Women Of Immigration”WOI”

Nordic Network for empowerment of immigrant women without prior

education experience

Research project 2010-2011

• Meeting in Helsinki March 7th – 8th 2011

• Participating countries:

• Sweden

• Finland

• Norway

• Lithuania

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.

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

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.php

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.

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

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 livedin Finland for at least five years. According to Finnish law, from 1 June 2003onwards all those having been granted Finnish citizenship have had been ableto retain their previous nationality as a dual nationality.

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.

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

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

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

Searching for work

• Newspaper ads – vacancies

• On-line vacancy work placement

• TE keskus The unemployment office

• Through contacts and networks

• Through forums

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•

Tuulimylly

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

• www.tuulimylly.info

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

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)

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/

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

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

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

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/

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 Englishwww.helsinkitimes.fi