Some of Finland’s 317 municipalities have never taken in a quota refugee, while some others have accommodated thousands over the years. That discrepancy is down to the voluntary nature of refugee settlement in Finland, which allows local councils to refuse any refugees at all if they don’t want to take any.
Finland’s refugee system is built on quotas, which allow UN-certified refugees to apply to be resettled in Finland. Those people have until recently outnumbered those who are granted asylum in Finland after applying on arrival. The refugees are selected while in UN camps abroad, then brought to Finland for a process of integration.
That process can only take place in municipalities which volunteer to receive refugees, and some are more willing than others. There are also vast regional differences, with some places—like South Ostrobothnia—very reluctant to bring in quota refugees.
According to figures from the Employment and Economic Affairs Ministry, between 2000 and 2014 the region has taken in just 148 people. That compares to Uusimaa, containing the capital city region, which has accepted 9,373.
Refusenik councils
Outside the capital region, the cities Tampere, Turku, Oulu and Vaasa have all taken in more than 2,000 refugees. On the other hand Askola, Hämeenkyrö, Kuortane and Taivalkoski have accepted only a few.
Refusenik councils say that the compensation received from the state for refugee-related expenses is not enough to cover the true cost of resettling the refugees.
"The differences are really big, that’s clear,” said Anu Wikman-Immonen of the Local Government Association. The response is affected by factors like the municipality’s ability to provide integration support, and whether there are free apartments or work available locally."
Vaasa is one town that has done more than most to accommodate new arrivals. Just last year the city on the west coast took in nearly as many as the whole region of South Ostrobothnia managed in the 14 years since 2000.
Integration support vital
"One of the drivers is surely that Vaasa has over the years built big ethnic groups that make integration easier," said Aira Kurtti, who works in integration for the local council. "There’s also no shortage of housing here, as we have lots of rental apartments available."
Vaasa’s strategy has paid off, with an unemployment rate among foreigners of 30.2 percent—the third-lowest rate among the 20 biggest cities in the country.
"It’s easier to get work when there’s enough integration support and language instruction," said Kurtti. "In Vaasa there has been political will, which has allowed us to devote relatively decent resources towards integration work."
Nurmijärvi takes first refugees
Another town that has only recently found that political will is the southern municipality of Nurmijärvi. Up until this autumn, the town had refused all requests to take in refugees.
"Last winter we finally made a decision to take in 25 refugees, who will arrive in the town in the next few days," said the chair of the local council, Petri Kalmi of the Centre Party.
Nurmijärvi has been an outlier in its region, with neighbouring Hyvinkää, Vihti and Tuusula all welcoming refugees some time ago. The move to change the city’s policy was instigated by Johannes Haapalainen, the only Christian Democrat on the council. According to Kalmi, it’s an important decision for the town’s image and development.
"Now we’re in the same position as the other towns nearby," said Kalmi—who was already anticipating future arrivals. "The next intake of quota refugees will come with a new decision sometime around the end of the decade."
_This story has been edited to adjust the unemployment rate among foreigners in Vaasa from 29 percent to 30.2 percent. _