an alien has been found in possession of several travel documents with different identities.137 During the citizenship determination procedure, detention on this and other grounds is not excluded. 3.4.1.2 EXPULSION As the purpose of the determination of citizenship status procedure according to the law is linked to inter alia the existence of Finnish nationality and a person’s right to remain in the country, it logically follows that at the very minimum, a person illegally residing in Finland has the right to stay in the country pending the procedure. Also in practice, there are no known cases of deportation pending the determination of citizenship status procedure.138 Nonetheless, there is one case of a family who was deported and it was only later discovered that a child of the family who was born in Finland had acquired Finnish nationality at birth in accordance with Section 9 of the Nationality Act. The citizenship status of the child had not been determined prior to deportation. Since this case, guidelines have been issued to the effect that when a decision on return and removal from the country is being made, it has to be noted whether the citizenship status of a child who was born in Finland has been determined, in order to check if the child has possibly acquired Finnish nationality. According to the guidelines, removal from the country cannot be implemented before the citizenship status has been determined for the child in this kind of situations.139 3.4.1.3 PUBLIC RELIEF AND SOCIAL SECURITY The rights of immigrants to social security in Finland depend on their residence status. As long as an immigrant is legally in the country, he or she has some rights to public relief. If a stateless person does not yet have a residence permit, she or he is in most cases an asylum-seeker in Finland. Basic services, such as accommodation, reception money (which should guarantee necessary income for a life in dignity if the person does not have any other income and some social services) and urgent health care140 are guaranteed for asylum-seekers as well as for rejected asylum-seekers until they leave the country.141 There are no specific public relief and social security related rights granted to persons pending the determination of citizenship status procedure. 3.4.1.4 OTHER RIGHTS GUARANTEED An asylum-seeker has the right to work after three months from lodging of the asylum application if she or he has a valid travel document and if she or he does not have a valid travel document, after six months from lodging the asylum application, in accordance with Section 81 of the Aliens Act. The Finnish Constitution, Section 16, guarantees the right to education for everyone. However, the obligation to participate in basic education and the responsibility of the municipalities to organize basic education only covers those who reside in Finland permanently, in accordance with the Act on Basic Education.142 As asylumseekers are not considered to reside in Finland permanently, they are not covered by this legal obligation. In practice however, according to the travaux préparatoires in the Government Bill of the Act on Reception of Persons Seeking International Protection, it appears that most asylum seeking children are able to access 38 137 Government Bill, hallituksen esitys 28/2003, detailed justification of Section 121. 138 E-mail from Migri, 17 September 2011. 139 Ibid. 140 In accordance with the Act on Healthcare, Terveydenhuoltolaki 1326/2010, Section 50 and Act on Specialized Healthcare, Erikoissairaanhoitolaki 1062/1989, Section 3. For children, the healthcare services are provided on a higher level, i.e. on the same level as for those immigrants who have a home municipality in Finland, in accordance with Section 26 of the Act on Reception of Persons Seeking International Protection, Laki kansainvälistäsuojelua hakevan vastaanotosta, 746/2011. 141 Act on Reception of Persons Seeking International Protection, Laki kansainvälistäsuojelua hakevan vastaanotosta, 746/2011. 142 Perusopetuslaki, 628/1998. MAPPING STATELESSNESS IN FINL AND