There was a notable decline in the number of work-based residence permit applications submitted to the Finnish Immigration Service Migri during the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year.
In a press statement, Migri said that it handled a total of 12,498 such applications from January to September this year, compared to 13,173 in the corresponding period last year, a dip of about 5 percent.
"The drop in the number of applications for a residence permit for an employed person is likely affected by the general economic situation and by the reduction of international recruitment in health care and social services and in the construction industry," according to Arto Niemi, Head of Information Services at Migri.
During the January-September period of this year, the largest number of applications for a work-based residence permit came from the citizens of Thailand, Philippines, India, China and Vietnam.
However, Migri noted that this year has seen a "significant drop" in the number of applications from some countries, with applications from citizens of the Philippines, for example, down by one third.
Specialist applications down 24%
Finland's need to attract highly-skilled workers has been widely reported, with Minister of Employment Arto Satonen (NCP) presenting the government's strategy for accelerating work-based immigration earlier this year.
However, there have been warning signs that the government's tightening of immigration laws as well as some negative attitudes towards immigrants within Finnish society is impacting Finland's reputation as a desirable destination for highly-skilled workers.
A report published by two tech sector organisations in August found that almost 90 percent of foreign workers reported finding the debate about Finland's immigration policies to be worrying, while only around half said they would recommend Finland as a place to live and work.
"This situation is unsustainable. Finland is driving out of the country the very people who would create future economic growth here. It's pointless for decision makers to make nice statements in their speeches if the reality for foreigners in the country is uninviting," the TEK union's public affairs chief, Juhani Nokela, said at the time.
Immigration experts have also warned that Finland is falling behind other nations in the race to attract global talent.
This issue was further reflected in the latest figures published by Migri, which revealed that the number of applications for a so-called specialist residence permit dropped by 24 percent during January to September this year compared to the same period last year.
If the trend for this year continues, Migri added, it will represent the lowest number of applications from specialists for five years.
"The reasons behind the fewer applications from specialists include the general economic situation, the intense global competition for international talent and the exceptionally low number of applications from Russian citizens," Niemi said.
Work-based immigration from EU member states is also falling, with the figures for the first nine months of this year down by 20 percent compared to last year (2,216 applications this year compared to 2,762 last year).
All Points Noth investigated Finland's 'foreign worker paradox' in September. Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
However, one category to buck the trend was applications for student visas, which Migri reported was up by 9 percent in Jan-Sept this year compared to the first nine months of 2023.
The increase has been driven in particular by an uptick in the number of applications from Asian countries, Migri noted, especially from Bangladesh, Nepal and India.
The agency's press release also stated that last year, 89 percent of people who applied for a residence permit based on work or studies received a positive decision.
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