Persons granted refugee status or other international protection and persons who are involuntarily stateless may apply for citizenship in Finland if they have resided continuously in Finland for the most recent four years or for a total of six years after reaching the age of 15, with continuous residence in Finland during at least the most recent two years.602 They must also meet other general requirements for citizenship, including establishment of identity, reaching the age of 18, meeting the “integrity” requirement (not having a criminal record), having met payment obligations (taxes, fines, student loans, etc), having established a means of livelihood, and having sufficient language skills.603 If the applicant is dissatisfied with the Finnish Immigration Service’s decision concerning asylum, the applicant may appeal the decision to the Helsinki Administrative Court. A further appeal against the decision of the Helsinki Administrative Court may be lodged with the Supreme Administrative Court, if the right of appeal is granted.604 An applicant who receives a completely negative decision on the application for asylum and whose appeal fails must leave Finland.605 Consistently with ECHR Articles 2 and 3, Finnish authorities will not deport an asylum seeker to any area in which he or she “could be subject to the death penalty, torture, persecution, or other treatment violating human dignity or from where he or she could be sent to such an area.”606 Individuals who have not been granted refugee status, but are subject to deportation subsequent to commission of a serious crime, or endangerment of public safety or Finland’s national security,607 may not be deported to their country of prior residence.608 Additionally, these individuals may only be deported to a State which chooses to accept them.609 6. Protection under the Statelessness Conventions Finland is a party to both the 1954 Stateless Persons and 1961 Statelessness Conventions.610 However, the Finnish Aliens Act does not discuss stateless persons. Stateless persons are, however, eligible to apply for Finnish citizenship if they meet certain conditions (see Section 5, above). 602 124 The Finnish Immigration Service, “Residence Period,” accessed November 19, 2014, http://www. migri.fi/finnish_citizenship/applying_for_citizenship/requirements/residence_period. 603 The Finnish Immigration Service, “Requirements,” accessed November 19, 2014, http://www. migri.fi/finnish_citizenship/applying_for_citizenship/requirements. 604 The Finnish Immigration Service, “Appeal,” accessed November 19, 2014, http://www.migri.fi/ asylum_in_finland/applying_for_asylum/decision/appeal. 605 The Finnish Immigration Service, “Refusal of Entry,” accessed November 19, 2014, http://www. migri.fi/asylum_in_finland/applying_for_asylum/decision/refusal_of_entry. 606 State of Finland, “Aliens Act - Act No. 301/2004 of 2004 (Amendments up to 458/2009 Included),” Section 147. 607 Ibid., Section 149(1). 608 Ibid., Section 149(4). 609 Ibid., Section 149(4). 610 UNTC, “Status of Treaties: Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons;” UNTC, “Status of Treaties: Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.” Handbook on Protection of Palestinian Refugees