Milan Jaff deportation from Finland has become one of the most discussed removal cases in recent Finnish political debate. The 25-year-old convicted offender has now spoken publicly from Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, rejecting allegations that he led a criminal gang and accusing Finnish right-wing parties of using his case for electoral advantage.
His interview, broadcast by Kurdish outlet Rudaw Media Network, adds a new chapter to a case that has involved multiple courts, serious criminal convictions and a permanent Schengen entry ban.
Finland’s Immigration Service revoked Jaff’s residence permit in summer 2024. Authorities ordered his removal to Iraq after assessing the seriousness and repeated nature of his criminal convictions.
He was deported in December. The development was first reported in Finland by Iltalehti on 12 December.
Jaff sought to overturn the deportation order. However, the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland refused him leave to appeal. That decision left in place the earlier ruling of the Administrative Court, effectively closing his legal avenues within Finland.
Under the final decision, Jaff is subject to a permanent entry ban covering the 29-country Schengen area.
Finnish authorities have linked Jaff to a street group commonly referred to as Kurdish Mafia, also known as the 47 gang. Law enforcement agencies argued that the group operated with violent intent.
Jaff has consistently denied leading an organised criminal network.
In June 2024, the Helsinki Court of Appeal ruled that the group did not meet the legal threshold of an organised criminal organisation. The court described the case as involving a youth group whose actions showed “a favourable attitude and readiness for serious violence” when members felt offended.
The ruling did not overturn Jaff’s individual convictions. It addressed only the legal classification of the group.
Jaff arrived in Finland in 2017 at the age of 17. Over the following years, he accumulated multiple convictions.
He was convicted in connection with a plan to carry out an attack at the Kaivohuone restaurant in Helsinki. He was also convicted for a shooting in Espoo. In addition, he received a final conviction for rape.
In October 2024, a court sentenced him for assaulting Mika Moring, a figure known in Finland due to earlier sexual offence cases.
Finnish court records show that Jaff served prison sentences in two separate periods. In his interview, he stated that his first term lasted two months in 2020, followed by supervised release. Subsequent convictions resulted in a longer custodial sentence. He said that an initial combined sentence of 20 years was later reduced on appeal to approximately nine years.
Prosecutors in Finland detailed cases involving violence, threats and deprivation of liberty. Finnish media have also reported on surveillance footage in which Jaff appeared in connection with assaults.
In his interview with Rudaw Media Network, Jaff disputed several allegations. He claimed that accusations of sexual violence were false and rooted in personal disputes. He denied carrying weapons and rejected claims that he had attempted to kill anyone.
“I am not a mafia man. That was just an artist name for my songs,” he said.
Jaff argued that Finnish media amplified his image as a gang leader because of a rap track titled Kurdish Mafia.
“They took the name from my song and used it against me,” he said.
He described his online persona as separate from his private life. According to Jaff, he worked in car washes, restaurants and renovation jobs while living in Finland. He also said he attended school and trained in mixed martial arts.
During his time in prison, he stated that authorities placed him in high-security units because they considered him a gang leader. He described violent incidents during detention, although court documents have separately detailed incidents involving his own conduct.
The Milan Jaff deportation from Finland unfolded against a backdrop of heightened political debate over immigration and crime. As parliamentary elections approach, immigration enforcement and deportation policy have become prominent campaign themes.
In the interview, Jaff accused what he called “extreme right-wing parties” of using his case as campaign material.
“They used my story as campaign advertising,” he said.
He also expressed regret if his actions caused embarrassment to Kurds living in Finland and apologised to those who felt affected.
“I hope Finns see this interview and know I am not the person they described,” he said.
Although he now resides in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region and stated that he feels safe, he did not rule out the possibility of returning to Europe in the future, despite the Schengen-wide entry ban.
The interview was first reported in Finland by Ilta-Sanomat.
