Search

24.10.2024 | The new Integration Act, which will enter into force at the beginning of 2025, will be supplemented by decrees. The Government’s integration policy is based on language learning, work, familiarisation with Finnish society and compliance with its rules.

9.8.2024 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment proposes appropriations of approximately EUR 3.7 billion for its administrative branch for 2025. Additional investments would be allocated to support research, development and innovation activities, in particular. On the other hand, the transfer of TE services to municipalities will reduce the need for appropriations.

1.7.2024 | The new Integration Act, which will enter into force at the beginning of 2025, will be supplemented by five decrees on integration services. The aim is to increase the immigrants’ own responsibility and strengthen the general government finances in accordance with the Government Programme.

27.7.2022 | Austria has invited the EU ministers responsible for integration to an informal ministerial conference to discuss the integration in the EU countries of people who have fled Ukraine as a result of Russia’s war of aggression. The ministers will meet in Vienna on 28 July.

11.10.2023 | On 9 October 2023, the Government submitted its budget proposal for 2024 to Parliament. Parliament held a referral debate on the appropriations proposed for the administrative branch of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on 11 October 2023.

25.4.2022 | In the past months, Finland and Sweden have increased their cooperation in many sectors due to the changed security environment. During her visit to Sweden, Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen will meet ministers and directors of Sweden’s security of supply agency. She will also propose closer bilateral cooperation.

7.11.2022 | 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.   

17.3.2022 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has published a website for those involved in integration work where they can find answers to general questions about people fleeing the war in Ukraine. The Frequently asked questions (FAQ) section includes answers to questions related to temporary protection, services and employment. The FAQ is available at the integration.fi online service and it will be updated as necessary. 

18.2.2022 | Municipal integration programmes increase cooperation and commit decision-makers to promotion of integration. However, the programmes would benefit from performance targets and increased monitoring of such targets, according to a report by Innolink Group and the Migration Institute of Finland. 

23.5.2022 | An updated Welcome to Finland guide has been published. Statutory distributors of the guide 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 Ukrainian and Vietnamese.

25.3.2022 | Finland grants temporary protection to those fleeing the war in Ukraine. Those granted temporary protection have the right to work without any restrictions or delay as soon as they have been issued a residence permit and a residence permit card. They can also register as jobseekers at the TE Office and receive employment support services, says an instructional leaflet prepared by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, which will be distributed to people arriving at Finland’s borders. 

2.11.2021 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has appointed a working group to prepare a reform of services for children and young people who have arrived in Finland without a guardian and who have been granted a residence permit. The reform aims to ensure that the young people have equal access to services, similar to other groups in need of special support. 

7.12.2021 | Digitalisation, new forms of working, growing skills requirements and demographic change require an even better integration policy. The Nordic ministers responsible for integration will discuss integration at a virtual meeting organised by Finland in its role as President of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

25.5.2022 | The Government has proposed amendments to three Acts to prepare for the transfer of responsibility for organising health and social services from municipalities to wellbeing services counties at the start of next year. The amendments concern the Act on Multisectoral Joint Services Promoting Employment (the so-called TYP Act), the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration (Integration Act) and the Act on Municipal Experiments to Promote Employment (Municipal experiments Act).

22.2.2022 | The responsibility for organising healthcare and social services will be transferred to the wellbeing services counties at the beginning of next year. For this reason, amendments of mainly technical nature are proposed to two acts. The proposals sent out for comments would enable the compensation of integration costs to the wellbeing services counties and would define the responsibility for organising accommodation for unaccompanied children.

12.10.2021 | A Swedish translation of the Finnish integration glossary has been published. The glossary on integration harmonises the use of concepts related to integration, equality and discrimination.

6.10.2022 | The Government’s proposal to comprehensively reform the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration (hereinafter, the Integration Act) aims to strengthen the inclusion of immigrants in society and to make the promotion of integration more efficient. Another goal is to increase equality and wellbeing and advance good relations between population groups. The reform seeks to facilitate the path of immigra...

1.11.2021 | A total of 17 projects will receive funding from the last call for proposals of the programming period 2014–2020, organised in May under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). EU funding to be granted for the projects will amount to approximately EUR 7.5 million. The funded projects will develop the asylum system and promote receptiveness in society, capacity building for legal migration and the implementation of the return system and Finland’s quota refugee programme. 

22.6.2021 |  A glossary on integration, published by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, harmonises the use of concepts related to integration, equality and discrimination. The new glossary emphasises equality and immigrants’ active role.  Instead of kotouttaminen, the glossary recommends the use of kotoutumisen edistäminen.

20.5.2021 | The report ordered by the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment assesses whether Finland could use the so-called community sponsorship integration model when accepting refugees. According to the reports, the model could make the integration of refugees in Finland faster and support the integration work led by the state and municipalities.

17.6.2021 | The importance of successful integration is growing in Finland as the working-age population is ageing and the number of people with an immigrant background is increasing. A Government report on integration proposes an extensive programme to better support immigrants in their integration.