Writers at Risk Committee

Important information for writers seeking protection

Very often Finnish PEN receives desperate appeals from threatened and persecuted writers, bloggers and artists from around the world for protection of their lives. As a small organization with no full-time staff and largely dependent on volunteers, we cannot always provide sufficient information support to those in need of protection despite best of our intentions. We usually refer them to PEN International and the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN). They provide various supports to writers and artists at risk to enable them to get short and long-term safe space or political asylum. From their websites and contacts, you may get valuable information regarding general criteria, considerations and application procedures. As a writers’ freedom of expression organization, Finnish PEN does not handle such residencies or asylum issues. We recommend threatened or persecuted writers, bloggers, journalists and artists to contact the following organizations/agencies for pertinent information on protection:

PEN International, website: www.pen-international.org/

ICORN (International Cities of Refuge Network), website: www.icorn.org/

Safe Haven Helsinki (Perpetuum Mobile & HIAP), www.hiap.fi/project/safe-haven-helsinki

Finnish Immigration Service (MIGRI), www.migri.fi/asylum_in_finland

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), www.unhcr.org/asylum-and-migration.html