Minister of Education and chair of the Swedish People's Party Anna-Maja Henriksson called for the Finnish government to reevaluate the three-month deadline for work-based residence permits outlined in the government programme in a recent interview with Helsingin Sanomat.
According to the current programme, individuals holding a work-based residence permit would have to leave Finland if they are unable to secure a new work contract within three months following job termination.
Henriksson argued that revisiting this rule is essential for Finland's strategy to attract skilled professionals to the country.
The Education Minister emphasised the importance of making Finland an attractive destination for potential migrants, noting that Finland's population growth is solely dependent on immigration.
"How do we get people to move to Finland from abroad? Those moving to Finland must feel welcome, that they can lead a good life here, and that it is safe to come without the fear of having to leave soon after arriving," Henriksson said.
Henriksson also revealed during last spring's government negotiations that SPP negotiators found the process concerning immigration policy particularly difficult.
On Yle TV1's Saturday morning talk show Ykkösaamu, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) said that the government had found a solution to increase the three-month limit to half a year for specialists on work-based residence permits.
Article updated at 11:33 to include Orpo's Ykkösaamu comments about rules for specialists.
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