IRCT REGIONAL REPORT 2016 All asylum seekers arriving in Finland are provided with a medical screening at the beginning of the process but this is largely meant to detect communicable diseases and not to serve as a mechanism to identify torture victims and other vulnerable applicants. On occasion the authorities do refer individual asylum seekers who claim to be torture victims to CTSF for MLRs but this is not done in a systematic manner. Legal representatives are able to request MLRs on behalf of their clients but not all lawyers are aware of the MLR services provided by CTSF. Furthermore, since the number of asylum seekers has increased so dramatically in recent years, not all providers of MLRs follow the standards of the Istanbul Protocol. CTSF is currently in the process of conducting trainings on the Istanbul Protocol for stakeholders in Finland and recently the document was translated into Suomi. When torture victims are not identified, they don’t receive rehabilitation services, special procedural guarantees, adequate reception facilities or even basic needs. Asylum seekers do not have a legal right to access the healthcare system and are only entitled to acute or emergency care. This prevents them from having regular access to doctors or psychologists for rehabilitation purposes. To request a doctor, an asylum seeker must leave a note with the nurse or social worker at their reception centre. The nurse will then determine whether the person is in acute need of a doctor, or whether the nurse can treat them at the reception centre. Even if the asylum seeker is allowed to visit a doctor, there is very often a knowledge gap in the Finnish healthcare system, as medical staff are often not trained in how to deal with torture lesions or torture trauma. The Finnish Immigration Service has started to take some action to address the lack of training. In May and June 2016, it organised a one-day training session for nurses working in reception centres and social workers on mental health and on detecting mental health disorders among refugees. Further trainings are planned for autumn 2016. CTSF has found that the reception conditions are inadequate for the needs of torture victims and other traumatised refugees. Due to the dramatic increase in asylum applications, asylum centres are often overcrowded. CTSF have noted that there is no consideration of the national or religious background of asylum seekers when they are placed in reception facilities, potentially leading to further isolation and anxiety. Finally, CTSF is seriously concerned by the increased use of accelerated procedures for asylum seekers from “safe” countries of origin. Individual asylum seekers may be subjected to accelerated procedures if their application is considered manifestly unfounded or if the asylum seeker has arrived from a safe third country or country of origin. Worryingly, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia have recently been added to a list of countries considered “safe” by the Finnish Immigration Service. “One of our clients was in serious pain and discomfort from a toothache. It took almost a year before he received any help. Other clients report similar issues.” — Lotta Carlsson Furthermore, adolescents who have only just reached adulthood are housed with other adults, which may not be appropriate if the person is heavily traumatised. The Finnish Immigration Service has also acknowledged that there are vast discrepancies in the quality of education provided across reception facilities in Finland. In general, asylum seekers housed near the capital area have greater access to higher standards of education than those in more remote areas. page 16