Finland seeks to extend security seizure law to Åland to curb risky land deals

Finland’s Defence Ministry has prepared a bill to extend the security expropriation law to the autonomous Åland islands, giving authorities the power to intervene in property transactions deemed a threat to national security. Minister Antti Häkkänen warned that land can be used for hostile destabilisation and must be countered pre-emptively. The amendment, drafted with Åland’s regional administration, will enter a consultation phase and is said not to affect Åland’s unique autonomy.

Currently, the state retains a pre-emptive right to acquire land near strategic installations such as Defence Forces or Border Guard sites on the mainland. The move follows controversy over recent sales of a camping area and a marina on the island of Kökar, where a dual Finnish-Russian citizen acquired ownership, raising concerns about Russian influence. Officials note that similar transactions on the mainland are already subject to strategic-interest safeguards.