Municipalities have a general obligation to plan, develop and monitor the promotion of integration. If necessary, the municipality must fulfil this obligation in cooperation with other operators. Provisions on this task are laid down in Chapter 5 of the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration (681/2023), which will enter into force on 1 January 2025.
The planning of municipal promotion of integration covers all immigrants living in the municipality. It also includes the promotion of good relations between population groups of the municipality. It is advisable to refer to the initial integration service package, i.e. the municipal integration programme, in the municipal integration planning document. Alternatively, the integration programme can be incorporated into the planning process.
Municipalities and wellbeing services counties are self-governing areas, but cooperation between them plays a key role in promoting integration. Municipalities will coordinate the planning and development activities concerning the promotion of integration in municipalities and employment areas with the planning and development of services for which the wellbeing services counties are responsible. Provisions on the obligations of the wellbeing services counties are laid down in Chapter 6 of the Integration Act.
The Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration (1386/2010), which is in force until the end of 2024, contains provisions on a municipal planning document called an integration programme. When the new Integration Act enters into force on 1 January 2025, the concept of integration programme will be abandoned. Nevertheless, the obligation to plan will remain with the municipality.
Municipality implements planning and development in accordance with its needs and situation
Municipalities will record the
- objectives,
- measures,
- responsible parties,
- cooperation and
- monitoring
related to the promotion of integration in a separate action plan for the promotion of integration or include them in some other municipal planning document with indicators.
Alternatively, in order to carry out the planning task, the municipality can describe the statutory objectives for the promotion of integration and the measures supporting them, responsible parties, cooperation and monitoring (in future, objectives and measures) in some other municipal planning or strategy document.
Municipalities must consider integration clients and immigrants in their strategic plans, such as the municipal strategy, into which the planning document mentioned above can be incorporated. The aim is to mainstream the promotion of integration and incorporate it into the planning and development of the municipality’s various areas of operation.
In planning the promotion of integration, the municipality will address the targets, measures and their monitoring related to immigrants’
- employment and education
- wellbeing, health and housing
- inclusion, equality and non-discrimination
- opportunities for maintaining the own language and culture, as well as
- promotion of good relations between population groups.
The municipality can also set other objectives for the promotion of integration.
The Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) monitors the proper implementation of integration planning in its area of operation and may discuss any shortcomings with municipalities. The task of the ELY Centres is to support municipalities in planning, implementing and coordinating the promotion of integration. Municipalities should contact the local ELY Centre already in the early stages of integration planning. Themes related to integration can also be raised, where applicable, in regional monitoring and cooperation discussions on employment and integration.
Municipal cooperation group on the promotion of immigration and integration
For the promotion of immigration, integration and good relations between population groups, the municipality will appoint a multi-sectoral cooperation group at the local level if the service needs of immigrants in the municipality require multi-sectoral cooperation. Cooperation can also be carried out by a regional cooperation group appointed by the ELY Centre. Cooperation between municipalities in planning the promotion of integration can have many benefits and launching regional cooperation is therefore recommended.
The municipality convenes the cooperation group on its own initiative or on the initiative of another party belonging to the cooperation group.
A cooperation group established by a municipality or several municipalities in cooperation can include:
- authorities such as other municipalities, employment area, ELY Centre, wellbeing services county, Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela), Digital and Population Data Services Agency, Finnish Immigration Service and the police
- reception or registration centres in the area
- local immigrant, civil society, employee and employer organisations and religious communities
- service providers promoting integration services.
Municipalities must ensure that organisations and immigrants living in the area, in particular, can participate in the planning of the promotion of integration.
More information:
Municipal integration planning document
Checklist: Planning the promotion of municipal integration
Integration programme