Finnish government cuts €58 million from immigrant integration budget as law revision emphasizes immigrant responsibility

The Finnish government has announced a cut of €58 million from its immigrant integration budget, leaving a total of €442 million allocated for this purpose. At the same time, the integration law is currently being revised to emphasize the responsibility of immigrants for their own integration.

Jani Mäkelä, the chairman of the parliamentary group of the Finns Party, questioned the effectiveness of integration compensation during a recent A-Talk discussion. “Often in public sector projects, including integration, there is a feeling that highly paid officials are hired to manage initiatives that ultimately achieve little,” Mäkelä stated.

Earlier, Finance Minister Riikka Purra also expressed on messaging service X that integration funds are being wasted, likening them to “going down a well.”

In response to Mäkelä’s comments, Sonja Hämäläinen, the immigration director at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, highlighted research conducted in Finland, which indicates that integration services have a significant positive impact on employment. “The investments return in the form of job creation,” Hämäläinen pointed out.

Veronika Honkasalo, a member of parliament for the Left Alliance, noted that studies, including those from the OECD, have shown that investments in integration are economically beneficial. Honkasalo criticized Mäkelä for lacking factual support in his arguments. “I hope Jani Mäkelä can demonstrate that we can disagree on issues, but there must be some factual basis for the arguments,” she said.

The government’s budget cuts and potential changes to the integration law raise questions about the implications for immigrants’ responsibilities in adapting to life in Finland. Further discussion is available in the complete episode of A-Talk from September 19 on Yle Areena.