The hostile immigration policy of the Orpo’s government is already having tangible effects
According to a survey Finland is no longer an attractive country for international experts. MP Hanna Holopainen sees a connection between Orpo’s government policies and the survey results. She wonders why the National Coalition Party has outsourced immigration policy to the Finns Party.
According to a survey conducted by TEK and Insinööriliitto, Finland does not attract international experts. As many as 90 per cent of those surveyed found the immigration debate worrying. Green Party MP Hanna Holopainen sees a clear connection between Orpo’s government and the survey results.
“The hostile immigration policy of the Orpo’s government is beginning to show its concrete consequences. Racist and anti-immigration language has been normalised at the ministerial level. It does not give foreign experts a very attractive image of Finland. Social discussion in which immigrants are openly talked about negatively has no place in a civilised society,” says Holopainen.
The survey conducted by TEK and Insinööriliitto shows worrying results on how international experts see Finland at the moment. 41 per cent of men and 43 per cent of women said they had experienced discrimination in recruitment situations, 89 per cent of the respondents considered the immigration debate worrying, and only about half would recommend Finland as a place to live and work for a foreigner.
“The Finnish economy is in a bad state. Finland is now driving out of the country the foreigners we most need in order to strengthen the economy. There is no point in Orpo’s government talking about attracting international talent when only half of the experts who have already settled here would recommend Finland as a place for foreigners to live. The gloomy, anti-immigration atmosphere has consequences”, says Holopainen.
The legislative projects announced in the autumn will certainly not ease the situation, as stricter measures are being made to the work-based residence permit. The three-month unemployment rule, which is now being circulated for comments, will be introduced in the autumn.
“In future, employees would have three months to find a new job if the employment of a person working in Finland with a work-based residence permit ends. If no new job can be found within three months, one must leave the country. However, in expert positions, it is quite common that it takes longer to get a job. The recruitment process itself may take a couple of months. This proposal by Orpo’s government will make Finland less attractive”, says Holopainen.
There are some exceptions to the three-month rule. For example, professionals who have worked in Finland for more than two years have six months instead of three months to find a new job. Orpo’s Government has submitted numerous proposals to make immigration and integration more difficult.
“I am surprised that, despite all the criticism, the government is not flexible in its plans. I am particularly surprised by the passivity of the National Coalition Party in this matter. They seem to have outsourced all government immigration policy formulation to the Finns Party. Finland cannot afford to lose the traction and retention power of talent in this way”, Holopainen tells Verde.
Holopainen supports the proposals of TEK and Insinööriliitto to rectify the situation. For example, good English skills should be sufficient to get a job, Finnish language courses should be offered, and anonymous recruitment should be promoted. According to Holopainen, lowering the language proficiency requirements and understanding better the value of diversity play a key role in encouraging people to settle in Finland.
