About 2,400 people redirected as domestic violence shelters ran out of space in 2025
About 2,400 people were redirected from their primary domestic violence shelter to another in Finland in 2025, up from roughly 1,300 in 2024, THL data show.
About 2,400 people were redirected from their primary domestic violence shelter to another in Finland in 2025, YLE reported.
That was up from roughly 1,300 in 2024, while overall shelter occupancy averaged 73 percent last year, the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) said. The largest numbers of redirected clients came from the capital region, Pirkanmaa and Southwest Finland. The capital region alone redirected just over 1,100 people, compared with about 580 the year before.
Suvi Nipuli, a THL development manager, said multiple shelters in areas such as the capital region and Pirkanmaa can make local redirection possible — but not when facilities are full. "Help should still always be sought; a solution will be found for everyone in need," she said.
THL data show Espoo’s only shelter redirected 376 people and was full for 249 days, while Southwest Finland’s lone shelter was full for 179 days. Shelter residential nights reached about 113,000 in 2025 — an eight percent increase from 2024 — and overall client numbers rose to roughly 6,000, about four percent higher than the previous year.
Catch the full story over at YLE
