by Osita Ifezue
Conversations that cascade spaces on immigrant affairs range from integration to creating a safe space for immigrant families. Yet, the feeling of belonging eludes many immigrants, who don’t feel heard, seen, or part of society. Some politicians heat conversation around immigration to score political wins, which leads some to racial and violent attacks on persons of immigrant backgrounds. Limited opportunity and growing unemployment push many to exit for greener pastures. The lack of inclusion also impacts the well-being of some immigrants.
According to a recent YLE report, over 33,000 jobs were lost in February 2024, and unemployment is projected to rise. The increased aging population needs immigrants to fill the shortfall in labor. The recent changes in the immigration debate and policies are not reassuring to the demographic. These policies hit the attractiveness of Finland as a destination for international skills, and scarce international skills to keep the wheels of the economy rolling. Harnessing the potential of immigrants is the cornerstone of an inclusive society. It begs the question of Finland’s readiness to compete for the rising demand for international talent.
A lesson from Germany
On June 1, 2024, the German government introduced the Opportunity Card (“Chancenkarte”) granting anyone with a 2-year vocational qualification or a degree to come to Germany without a formal job offer or German language skills. The opportunity card is one of the country’s responses to the growing labour needs. Germany is negotiating agreements with countries like Kenya, Turkey, Columbia, etc, to get ease more skilled workers to enter Germany. There are provisions not only to come to Germany with immediate family members, but skilled workers can move with parents and in-laws, all to make the country more attractive to immigrants. Unfortunately, judging from an immigrant’s perspective, Finland is going in the opposite direction with its immigration policy. What way forward? To see the way forward, let’s look back at the history of immigration in Finland and compromises must be made to harness the full benefits.
Why does Finland need an inclusive immigrant agenda?
Promoting an inclusive space promotes well-being and belonging. Societies benefit when everyone feels the sense of being heard, seen, and belonging. Unfortunately in a 2022 study by the Finnish Institute for Health, called MoniSuomi about 40% of the 7800 immigrants that responded have been discriminated against leading to a reduced sense of well-being and belonging to Finnish society. Research shows that Finnish Citizens link immigrants to refugees. Immigrants are projected as liabilities on the system rather than assets that could be harnessed. That mindset permeates society, media, and even political spaces. Finland has done an excellent job of branding itself as the happiest country but needs to help its immigrant population find that happy place also.
“We cannot like everyone, but we must learn to tap into the value people bring.”
Osita Ifezue
The demand for skilled labour is set to increase. Countries are seeking ways to draw in these talents. According to VATT Institute for Economic Research, about 17% of immigrants educated in Finland left between 2011 -2021. This is prompting a reactionary initiative from the Finnish Government’s roadmap for education-based and work-based immigration in 2035 which aims to curb such exits by imposing tougher measures and higher language requirements. A proactive approach is needed to stem the exit tides of immigrants. Acknowledging the past failures in the integration system is necessary to move past the current bottleneck. This might be hitting too hard, a bitter pill to swallow, but it starts to move things in the right direction. The goal should be to build a safe space from the perspective of those mostly impacted by the issue. To do this first is to seek to understand the problem better.
Institutions have a lot to learn from immigrant and grassroots organizations at the forefront of these challenges. All voices should be captured, heard, and included to tap into the values that they bring. When diversity and inclusion experts do not experience or seek to understand the problem of non-inclusion, the solutions will be disjointed and might seem to work in the short term but offer no permanent fixes. Some institutions have sought to better understand immigrants’ needs and well-being by trying to capture their views. For example, the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Keskus) started a partnership forum, where immigrants and stakeholders discuss needs, aiming to better understand the
problems. Such initiatives promote trust and can make immigrants feel included fostering a sense of belonging.
Social justice improves trust, well-being, and a sense of belonging. When immigrants perceive a sense of responsibility by those charged to deal with discrimination. It creates a safe space for them. Sadly, some will claim not to support racial discrimination but will have no qualms about benefiting from the free pass they get from the system that supports discrimination as long as it pushes them ahead. Lack of opportunities can create mental and emotional stress. When education and qualifications do not open doors to opportunity that should come with the education it can evoke a feeling of injustice. Social justice must not only be done but must be perceived too. The incentive to learn the Finnish language is incumbent not only on immigrants but also on institutions. When an immigrant senses opportunity at the end of the effort, learning becomes easier. Match people with jobs in their career paths and offer opportunities for progression and their value could be properly harnessed. It gets more challenging in entrepreneurship. Even though entrepreneurship flourishes in Finland and a thriving startup ecosystem, immigrant entrepreneurs don’t often get access to the resources and networks local entrepreneurs get. Bridging this gap will result in more opportunities for immigrant entrepreneurs that will benefit Finland.
The cost of non-inclusion of immigrants is high for taxpayers, immigrants, and communities. When the potential of an immigrant is not harnessed, the possibility of moving to countries that offer opportunities is high. For example, Ebenezer Teye, from Ghana came to Finland in 2004 to study Industrial Engineering at Arcada University of Applied Sciences, but limited opportunities to practice Engineering resulted in shouting life elsewhere. Today, He works in MTN as a project Analyst in Ghana. He has been able to gain access to a career in his field and the right progression. Ebenezer’s story is not unique. Many immigrants did not find their place in Finland and seek it elsewhere, with high-cost implications for Finland Benefits of inclusive spaces. The example of Ebenezer is not unique. Many immigrants have sought to find a place in society, and integrate into Finland through work after studying but left for other countries. To stem the tide more attention needs to be paid to potential immigrants who can contribute to society.
Benefits of inclusive spaces
According to Statistics Finland, the number of people with immigrant backgrounds in Finland grew from 0.8 to 5.9 percent between 1990 and 2014. For this demographic to feel a sense of
belonging, steps should be taken to understand the challenges they face. In my experience working with Entergrate, a bottom-up approach to understanding the issues immigrants face is effective. Grassroots initiatives focused on including more immigrants in the planning process of initiatives that are designed for them. Diverse perspective works capturing all views. It promotes the sense of being heard, and seen, which improves the integration of immigrants into Finnish society. When an immigrant is fully integrated, society can tap into the value such ones can offer. For example, skilled immigrants who speak more than one language, culture, and experience can help open access to our markets outside Finland. Finland benefits from external knowledge, resilience, and cultural fusion that immigrants can offer.
More attention should be given to the next-generation inclusion agendas. One that captures the experiences and challenges young people face with belonging. The initiatives should focus on understanding the heterogeneous population’s perspectives. Attention should be paid to how they want their challenges to be addressed, not how we wish to address them. The objective is to promote a cohesive society where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Finnish society, businesses, and institutions need to push for more inclusive spaces and be ready to try a different approach than the status quo. Seek to understand those who are different, and why they are different. When we explore the stories of discrimination and how it impacts society, we can learn how to address the challenges of exclusion. The value of promoting inclusive spaces is people will feel heard and seen, which will result in them contributing to society.
