Yle: There is a ban on the purchase of real estate by Russians in Finland, but there is no sense

In Finland, there is a ban on the purchase of real estate by Russians or Russian companies. However, it does not apply to those who have a passport of the country EU or permanent residence in Finland. Therefore, the ban has a very limited effect.

"Changes in the law have only reduced the number of real estate transactions that Russians make in Finland," writes Finnish Yle.

According to the cadastral office of MML, from the beginning of last year to the end of November, Russians purchased 55 real estate properties in Finland: 35 transactions were concluded before the law came into force, and 20 after.

"The final number is likely to increase further, as there are no data for December in the statistics yet. In addition, due to autumn delays in processing, some of the transactions may be reflected in the database later," Yle writes.

According to him, in autumn Russians continued to purchase real estate, including in Kumenlaakso, Southern Savo and Northern Savo.

"A citizen of the country The EU or the EEA is not subject to the law, regardless of whether he is a citizen of Finland and Russia or Germany and Russia," said Rikard Lindholm, an expert at the Finnish Ministry of Defense.

"In November, an investigation by Yle MOT revealed that the historic villa Rantalinna in Rukolahti received a new owner — a Canadian-Azerbaijani businessman who has been doing business in Russia. According to the MOT, this entrepreneur may be a figurehead, that is, he registers the property for himself, although the actual owner is another person," the publication gives an example.

Journalists noted that the deal did not require permission from the Ministry of Defense, as a loophole in the law was used. The businessman did not buy the real estate objects themselves, but the companies that own them.