News

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.

The amendments to the Aliens Act, which will streamline work-based immigration, will enter into force on 23 February 2023. The amendments will promote the application and decision-making process for work-based residence permits. The reform is part of a broader package that aims to reduce the average processing time of permits to a maximum of one month. The new provisions will increase the automation of the application process and introduce a certification for employers.

The Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration has published an electronic map that shows the location of guidance and counselling services provided by municipalities to immigrants. The map contains contact information on all guidance and counselling service points throughout Finland. Compiling this information aims to increase interaction between different authorities promoting integration and guidance and counselling services, to provide information on the languages in which guidance and counselling services are available and to highlight the Finnish network of such services.

The number of immigrants in Finland continues to grow. However, their turnout in elections and participation in politics is much lower than among the native-born Finnish people. A new policy brief of the Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment presents ways to strengthen the political participation of people with a foreign background. 

Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has affected the energy situation in the entire EU. Energy consumption increases in the autumn and winter. The energy situation will be particularly challenging in Central Europe, but also in Finland. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has compiled information on how and why everyone should participate in saving energy, what will cause a possible power shortage and how to act in the event of one. Information on a possible power shortage has been published in several languages.

Integration 2022 brings together those involved in integration matters to Tampere on 7–8 November 2022 with a focus on current themes in integration and reception of refugees. The overall theme of this year’s event is change and the changing operating environment. The programme tracks deal with employment, education, receptiveness of society, wellbeing and health, and the integration of refugees of different ages.   

Human trafficking is a serious offence directed against a person where the offender takes advantage of the vulnerability, trust or dependency of the victim and subjects him or her to labour exploitation or sexual abuse, for example. The Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has published an instruction card to help those involved in integration and others to recognise labour exploitation and human trafficking. The card also provides instructions on what to do if suspicions of exploitation or human trafficking arise in a customer service situation.

There are more than 38,000 people in Finland who have sought temporary protection having fled Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. The Government has proposed amendments to the Integration Act and the Reception Act in order to ensure services for beneficiaries of temporary protection who have fled Ukraine. The amendments would make it possible to pay compensation to municipalities and wellbeing services counties for organising services, for example.

The Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is involved in funding national research conducted by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) that focuses on the health and wellbeing of people born abroad as well as services they use (MoniSuomi). The collection of data for the MoniSuomi survey, which aims to promote the equality of Finland’s immigrant population, began at the start of September. 

The subsidies were awarded to 21 projects implemented by municipalities, which aim to improve the integration and employment of immigrants. 

Children and young people with a foreign background often face particular challenges that affect their wellbeing. According to a new policy brief published by the Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration, it is important for the children’s wellbeing to reduce poverty in families, support parents in integration and parenthood and to reduce racism and unequal treatment. 

Registration for the Integration 2022 event is now open. The event will take place in Tampere Hall in Tampere from 7 to 8 November. The theme of this year’s event is change and the changing operating environment. Register for the event by 17th of October 2022.

The Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment maintains a summary web page that includes information from authorities, municipalities and organisations on the situation in Ukraine and the people fleeing from Ukraine. The page has been updated with new content during the summer, including improvements to make the information available in more languages. The identical content is now available in Finnish, Swedish, English, Ukrainian and Russian. 

The Government’s proposal to amend the Aliens Act would enable minors who have been granted international protection to live with their parents. When a family member of a minor who has been granted international protection applies for family reunification, the family member may be granted a residence permit without the minor sponsor having to provide proof of sufficient financial resources.

The Partnership programme will launch competence events in the autumn. They are short events where those involved in integration can share concrete tools and practices about integration, the promotion of society’s receptiveness and the reception of refugees. Topics for competence events will be collected on a Webropol form until 31 August 2022.

The Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration collects contact information for municipal guidance and counselling services for immigrants. We will publish the information on Finland’s guidance and counselling services on a Google Maps map at the kotoutuminen.fi website. Compiling the information aims to increase interaction between different authorities promoting integration and guidance and counselling services, to provide information on the languages in which guidance and counselling services are available and to highlight the Finnish network of such services.

An updated Welcome to Finland guide has been published. The guide, which had become outdated in terms of its content, was updated in cooperation with the InfoFinland online service and the authorities in autumn 2021 and spring 2022. Statutory distributors have received updated instructions for ordering and distributing the guide. Other bodies can order a Welcome to Finland postcard that directs their customers to read the guide on the website of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. In connection with the update, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will publish new language versions of the brochure in Ukraine and Vietnam.

Tell us your story questionnaire aims to provide up-to-date information for policymakers. The results are intended to help offer better targeted services to Ukrainian migrants.