No new applicants accepted into queue for Ingrian returning migrants

Aim to increase work-based immigration

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The government wants to put a stop to the right of Ingrians to immigrate to Finland as "returning migrants". Those who have applied for returning migrant status will have their applications processed, but no more applicants are to be taken onto the waiting list.
      The Ingrians are descendants of Finns who migrated to the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland to an area that lies between St. Petersburg and the Estonian border. This took place in the 17th century at a time when the area, and all of Finland, was part of the Swedish empire.
      In 1990 Finland recognised Ingrians who wanted to settle in Finland as returning migrants entitled to special considerations. Since then, about 25,000 Ingrians have moved to Finland. There are now about 15,000 who are waiting to have their applications processed.
     
Ingrian immigration was heaviest in the early 1990s. As problems arose, including reports of widespread drug crime, restrictions were placed on the process. Most recently, would-be migrants were expected to show that they speak at least some Finnish.
      To qualify as a returning migrant, one of the parents or two grandparents of a migrant should be ethnically Finnish. In the early stages it was enough for one of the grandparents to have had ethnic Finnish roots.
     
To shorten the remaining queue, the government wants to increase the dissemination of information on the possibilities of getting work in Finland.
      In the immigration policy programme which it approved on Thursday, the government decided that it wants to promote immigration based on work. The government calculates that as the population grows older, the availability of labour will decrease. This is seen as a greater problem for Finland than for many other European countries.
      The programme specifically targets would-be immigrants from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area.
      Key focal points of the programme include greater efficiency in training immigrants, and improvement of ethnic relations.
     
The aim is to promote the development of a diverse, multicultural, and non-discriminating society.
      Finland also hopes to attract more foreign students and researchers.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  About 200 Ingrian returning migrants deported for committing crimes (12.12.2005)
  Better living conditions keep Ingrian elderly at home (27.4.2004)
  Finland no longer attracts Estonian Ingrians (8.5.2003)
  Language skills of potential Ingrian returning migrants to be tested (27.9.2002)
  President Halonen: Finland should help Ingrians at home (20.5.2002 )
  The thought of moving to Finland does not appeal to nearly all Ingrians (9.4.2002)
  Parliamentary committee aghast at failures of Finnish Ingrian policy (13.2.2002)

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