The government failed on Monday to pass its bill expanding possibilities to detain children in migration custody. The opposition requested that the proposal be postponed for one year.
Parliament was set to vote on the proposal for stricter rules on supervision or detention of foreigners. The Centre Party and the Green Party submitted a request for postponement of the section concerning children, backed by the Social Democrats and the Left Party.
A five-sixths majority was therefore required to proceed immediately, but it was not achieved. The Committee on the Constitution will now examine whether grounds exist for a delay.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell stressed that detention is a tool for regulated immigration and that minors are rarely held. Annika Hirvonen of the Green Party called the outcome a show of strength for the opposition and children's rights.
The government had wanted the new rules, with a maximum of six plus six days for children, to enter into force on 21 July 2026.
