IRCT REGIONAL REPORT 2016 Finland ABOUT CTSF Finland Finland experienced a near tenfold increase in asylum applications from 2014 to 2015, placing considerable strain on an asylum system accustomed to handling far fewer applications. This has led to coordination challenges across services providers and relevant authorities, sometimes at the peril of torture victims. Authorities responded to the influx by establishing over 100 new reception centres, but have not always been able to sufficiently staff the centres or to provide them with appropriate training to work with traumatised refugees. According to CTSF, the major challenge in Finland is the lack of awareness of or specialised support for torture victims throughout the entire asylum procedure. At present, there are no mechanisms or procedures to systematically identify torture victims. CTSF is an outpatient ward of specialised healthcare for assessing, treating and rehabilitating refugees and asylum seekers and their family members resident in Finland, who suffer from torture trauma. The centre provides individual, multidisciplinary, comprehensive therapy to victims of torture on an out-patient basis. Treatment methods include psychiatric assessment, psychological assessment and testing, medical and neurological evaluation, special consultation and referrals to hospitals, psychotherapy, physiotherapy, and art therapy. CTSF develops and tests new action modes and functions as a national centre of expertise for other organisations involved in caring for people who have been tortured. CTSF trains, provides consultation services for and instructs social and healthcare sector professionals, various authorities and NGOs. Asylum application in Finland, 2010 - 2015 Asylum applications in Finland, 2010 – 2015 35,000 32,150 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 3,675 0 2010 2,975 2011 3,115 3,220 2012 2013 page 15 3,625 2014 2015