According to Eurostat's Migration and migrant population statistics, as of 1 January 2022 there were 190 400 third-country nationals (TCNs) living in Finland, representing 3.4% of the total population, and another 102 900 EU citizens (representing 1.9%).

In 2021, 35.8% of permits were issued for work, 33.3% for family reunification, and 17.4% for study purposes, according to the European Migration Network (EMN)’s 2022 country factsheet for Finland. In terms of naturalisation, 5 400 TCNs received Finnish citizenship in 2021, as opposed to 6 442 and 7 886 in 2020 and 2019, respectively. Other detailed statistical data is available in the EMN 2022 country factsheet for Finland, with insights on the age and gender of TCNs, most common types of residence permits issued and international protection statistics.

By October 2023, Finland had welcomed a total of 62 515 non-EU citizens who had fled the war against Ukraine and were under temporary protection – see monthly updates in the numbers of temporary protection beneficiaries on Eurostat.

The recent OECD/EC Indicators of Immigrant Integration 2023: Settling In report provides further breakdowns of the composition of migrant populations and households in Finland, including in terms of immigration flows by legal category, concentration in densely populated areas, duration of stay and household composition.

The current integration strategy is based on several measures and programmes. The website integration.fi provides up-to-date information about the application of the act for parties involved in integration and offers measures promoting inclusion.

The last Finnish integration strategy covered the period between 2016–2019. Its goal was to promote migrants’ cultural strengths to enhance Finland's innovation capacity, improving their participation in higher education, the labour market and leisure activities, fighting against racism, and clarifying the role of municipalities. Before that, the first strategy covered the period from 2012-2015. Within that, 63 measures were designed to support migrants’ participation in society and foster a positive interaction between all population groups. Specific emphasis was placed on promoting employment and supporting migrant children, youngsters, families, and women to access basic services.

A new Integration Act is set to come into force in 2025 – see details below in the section on legislation.

The involvement of local governments in integration matters has been expanding in recent years. In concrete terms, integration takes place predominantly at the municipal level. To streamline and coordinate activities, municipalities are required to draft local integration programs.

In 2021, the Finnish government published a report on the need for reform in integration promotion, linked to the reform of the integration act. The focus was on the integration of migrants, their employment, participation and good relations, and highlighted the need to develop a new integration plan for individual immigrants.

Municipalities evaluate their own individual integration plans established by the Government Integration Programme for 2016-2019. In 2022, a report on municipalities’ integration programmes was published.

The Action programme against racism and for good relations has been in the making since 2020 and was originally set to be published at the end of 2023.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment’s yearly reports on migrants participation in the labour market and on ethnic relations in the country are public. They are based on indicators such as employment, education and training, health and well-being, housing, participation, and two-way integration. Moreover, the reports show that the integration plan had a positive impact on migrant children and that salary subsidies had a positive influence on migrant employment. This ongoing monitoring feeds into a comprehensive review of integration in Finland after each government term.

In addition, the international Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) finds that Finland’s comprehensive approach to integration brings the country into the top ten of states evaluated. It is most similar to the policies found in Canada, Sweden and Portugal, and is more inclusive than other Nordic countries. Finland scores 85 out of 100 points in MIPEX 2020, with the average score being 49.

Law on foreigners

The first act came into effect in 1984 and the current Aliens Act has been effective since 2004. The latter includes provisions about migrants and beneficiaries of international protection (see chapter 6). In 2023 an amendment plan was established to reform the act.

Asylum law

There is no separate asylum legislation in Finland. However, the Act on Reception Points and Centres for Asylum Seekers was created in December 1991 to respond to the increase in the number of asylum seekers arriving in Finland. It was then repealed by the Act on the Integration of Immigrants and Reception of Asylum Seekers in 1999.

In addition, the Act on the reception of persons seeking international protection and recognition of victims of trafficking ensures the subsistence of people seeking international protection and under temporary protection, and outlines provisions on the identification and support of victims of human trafficking, on the basis of EU legislation and international agreements.

Integration law

A new Integration Act will come into force in 2025. It will involve comprehensive reform of the previous act, which dates back to 2010. The new act will focus on promoting migrants’ active role in Finnish society, as well as on non-discrimination and the positive interaction between different migrant groups.

Citizenship law

The first Finnish citizenship act entered into force in 1920. Successive acts were issued between 1941 and 1968. The current Nationality Act was established in 2003. One of its key objectives is to promote the social integration of foreign nationals permanently living in Finland and, a result, the acquisition of Finnish citizenship has become more flexible. The latest amendments were made in 2017.

Anti-discrimination

The current Finnish Non-Discrimination Act became effective in 2014, 10 years after the original act. It aims to promote equality and prevent discrimination, and extends legislative protection to those who have been discriminated against. The act states that “no one may be discriminated against on the basis of age, origin, nationality, language, religion, belief, opinion, political views, trade union activity, family relationships, state of health, disability, sexual orientation or other personal characteristics.”

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment oversees the general development, planning and guidance of migrant integration policies. Moreover, it collaborates with the ministries of interior, education and culture, and social affairs and health, as well as with bureaus such as the Finnish National Agency for Education. It also proposes legislation and steers the activities of the 15 regional Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. The Ministry is responsible for the overall coordination of integration activities, project evaluations, and monitoring of good ethnic relations. It further represents Finland at the European Integration Network. Following the new government programme in 2023, there may be some changes in the division of competences between different ministries.

Municipalities, on the other hand, are in charge of implementing integration policies, in collaboration with the Employment and Economic Development Offices (or TE Services). They also arrange their own integration programmes and plans for individual migrants, drawing from the framework provided by the integration act.

Finland does not have a consultative body dedicated to integration.

However, the Centre of Expertise in Integration of Immigrants, part of the Immigrant Integration Unit in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, supports practitioners working in the field of integration locally, regionally, and nationally. It helps them to develop their professional skills, strengthen their networks and better define working processes. The centre also develops integration indicators to improve the knowledge of integration in Finland.

Non-profit organisations and local authorities can apply for financing for migrant integration through several EU funds. In addition, national and private funds are made available for service providers and other stakeholders to carry out projects aiming for a better integration of the migrant population.

Once the national programmes under the 2021-2027 funding periods become available, the information below will be updated.

EU funds

Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) in Finland

• Details: The national allocation for Finland under AMIF for the 2021–2027 period is €67.9 million. AMIF also provides for additional allocations for resettled beneficiaries of international protections and applicants for international protection who have been transferred from other EU countries. The national integration priorities described in the Finnish AMIF programme aim to improve interactions between migrants and the host society. The measures are also aimed at improving municipal reception capacity and integration services.
• National managing authority: The national managing authority for AMIF in Finland is the Ministry of the Interior, International Affairs Unit.

European Social Fund (ESF) in Finland

• Details: Over the 2021–2027 period, the EU is contributing almost €99.3 billion through the ESF+ that brings together four funding instruments that were separate in the programming period 2014–2020: 1) the European Social Fund (ESF), 2) the Fund for European Aid to the most Deprived (FEAD), 3) the Youth Employment Initiative, and 4) the European Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI). The ESF+ Programme is mainly managed by EU Member States, with the European Commission having a supervising role. The funding takes place via 1) the shared management strand, which is implemented by EU Member States with a budget of €98.5 billion (2021–2027), and 2) the Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) Strand with a budget close to €762 million (2021–2027).
• National managing authority: The national managing authorities for the ESF+ in Finland are:
  • The operation of the regional and structural policy funds of the European Union are governed by both national and EU regulations, on which the funding authority bases its decisions and instructions. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, which is the managing authority in Finland, also issues decisions and instructions to the funding authorities.
  • In Finland, most of the business funding duties and duties related to structural funds have been assigned to regional Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment – see the contact information of the regional centres.
• •  

Other EU funds for integration available in Finland

ERASMUS+, the EU programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe

National managing authority: Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI)

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the EU by correcting regional imbalances

Finland’s objectives:

• Innovative Finland (priority area 1)
• Carbon neutral Finland (priority area 2)
• More accessible Finland (priority area 3)

The EU funding received under ERDF is approximately €837 million. In addition, national public and private funding will complement the EU budget, bringing the total ERDF funding for the 2021-2027 programming period to approximately €1.5 billion.

National managing authorities include:

• The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, responsible for regional development in Finland, and the coordination of the planning, implementation and monitoring of regional development;
• Four Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment are processing applications and funding decisions for structural fund projects in Finland

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), supporting the development of rural economies and communities

• EAFRD’s total budget amounts to €95.5 billion; EAFRD is the “first pillar” of the common agricultural policy (CAP)
• National managing authority: Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (mainland), Åland Provincial Government Department of Trade and Industry (Åland)

European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF)

• The EMFAF (2021–2027) supports the EU common fisheries policy (CFP), the EU maritime policy and the EU agenda for international ocean governance
• The EMFAF supports innovative projects that contribute to the sustainable exploitation and management of aquatic and maritime resources; the total budget for 2021–2027 is €6.108 billion
• National managing authority: Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; regional management through the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and Environment; EMFAF supports innovative projects that contribute to the sustainable exploitation and management of aquatic and maritime resources

Other funds

Other public funding in Finland

• Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations (STEA) managed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
• Foundation for Municipal Development
• Arts Promotion Centre Finland
• Research Council of Finland
• Business Finland
• Subsidies of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment
• Subsidies of the Ministry of Education and Culture
• Subsidies of the Finnish National Agency for Education

• Private funding in Finland

• Kone Foundation
• Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation
• Turku University Foundation
• Finnish Cultural Foundation
• Swedish Cultural Foundation
• Emil Aaltonen Foundation
• Alli Paasikivi Foundation
• Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation

Providing integration services

• trade unions
• private companies
• educational institutions

Implementing the integration programme

• Social Insurance Institution Kela
• employees’ and employers’ organisations
• religious communities

Campaigning

• Kurdiliitto (Finnish Kurdish Federation)
• Suomen Afganistanilaisten järjestö (Finnish Afghans’ Association)
• Suomen somalialaisten liitto (Somali League in Finland)
• Suomen Venäjänkielisten Keskusjärjestö (Central Organization of Russian Speakers in Finland)
• Moniheli (Moniheli)
• Afrikkalaisten ja Afrikkalaiseurooppalaisten yhdistys (Africans and African European Association)
• Suomen Ukrainalaiset (Ukrainians of Finland)
• Monika-Naiset liitto (MONIKA-Multicultural Women’s Association, Finland)
• African Care

Publishing statistics

• Statistics Finland
• National Institute for Health and Welfare
• Finnish Immigration Service