Finland: Supreme Court Allows Use of Force as Last Resort to Remove Hijab During Asylum Registration Photos

Finland: Supreme Court Allows Use of Force as Last Resort to Remove Hijab During Asylum Registration Photos
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Finland’s Supreme Court has ruled that police may use necessary and proportionate force as a last resort to remove a hijab during official registration photography for asylum seekers, when other measures fail.

The case dates back to 2017, when two asylum seekers in the city of Hämeenlinna refused to remove their hijabs for identification photographs, citing religious reasons. Police later removed the head coverings by force after attempts to complete the procedure voluntarily failed.

Seven police officers and security guards were subsequently accused of assault-related offenses and misconduct, but lower courts dismissed the charges in 2022 and 2024.

In its September 2026 ruling, the Supreme Court upheld those decisions, stating that identity verification and asylum registration procedures serve a legitimate purpose and that police had a legal basis to carry out the required measures.

However, the court stressed that force must only be used as a final option after other methods, such as guidance, requests, and official orders, have been unsuccessful.