Essays on immi­gration: labour-based

This is the fourth part of the series “Essays on immigration”. Earlier parts of the series have covered the immigration debate , the scale of immigration and family-based immigration . Later pieces have been published on those who came to study , those granted asylum , asylum seekers and myths about immigration .

Why is labour-based immigration a lottery win for Finland?

Labour-based immigration is always like a small lottery win for Finland. A professional in their field who is willing to move here, even though they could equally well have moved somewhere else. Through labour-based immigration we gain a person who has already been educated and raised to do value-creating work, pay taxes and buy services and goods from Finnish companies.

Those who have immigrated for work also have a higher employment rate than Finnish citizens.

In this case, the newcomer already has a job waiting in Finland. They have probably already looked into things about their new place of residence. And they will be producing something for which some company is willing to pay. Those who have immigrated for work also have a higher employment rate than Finnish citizens — which, admittedly, should not come as a great surprise.

Public debate often focuses on specialists, who are certainly needed, but it is also an undeniable fact that we will literally run out of people, especially in low-wage sectors, unless we attract more workers from abroad. Labour-based immigration fits this need perfectly.

What are the biggest barriers to labour-based immigration?

The biggest barriers to labour-based immigration are Finland’s eroding international image, the racism faced by immigrants, permit processes and discrimination in job-seeking. Research has shown, for example, that in Finland it is harder to even get a job interview if your name sounds foreign. This would also be a good area for improvement as employment services transfer to municipal responsibility. In particular, cooperation between language teaching and employers could be increased so that language proficiency is not a requirement in roles where it is not actually needed. The removal of a labour market needs test is also worth considering. It has traditionally been defended on the grounds that employers would otherwise start importing cheap labour from abroad, but Finland’s collective bargaining system can and should be strengthened by other means than artificially restricting the availability of labour.

Simply put, the best people go to work elsewhere.

We are competing for the same talent as all of Europe

Ultimately, we are competing for the same people as other European countries and the United States. In the international competition for talent, we cannot win against others with stricter immigration conditions or a poorer attitude towards foreigners. Simply put, the best people go to work elsewhere. And even those who do come here will certainly think carefully about how committed they want to be to a country that continually sets additional conditions on their right to stay.