Unit for Humanitarian Assistance, April 2. 
Pylvanainen said Finland allocated one million euros last 
week to the UNHCR supplementary appeal for Iraq.  She added 
that an additional 800,000 euros will go to WHO as part of 
a related UN health appeal.  The GoF made a further 
contribution in January 2008 earmarked for assistance to 
refugees and internally displaced persons in Iraq via the 
UN Trust Fund.  She noted that Finland, in addition to 
bilateral contributions, also continues to contribute via 
the EU. 
 
¶2. (U) Rentola stated that Finland resettles approximately 
750 UNHCR referral refugees annually.  In 2007, 
approximately 200 of those were Iraqis who came via Amman 
and Damascus.  As of February, Finland resettled 56 Iraqi 
UNHCR referrals, and hopes to resettle a total of 300 in 
¶2008.  Finland also accepted an additional 127 Iraqi asylum 
applicants in 2007 that did not come via UNHCR referral. 
HYATT