Legal Issues Affecting Labour Market Integration of Migrants in Finland

Abstract

Finland has only relatively recently become a country of immigration, and as a result most immigration and integration policy legislation is also relatively recent. Since the 1990s, the number of migrants to Finland has increased steadily, motivating the adoption of various policy measures to regulate migration and support integration. From the perspective of migrant labour market integration, the two most important legislative acts are the Aliens Act (FINLEX 301/2004) and the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration (FINLEX 1386/2010), which lay out basic labour market integration supports for migrants, and determine who can work in Finland and on which grounds. Finland’s comprehensive residence-based welfare state policies and collective bargaining based labour regulation also shape labour market outcomes for migrants. Immigrants working in Finland are subject to the same labour regulations as native Finnish citizens. There are different justifications for labour market access for different groups of immigrants, depending on from which country they come, and what kind of work they are doing. The chapter will go over the principle legislation regulating migration and migrants working in Finland. Also, the legislative basis for applying for asylum is discussed.