Finland’s government on Thursday proposed a ban on property purchases by nationals of countries that wage wars of aggression, a move that would effectively restrict real estate transactions by Russian citizens.
The proposal would bar individuals from nations “waging a war of aggression and posing a potential threat to Finland’s national security” from buying property in the country, the government said.
“The government has just decided to submit a proposal to parliament to ban real estate transactions by Russians in Finland,” Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen told reporters. “Our aim is to strengthen the security of Finland and the Finnish people.”
While the bill does not explicitly mention Russia, Hakkanen said the current security environment meant “Russia and Russian nationals and companies are the ones concerned.”
Finland, which shares a border with Russia, blocked several real estate acquisitions by Russian individuals and companies last year, citing national security risks.
According to Hakkanen, the bill aims to prevent property from being used for “large-scale hostile influence,” such as intelligence gathering and potential sabotage.
The restrictions would not apply to individuals holding a permanent residence permit in Finland or a long-term European Union residence permit issued by Finland.
To prevent circumvention through so-called dummy purchasers—where someone buys property on behalf of another to conceal the true buyer’s identity — the bill includes provisions for a permit requirement, the ministry said.
Parliament is expected to vote on the bill later this spring, Hakkanen said.
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