1. Source: Statistics Finland
TOTAL POPULATION IN 2009 5,351,427
CITIZENSHIP
Finnish citizens 5,195,722
Foreign nationals 155,705
LARGEST GROUPS BY CITIZENSHIP
Russian 28,210
Estonian 25,510
Swedish 8,506
Somali 5,570
Chinese 5,180
Thai 4,497
Iraqi 3,978
Turk 3,809
German 3,628
UK 3,333
Indian 3,168
Iranian 2,495
US 2,378
NATIVE LANGUAGE
Finnish 4,852,209
Swedish 290,392
Sámi 1,789
LARGEST GROUPS BY FOREIGN
LANGUAGE
Russian 51,683
Estonian 25,096
English 12,063
Somali 11,681
Arabic 9,682
Kurdish 7,135
Chinese 7,078
Albanian 6,736
Other languages 207,037
Population By Citizenship, Native Language
And Country Of Birth

2. General principles guiding immigration
policy of the Ministry of Education
 Fostering good relation between different ethnic groups
- two-way integration, measures targeted towards the original
population
 Taking into account the needs of immigrants within the
functioning of regular services and systems
- special targeted measures (special treatment, allocations)
only as secondary options
 Promoting the right of immigrants to their own language and
culture
 Equal treatment of immigrants regardless of the reasons for
immigration
 Efficient coordination of measures
 Taking into account experiences of other countries

3. Guidelines in the field of education and
research
 Sufficient availability of Finnish/Swedish language teaching in
all levels of education
 Studies concerning multicultural issues for all teachers. More
study places for teachers with immigrant background
 Further development of recognition of knowledge
 Efficient guidance and counselling services  immediate
availability, focus on periods of transition (from one education
level to the next)
 Strengthening of education on internationalism and tolerance
 Promotion of mobility (students, teachers, researchers)

4. Adult education
 Vocational basic or supplementary education
 Upper secondary education
 Liberal education (folk high schools, summer universities)
 General language examination system  a prerequisite for
citizenship (64 providers of which 23 are folk high schools)
 Education of illiterate adults  cooperation between the
Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Employment and the
Economy
 Training of teachers: an ESF-funded common model shared by
5 universities and 2 polytechnics

5. Adult education – targets (1)
 To strengthen language teaching of immigrants
 To develop the language examination system
 To integrate language teaching into vocational, higher adult
education and on-the-job training
 To strengthen guidance and counselling services, and increase
targeted services for immigrants having a higher education
background

6. Adult education – targets (2)
 To increase training for teachers with immigrant background or
teachers working with immigrants
 Transfers of administrative resources from the Min. of
Employment and the Economy to the Min. of Education which
concern teaching of illiterate adults
 More resources for upper secondary education institutes
 Changes in the legislation and funding of liberal adult
education

7. Adult education – targets (2)
 To increase training for teachers with immigrant background or
teachers working with immigrants
 Transfers of administrative resources from the Min. of
Employment and the Economy to the Min. of Education which
concern teaching of illiterate adults
 More resources for upper secondary education institutes
 Changes in the legislation and funding of liberal adult
education