2. Women Of Immigration
”WOI”
Nordic Network for empowerment
of immigrant women without prior
education experience

3. Research project 2010-2011
• Meeting in Helsinki March 7th – 8th
2011
• Participating countries:
• Sweden
• Finland
• Norway
• Lithuania

4. Statistics
• Finland has 2,7%
foreign inhabitants
living mainly in the
capital region. The
EU average is 6,4%
and the amount is
clearly less in
Finland than the
other Nordic
countries.
• In 2010 about
142000 foreigners
resided in Finland.
52 000 of them from
other EU countries
and 90 000 from
countries outside
EU.

5. Finnish Immigration Service
• The Finnish Immigration Service is an expert,
decision-making and service organisation in
matters related to migration, asylum,
refugees and citizenship. It also implements
Finland's migration policy and supplies
information on immigration principles and
practices applied in Finland.
• Finnish legislation allows multiple nationality
• http://www.migri.fi

6. Institute of
Migration
• to promote the collection, storage
and documentation of research
material relating to international
and internal migration including
immigrants and refugees,
• to carry out and to promote
migration research,
• to publish research reports,
books and articles on migration,
• and to develop co-operation
between the universities and
special organizations related to
migration, both within Finland and
abroad.
• http://www.migrationinstitute.fi/index_e.p
Institute of Migration aims
to promote and carry out
migration and ethnic
research and to encourage
the compilation, storage
and documentation of
material relating to
international and internal
migration in Finland. It
serves also as a resource
site for genealogists.

7. Statistics
Finland • According to Statistics Finland,
26,700 persons immigrated to
Finland from foreign countries
during 2009. The number is 2,400
lower than one year before.
Emigration from Finland also
decreased slightly and was
12,150 persons. During 2009 net
immigration numbered 14,550
persons, which is one thousand
down on the year before. Net
immigration by foreign citizens
contracted by 1,350 persons.
• http://www.stat.fi/index_en.html
Statistics on almost
everything
concerning Finland
and population can
be obtained from
Statistics Finland

8. Citizenships granted according to country of
previous citizenship 1990 - 2009
• 2009 3413 people
• 2008 6682 people
• 2007 4824
• One precondition for granting Finnish citizenship is that the
person has lived
in Finland for at least five years. According to Finnish law, from
1 June 2003
onwards all those having been granted Finnish citizenship have
had been able
to retain their previous nationality as a dual nationality.

9. Asylums
• Since 2001, the annual quota has been 750 refugees. Emergency and urgent
quota refugee referrals amount to 10–15 per cent of the annual quota.
• Waiting period of more than half a year for asylum interviews
• Asylum seekers are presently interviewed by the Finnish Immigration Service
more than half a year after submitting their applications.
• Applicants scheduled for interview in May 2011 are largely those who left their
applications at the end of summer and at the beginning of autumn 2010.
• The queue for a Finnish Immigration Service asylum interview runs to
around 300 persons.
• Asylum decisions are not normally made immediately after the interview.
• Application processing times have lengthened as applicant volumes have
grown. 5,988 people sought asylum in Finland in 2009 – 48 per cent more than
in 2008, when there were 4,035 applicants.
• Processing times vary considerably
• During 2010 the average processing time at the Finnish Immigration Service for
asylum applications undergoing the so-called normal procedure was 343 days.

10. Population by citizenship and native
language
• Total population in 2009: 5,351,427
• Finnish citizens: 5,195,722
• Foreign nationals: 155,705
• Native Language
– Finnish: 4,852,209
– Swedish: 290,392
– Sámi: 1,789
– Other languages: 207,037

11. The Immigration Police
• residence permits
• worker’s residence permits
• rights of residency issues
• extension of visas
• return visas
• documentation relating to alien’s passports
and travel documents
• citizenship issues
• identity cards for foreigners
• www.poliisi.fi

12. Immigrant counselling
• IN TO -Immigrant counseling provides
services and guidance for immigrants living in
Helsinki.
• Counselling covers a variety of life
situations,and guidance may be requested,
for example, concerning residence permits,
courses, citizenship applications, housing,
social security, employment, education or
health. Information will also be given on the
operations and services of authorities and
organisations. www.intofinland.fi

13. Searching for work
• Newspaper ads – vacancies
• On-line vacancy work placement
• TE keskus The unemployment office
• Through contacts and networks
• Through forums

14. Help searching for work
• EURES- Helsinki
Employment and
Economic
Development Office
• Only EU citizens
__________________
Internet sites (in Finnish only)
www.oikotie.fi
http://www.monster.fi/
• MOL – Employment
and Econimic
Development office
• All nationalities
• The number of foreign citizens
among unemployed jobseekers
totaled 16,400, up 1,000 from
November a year ago. Of these
foreign unemployed jobseekers,
EU/EEA citizens accounted for
3,700 at the end of November,
equaling the figure for the year
before.
• www.mol.fi
•

15. Tuulimylly
• Advice and councelling for immigrants
about work, education, training, visas,
social benefits, health care etc. Website
only in Finnish.
• www.tuulimylly.info

16. Eira High School for Adults
• Eira High School prepares people with an international educational
background to participate in higher education, employment and other
cultural activities in Finland by gaining an upper secondary
qualification.
• The goal is the matriculation certificate examined in Finnish which is
the key to higher education in Finland.
• The target groups are people new to Finland or returning citizens:
• who are without a High School Diploma or,
• whose qualifications are not recognized in Finland or,
• returning Finns working on Finnish skills to prepare for matriculation.
• http://www.eiraedu.com

17. Preparatory training for
basic vocational education
• The education is meant for immigrants who are not eligible for vocational basic
education due to inadequate language skills and/or deficient readiness for
education.
• The prerequisites for starting the education are a residence permit and
adequate Finnish language ability (level 2 of the National Certificate of
Language Proficiency). Young people with a basic education certificate are
given first priority.
• The education lasts one academic year (40 credits). The education is provided
five days a week, 6 hours a day on average. New groups generally start in
August and January.
• The education is considered full-time study, which entitles the student to study
grants or integration support. School meals are free.
• (a list of schools are found at the ministry of education website)

18. Urabaari
• Urabaari is a service guiding adults in the
Helsinki Region towards vocational training.
The study counsellor gives advice on how to
find a study place and profession and how to
bring individual expertise up to date. Urabaari
also provides assistance with preparing CVs
and job applications. The service is in Finnish
and free of charge. Only in Finnish.
• http://www.urabaari.fi/

19. Finland Forum
• A networking platform for Finns and
foreigners where everyone can ask
questions and receive answers about
Finland, moving to Finland, searching
for work, housing, studying,
entrepreneurship etc
www.finlandforum.org

20. Ex-Pat Finland
• This site contains a lot of useful
information for people moving to
Finland, such as getting/extending a
Finnish residence permit, studying in
Finland, importing your property or pets
and finding long-term housing are
addressed, and much more.
• http://www.expat-finland.com

21. Infopankki
• Info Bank contains basic information about
Finnish society and culture, permits needed
by those settling in Finland, housing, studying
Finnish, finding employment and starting a
business, education, health care, social
services, getting help in a crisis, cultural and
leisure services, and NGOs and associations.
Information available in 15 languages.
• www.infopankki.fi

22. Jolly Dragon
• A way of finding international and
Finnish friends via the social network
Jolly Dragon. They organize hosted
events, sports activities, evenings out
etc. Over 2500 events annually.
• ” The Jolly Dragon Events community aims
for global recognition as a system, comprised of
brand, technology and education, enabling real-life
communities that create social cohesion –
anywhere”
http://www.jollydragon.net/

23. Helsinki Times
• Contributes to integration by publishing an English
language newspaper.
• Provides information and current affairs about the
Finnish society. Knowledge of what goes around you
is one important tool in integrating.
• Publishes employment related articles and tips and
has established special working life theme issues.
• Corporations place their recruitment ads in English
www.helsinkitimes.fi