Current Issues

The benefits granted by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) are available to those who have lived in Finland for one year. Many of the people who have fled Ukraine will therefore become eligible for benefits soon. Based on residence or a longer term employment, those who have fled Ukraine can apply for child benefit and housing allowance, among other things. Kela will ease the application process for benefits by introducing a joint application form for a Kela card and child benefit.

In January, the number of unemployed foreign jobseekers totalled 35,792, which is 14% of all unemployed jobseekers. The number of unemployed foreign jobseekers increased by 16% (4,920 persons) from the previous year.

This is the second time the Partnership programme on Immigrant Integration is carrying out this survey. The goal of the survey is to learn the views of various parties on the state of cooperation relating to integration and the receptiveness of society, the conditions and development needs for such cooperation, and on the activities of the Integration Partnership Programme.