Getting older in a foreign land

More than 15,000 foreigners over the age of 55 are now living here; many miss friends and yearn for more to do with their time

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By Irina Vähäsarja
     
      The number of elderly immigrants living in Finland has grown almost threefold over a decade. In spite of this fact, these immigrant grandmothers and grandfathers have not been much discussed so far.
      ”They are such a marginal group that the social service system has not yet become really conscious of their existence”, says Hilkka Linderborg, a planner in the IkäMamu network at The Central Union for the Welfare of the Aged.
      The IkäMamu network is a service supporting those who work for the benefit of the elderly immigrants in the population.
     
The group of the aged includes all immigrants aged 55 and above, as the life expectancy in many countries is clearly lower than that in Finland.
      The lion's share of the immigrants come from the former Soviet Union. Some of them are practically illiterate, while others are highly educated.
      ”The only factor connecting them all is their migration into a foreign country. For aged people it is a much greater change than it is for younger ones, especially if they are separated from their family”, Linderborg notes.
     
It takes time to build a social network if one remains outside working life and schools, and it is particularly difficult for those who do not speak the language of their new home country.
      In some cases illnesses are also bound to hinder communication.
      ”Even the family members do not necessarily know how the service system for senior citizens operates. Elderly immigrants cannot be able to take care of their own interests, if they do not even know what kind of benefits are available”, Linderborg argues.
     
She also thinks that more group activities should be organised for ageing immigrants in order to prevent marginalisation and isolation.
      The task would be perfect for various organisations and congregations, but even municipalities could take more responsibility for this immigrant group.
      ”One has to locate these people and to fetch them from their homes, while they also have to be asked what kind of activities they would prefer”, Linderborg urges.
     
For most immigrants it would be difficult to cross the threshold and join pensioner organisations. Apart from language problems, attitude questions are another reason for the situation.
      ”One tends to imagine that other people get it all, while we get nothing. Broad-mindedness should be increased on both sides”, Linderborg adds.
      LInderborg also points out that immigrants should not be seen as simply a means to fill gaps in the labour market.
      ”Even those immigrants who are not useful from the system’s point of view must have the right to grow old in a dignified manner, even in a foreign country”, Linderborg concludes.
     
     
FACTFILE: The number of elderly immigrants aged 55 and above, by language
     
      Russian-speakers account for practically as many elderly foreigners living in Finland as the next 13 language-groups put together.
      English-speakers naturally include those from both sides of the Atlantic and from Australia and New Zealand.
     
      Russian 6,030
      Estonian 2,068
      English 1,272
      German 1,145
      Polish 363
      Arabic 361
      Spanish 327
      Somali 313
      Turkish 309
      Vietnamese 292
      French 287
      Farsi 283
      Serbo-Croat 200
      Chinese 195
     
Source: Statistics Finland
     
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 23.2.2009
     


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Two Helsinki hotels to be converted into refugee reception centres (23.1.2009)
  2,000 immigrants with residence permits could face wait for placement in municipalities (23.2.2009)
  Helsinki ready to expand reception facilities for asylum seekers (27.1.2009)

Links:
  The Central Union for the Welfare of the Aged

IRINA VÄHÄSARJA / Helsingin Sanomat
irina.vahasarja@hs.fi