Estonian immigrants are better off in Finland than those from Russia

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A study financed by the Academy of Finland has shown that the Estonian immigrants in Finland are better off compared with those immigrants who have come from Russia, and even compared with those former Russians who have a Finnish ethnic background, for instance the Ingrian Finns.
     
While three out of four Estonian male respondents work full time, fewer than half of the Russian or ethnic Finnish immigrants reported that they have found employment. Furthermore, over 70% of Estonians are free from the risk of alienation, whereas every second Russian and ethnic Finn is suffering from prolonged unemployment and low standard of living, as well as ill health.
     
Even in terms of language skills, Estonian immigrants are doing well. All of them speak Finnish at least moderately well, whereas more than 30% of the Russian male immigrants and every fifth Russian female think that they speak Finnish poorly.
     
While Estonian immigrants have Finnish friends and colleagues, a fifth of the Russian immigrants have no close Finnish friends, family members, or colleagues.
      In general, immigrants have no problems with neighbours, but every second respondent reported teasing in schools. Day care staff came in for praise from the immigrants.
     
Some Finns seem to be irritated by the Russian language, whether it is spoken by a Russian or an ethnically Finnish immigrant. Verbal abuse is very frequent, but hardly anyone wanted to notify the police of any racist offence. Several of the Russian speakers indicated that they avoided unnecessary use of their native language, preferring for instance to order in restaurants in English rather than in Finnish with a Russian accent.
      According to the study, immigrants would like to be treated as just themselves, and not as the representatives of the entire Estonia or Russia, with whatever emotional baggage this might entail in the minds of Finns. The study was carried out among immigrants from Russia, Estonia and the former Soviet Union who had been living in Finland at least for a year. These groups represent almost 40% of all immigrants in Finland.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  FACTFILE: 22,000 on waiting list to move to Finland (27.4.2004)

Links:
  The Academy of Finland

Helsingin Sanomat