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15.1.2026 | Today the Government decided in its plenary session to submit to Parliament the Government Report on the Application of Language Legislation in 2025. The report provides important monitoring data on the current state of Finland’s national languages and other indigenous languages and on the realisation of linguistic rights.

30.4.2026 | The Government’s two legislative packages will address the income difficulties faced by international students. The first would strengthen the monitoring of students’ use of social assistance in accordance with the Government Programme. The Government submitted its proposal to Parliament on 30 April 2026.

5.1.2026 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health invites comments on the integration support. The comments should be submitted by 16 February 2026.

18.12.2025 | The Government will address the difficulties of foreign students and their families. On 18 December 2025, the ministerial working group on internal security and administration of justice outlined legislative changes regarding requirements for student livelihood and language skills.

19.1.2026 | The International Monetary Fund (IMF) published its annual report on the Finnish economy on Monday 19 January. According to the IMF, efforts to strengthen public finances will have to continue for several years.

3.11.2025 | The Ministry of Education and Culture has granted the first five authorisations to provide general upper secondary education in English. The authorisations were granted to Gradia, Jyväskylä Educational Consortium Gradia, and to the cities of Helsinki, Oulu, Pori and Tampere. This is part of the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government.

1.11.2023 | By the beginning of September 2023, more than 60,000 Ukrainians had applied for temporary protection in Finland. The report offers information on the employment, use of employment services and future plans of Ukrainians as well as the receptiveness of the Finnish society.

27.1.2025 | The Government proposes tightening the conditions for a permanent residence permit by extending the continuous period of residence required for a permanent residence permit and by requiring language skills in Finnish or Swedish and a work history of a certain length, among other things. The government proposal to amend the Aliens Act was sent out for comments on 27 January.

5.12.2023 | Findings of the OECD’s PISA 2022 (Programme for International Student Assessment) show that the learning outcomes of young people in Finland have deteriorated. Anna-Maja Henriksson, the Finnish Minister of Education, says restructuring of educational policies and resources for implementing the changes will be needed to improve learning outcomes.

18.12.2024 | The comprehensive reform of the Integration Act (KOTO24) aims to speed up the integration and employment of immigrants and to strengthen their knowledge of Finnish society. The reform is related to the T24 reform where employment and economic development services are transferred from the central government to municipalities.

17.9.2025 | Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Joakim Strand gave a keynote Address to the Institute of International and European Affairs on the 17th of September 2025 in Dublin, Ireland. Check against delivery.

10.12.2024 | Key information processing skills needed by Finland’s adult population (aged 16 to 65) in different areas of life were assessed in the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). The survey focused on literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem-solving skills. By international standards, Finland ranked at the top in literacy and numeracy skills.

9.12.2021 | In its Plenary Session today, on 9 December, the Government decided to submit the Government Report on the Application of Linguistic Rights to Parliament. The Language Report, compiled during each electoral term, contains up-to-date information on the situation in Finland in terms of languages, structures supporting linguistic rights and the impact of administrative changes on language groups.

16.1.2025 | The Government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has drawn up a Government Integration Programme for 2024–2027. The programme includes 32 measures based on the Government Programme. Integration policy is based on the learning of Finnish or Swedish, employment, familiarisation with Finnish society and compliance with its rules.

30.9.2024 | The PISA 2022 results show that there are still major disparities in performance between immigrant and non-immigrant students in all domains of assessment. Underperformance of students with an immigrant background is often explained by weak reading performance and lower socio-economic status.

14.6.2024 | On 14 June 2024, the ministerial working group on employment and entrepreneurship adopted an action plan to help people who have fled Ukraine. In accordance with the Government Programme, the aim is to help Ukrainians enter the labour market and to support their participation in Finnish society.

10.1.2022 | Elements of AI, launched during Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, is the first educational course launched across Europe and an important investment in artificial intelligence (AI) skills throughout the continent. The course is available in all official EU languages. It was started with funding from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and will continue to increase Europeans’ competence in AI in cooperation with the University of Helsinki and Reaktor.

21.1.2021 | The generic skills, also known as general skills, of nearly 60% of students in higher education were at most at a satisfactory level and about 40% at least at a good level. These are the results of the final report by the Finnish Institute for Educational Research of the University of Jyväskylä and the Kappas! project of the Centre for University Teaching and Learning of Helsinki University.

1.3.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to prepare tightening of the requirements for a permanent residence permit in accordance with the Government Programme. The Government proposal will be submitted to Parliament in the spring session of 2025.

29.11.2023 | This autumn, the revised Labour Force Barometer focuses on the future prospects of the technology industry and the social welfare, health and wellbeing sectors. The greatest shortage of labour is in the health and social services sector, where skilled workers are needed for the care of older people, in particular. The outlook for the technology sector is expected to improve after next summer.