Helsinki helps newcomers

“My key message is that Helsinki warmly welcomes you! The City of Helsinki wants peoplefrom other countries to come here to live and work. With that in mind, Finland’s capital is working to greatly expand its services that help international newcomers and jobseekers find their place here and thrive.”

Glenn Gassen, the new head of the City of Helsinki’s Migrant Affairs, has bold plans to improve the city’s services for new arrivals to the country. The Helsinki City Strategy also promotes work-based migration, as attracting global talent promotes growth and can help resolve severe labour shortages, such as those in the fields of healthcare and early childhood education.

“My work is important to me for several reasons. Firstly, because Helsinki’s vitality is dependent on being a good place to do business. Right now, many companies are unable to perform optimally in the capital because they don’t have the necessary workers. Our unit seeks to facilitate increased migration, which will then contribute to Helsinki’s strong economy and growth. Another reason I find my work motivating and interesting is because I came here myself from Germany years ago,” Gassen said.

Under its new leader, Helsinki’s Migration Affairs unit is looking to expand and improve several services that have proven to be popular in the international community. Examples include International House Helsinki, the “onestop shop” that gathers all of the authorities newcomers need under one roof, and the Spouse Program that provides families of international newcomers with social- and career-oriented opportunities.

The number of those with a foreign background is expected to continue its rapid growth in Helsinki. It is predicted that by 2035, more than a quarter of the residents will have another mother tongue than Finnish or Swedish. At present in Finland, the responsibility for providing services that support integration are spread out among several authorities. The KOTO2024 law reform will soon transfer the
responsibility for these services to the country’s municipalities.

“After this reform, the City of Helsinki will have even more of a mandate to make sure international newcomers can settle in, find a job and feel at home. This expanded role in the process will allow the city to better influence the effectiveness of current integration efforts – and by extension the health and happiness of its foreign-born population,” Gassen said.

Learn more about the International House Helsinki at ihhelsinki.fi, the Spouse Program at
spouseprogram.fi and Helsinki’s services for businesses and entrpreneurs at hel.fi/en/business-and-work.