The Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration operates at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment as part of the Labour Migration and Integration Unit. The Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration was launched in 2014.
The Centre of Expertise produces and disseminates information on integration to decision-makers, authorities and experts involved in integration. The information is based on research and monitoring as well as on the practical experience of those involved in integration.
Information and communication are at the core of the Centre’s work
The Centre of Expertise monitors the progress of integration and the state of the immigrant population through its databases and employment reports. Every four years, the Centre of Expertise produces an overall review of integration. The Centre strengthens the knowledge base of integration by commissioning and producing reports and studies on different integration-related topics.
The Centre also organises research webinars, publishes policy briefs and publishes a newsletter once a month. The Kotoutuminen.fi web service serves as the main channel for strengthening the knowledge-based approach to work on promoting integration. We are also active on several social media channels.
The Centre of Expertise also produces data to support the Government’s decision-making and steering tasks.
The Centre is responsible for updating the Welcome to Finland guide, i.e. the basic information material, and distributing it to the authorities serving immigrants. The guide is offered on statutory basis to all persons who receive a residence permit.
People working with integration play a key role
The people who encounter immigrants in their work and activities need information about best practices, factors and phenomena affecting integration, and reforms and development work related to the promotion of integration. The Centre of Expertise supports those involved in integration with practical information materials, training, tools, current news, blogs and events and by sharing best practices.
The Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration participates in the implementation of the Integration Act and the Government’s integration programme by providing experts with information on legislation at kotoutuminen.fi and in training sessions and publications.
Effective integration is achieved through cooperation
Effective promotion of integration and preparation of policies that promote integration require information about which measures work and what the current state of integration is. Social impact requires cooperation between the authorities and other bodies. The Centre of Expertise supports cooperation between different operators in the field of integration by coordinating the Integration Partnership Programme together with the ELY Centres and by maintaining the Partnership Platform.
The Centre of Expertise supports the inclusion of immigrants, the receptiveness of society and civil society activities that promote integration.
Integration.fi is intended for operators of immigrant integration and the reception of refugees
The integration.fi website is intended for those who encounter immigrants as part of their work and for actors involved in integration and the reception of refugees. The online service’s target group includes people in the field of immigrant integration: authorities (TE Offices, municipalities, health and social services), organisations, decision-makers, representatives of unaccompanied minors, teachers and researchers.
The online service is a publication platform for information and news about immigrant integration, the reception of refugees and other related themes. The service also includes a blog listing good practices found in projects and their materials, presents multilingual material, guides and tools that support integration work and the reception of refugees, educates and offers facilities for cooperation within the framework of the integration partnership programme.
The website is maintained by the Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration. If you want to talk about possible content for the website or material for the current issues section, please contact the web editor of integration.fi.
Social media is used to share information with professionals
The Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration has social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube and SlideShare. The partnership programme of immigrant integration has its own Twitter and Instagram accounts. The social media accounts of the Centre of Expertise are for the open distribution of information and professional communications. As in integration.fi, social media communications are based on information and facts.
The social media accounts of the Centre of Expertise are maintained by the integration.fi website’s editor and content creators. The partnership programme’s accounts are maintained by the Centre of Expertise and cooperation partners, that is, the specialists participating in the ELY Centre’s partnership programme.
The Centre of Expertise and the integration partnership programme do not comment on political issues on their social media accounts, nor participate in long discussions or debates. The accounts are not used to answer questions related to an individual’s situation.
Further information:
Contact details of the Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration
Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration on X
Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration on Instagram
Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration on YouTube
Information about the integration.fi online service
