Finland 2026
20/01/2026: The Kurdish armed group Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which governed the autonomous region of Rojava located in Northeastern Syria, withdrew from the al-Hol camp where thousands of IS family members were detained. Kurdish groups fought with Damas forces advancing into Rojava to forcefully reintegrate the region into the Syrian State. Syrian Government forces accused SDF guards of abandoning the camp thus allowing the detainees to escape and pose a new security threat by joining IS. A dozen of Finnish prisonners, mostly mothers and their children, were still detained in the camp. Despite Syrian Government forces to take control of the camp in order to prevent any escape, local situation is still unclear. According to Ilhan Ahmed, who is responsible for Rojava's foreign relations, the Kurds have no information about the situation of the Finns or other foreigners who were in al-Hol. (Source)
30/01/2026: Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns that the planned transfer of up to 7,000 IS-linked prisoners from Northeastern Syria to Iraq will affect European and Finnish security. Since Damas is now attempting to forcefully reclaim the region, security prospectives are now uncertain. According to Jussi Tanner, Head of Consular Affairs, the collapse of Kurdish control over detention centers marks a major turning point. Although Finland is not aware of any Finnish citizens among those transferred, authorities cannot be fully certain due to incomplete identification data. It is implied that Finnish detainees may have been eliminated in the clashes between Kurdish and Damas forces, but no conclusive evidence may support such assertion. From Finland’s perspective, the situation is especially problematic because detainees will switch from the custody of a non-State Kurdish administration to the legal jurisdiction of Iraq, a sovereign State that implements the death penalty. If Finnish nationals were involved, Finland would be legally required to intervene, creating serious legal and diplomatic challenges. Concerns are heightened by Iraq’s record of mass convictions and executions following trials criticized for failing to meet international standards. Tanner stresses that security risks extend beyond geography: extremist ideologies can spread across borders, including to Finland, through online networks and radicalization. Finland continues to monitor the fate of remaining detention camps, including al-Hol, where about a dozen Finns, mother and children were detained according to last data. While some children have been repatriated in the past, Finland does not consider itself obligated to return adult fighters. Finnish authorities are maintaining close contact with Syrian, Iraqi, and Kurdish actors but acknowledge that the situation is largely outside Finland’s control. The Government is preparing for potential security impacts in the coming weeks. (Source)
04/02/2026: The Syrian Government reportedly plans to close the al-Hol and Roj camps in Northeastern Syria, though no official confirmation has been issued, and the future of the camps’ 28,000 inhabitants, around 8,000 of whom are foreigners, remains uncertain. The camps have long suffered from overcrowding, inadequate administration, and daily violence, including the presence of active IS cells. The UN recently assumed administrative responsibilities in al-Hol, highlighting ongoing challenges in registration, security, and humanitarian provision. Among the foreign nationals are a small number of Finnish citizens, mostly minors. Jussi Tanner, Head of Consular Affairs at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, noted that Finland has received no notification from Syria but would ensure safe and controlled repatriation if required. Tanner also observed that many remaining Finns represent “the most difficult cases”, having previously declined any possibility to return. This is reminiscent of "Jonna", a Finnish woman who settled in IS so-called Caliphate back in 2015 and refused to be repatriated to Finland as she expressed hopes that IS will rise again in the region when she was interviewed in 2019. Although she and her children were allegedly still alive, their whereabouts are currently unknown since the clashes that recently occured between Kurdish and Damas forces around the camps.
Finnish Supo warned about the threat posed by returnees as soon as 2019, noting that those who stayed longer in the conflict zone may be more ideologically committed. This assessment remains unchanged. To date, 26 children, nine women, and one man have returned to Finland. Preliminary investigations were reportedly ongoing in March 2025, but no charges have been filed. Experts, including Sofia Koller of the Counter Extremism Project, suggest that the Syrian transfer of camp administration could enable European States, including Finland, to repatriate nationals, allowing for legal processing, risk assessment, and structured rehabilitation. Prior European returns indicate that reintegration can be cautiously successful, and major terrorist threats have not materialized despite initial concerns. (Source)
01/03/2026: Following the airstrikes on the Islamic Republic of Iran carried out by Israel and the United States of America on February 28, 2026 that resulted in the elimination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei with risks of further escalation, Supo Communications Manager, Milla Meretniemi, stated that the terrorist threat assessment in Finland remains unchanged. However, considering that events in the Middle East have an impact on Islamist movements in Europe, cautiousness and preparedness against potential subversive and terrorist threats are required. (Source)
10/03/2026: Finnish Supo published the 2026 National Terrorism Threat Assessment for Finland that classifies the national terrorism threat level as elevated (level three out of five) and emphasizes that the Finnish threat environment is largely shaped by international developments. The most likely perpetrators of attacks are individuals or small autonomous groups, primarily inspired by Islamism or Far-Right ideologies, with attacks in other Western countries potentially inspiring similar acts domestically.
The report identifies Islamist terrorism as the most significant threat in Europe. Since the Hamas attacks of October 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza, Jihadist organizations such as IS and Al-Qaeda have intensified propaganda efforts encouraging attacks in Western countries. Although counterterrorism measures have limited their operational capacity, these organizations continue to seek influence by inspiring self-radicalized individuals or small cells, which are the most common actors behind attack plots. The most likely forms of violence remain low-tech attacks against civilians, such as stabbings or vehicle attacks.
The assessment also notes the presence of State-linked terrorist activities associated with Iran in Europe. Several countries have recorded attacks or plots targeting Jewish or Israeli-linked targets and opponents of the Iranian regime, often carried out through criminal networks acting as proxies. While no such incidents have occurred in Finland so far, similar operations cannot be ruled out.
The report assesses Far-Right terrorism as a secondary threat compared to Islamist terrorism. It is primarily driven by online networks promoting accelerationism and glorifying past attacks, particularly Christchurch and Utøya. Most incidents involve self-radicalized individuals or small groups, often young or minors, who typically use simple weapons and target perceived ideological opponents such as minorities or political figures. Organized Far-Right movements are not seen as direct terrorist actors but can facilitate radicalization and legitimize violence.
A major concern highlighted in the assessment is the growing radicalization of young people and minors, particularly in online environments. Vulnerable youth increasingly participate in extremist communities that normalize violence and reinforce ideological commitment. This trend affects supporters of both Jihadist and Far-Right ideologies, but it also intersects with a broader culture of online nihilistic violence. Digital networks such as The Com and 764 encourage extreme acts including suicide, sexual violence, and brutality, often involving minors as both perpetrators and victims. These communities can overlap ideologically with extremist movements, particularly Far-Right accelerationism, and have been classified as terrorist organizations in some Western countries. (Source)
03/04/2026: A minor boy previously detained in the al-Hol camp was repatriated to Finland from Iraq. He was taken to Syria in the mid-2010 and was held in the camp since 2019 until his transfer by the United States from Northeastern Syria to Iraq alongside 5700 men following the regional takeover by Damas’ forces in February 2026. On March 31, 2026, an Iraqi court decided to release him and hand him over to the Finnish Embassy in Baghdad for repatriation. The boy reportedly has Finnish citizenship only and does not represent any threat to Finland security according to Consul Jussi Tanner. Moreover, the decision to repatriate him was taken in compliance with the obligations of the Constitution and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, Finnish Supo kept warning since 2019 in their annual reports that returnees from Syria may pose a security threat on the very long term, not necessarily in terms of terrorist attacks but mostly in terms of propaganda and recruitment efforts or radicalization. Finland stands as a specific case among European countries as none of the returnees who previously joined IS throughout the 2010’s faced charges upon their return. Finnish authorities are expected to draft and announce a new legislation in counterterrorism matters that is supposed to rectify this flaw. (Source)