Finding municipal relocation placements for immigrants who have been granted asylum is a challenge for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. However, inspector general Paula Karjalainen says that the situation for underage asylum seekers is currently positive.
"At the moment I'm cautiously optimistic. Things have moved forward," Karjalainen says.
Karjalainen says she was far more worried in January, when only a tenth of the 1,000 required municipal asylum placements could be secured for minors.
Currently the total number of asylum placements in Finnish municipalities for underage migrants is at 250-300, barely a third. Karjalainen notes that negotiations for placement are still ongoing in several municipalities, meaning that the real number of placements may soon rise.
"Municipalities have understood that young people have their whole lives ahead of them, and that if the placement is conducted well the municipalities themselves will in future be invigorated by the reaccommodated youths. And maybe more people will realise that children and youths are in the direst need," Karjalainen says.
Underage asylum seekers in Finland currently number 1,649. All of them will by no means be relocated to family group homes, because many will come of age before being granted a residence permit, some will return to their countries of origin and some will be found to be over 18 in reception centre age tests.
In practice, underage asylum seekers are placed in family group homes while adults are directed to supported housing units. Municipalities have also bought accommodations from local folk high schools.