Foreign-born population – 2024 | 9.5% of the population | Main countries of birth: |
0.5 million, 48% women | Evolution since 2014: +76% | Former USSR (14%), Estonia (9%), Sweden (6%) |
International Migration Outlook 2025
In 2024, Finland received 35 000 new immigrants on a long-term or permanent basis (including changes of status and free mobility), ‑19% compared to 2023. This figure comprises 16% immigrants benefitting from free mobility, 22% labour migrants, 55% family members (including accompanying family) and 6% humanitarian migrants. Around 12 000 permits were issued to tertiary-level international students and 5 300 to temporary and seasonal labour migrants (excluding intra-EU migration). In addition, 39 000 intra-EU postings were recorded in 2023, a 24% increase compared to 2022. These posted workers are generally on short-term contracts.
Ukraine, Russia and the Philippines were the top three nationalities of newcomers in 2023. Among the top 15 countries of origin, Ukraine registered the strongest increase (18 000) and Russia the largest decrease (‑1 600) in flows to Finland compared to the previous year.
In 2024, the number of first asylum applicants decreased by ‑49%, to reach around 2 300. The majority of applicants came from Somalia (300), Afghanistan (200) and Türkiye (200). The largest increase since 2023 concerned nationals of Nigeria (50) and the largest decrease nationals of Syria (‑500). Of the 2 500 decisions taken in 2024, 54% were positive.
Emigration of Finnish citizens to OECD countries decreased by ‑3% in 2023, to 9 200. Approximately 18% of this group migrated to Sweden, 15% to Spain and 11% to the Netherlands.
A number of policy changes have been introduced with the goal of restricting the inflows of asylum seekers. Since July 2024, the Border Security Act allows for restriction of asylum applications at specific border areas. This includes the ongoing closure of land border crossings with Russia, which have been shut since 4 April 2024. The government has also capped the annual quota for resettled refugees at 500 from 2024. Furthermore, while Finland continues to implement the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive for displaced Ukrainians, extended until 4 March 2026, eligibility has been tightened to exclude third-country nationals who held temporary permits in Ukraine prior to the conflict. Amendments to the Aliens Act now prohibit asylum applicants from switching to work-based or education-based residence permit procedures while in Finland.
Concurrently, however, Finland has continued attempts to attract talent to support domestic labour supply through the Talent Boost Programme. Policies include for instance a partnership model for targeted measures to increase recruitment from selected countries of origin. In legislative terms, on 13 May 2024, Finland implemented new EU Blue Card rules to attract highly skilled professionals. Alongside this, Finland has strengthened the requirements for residence permits for an employed person by, effective as of January 2025, introducing a minimum monthly salary requirement of EUR 1 600. Additionally, visa‑exempt nationals and Schengen Visa holders can no longer apply in-country for most first residence permits, including work- and study-based categories, except for certain groups like family members of Finnish citizens and researchers. This is meant to promote well-managed immigration as first permits are applied for abroad.
The Finnish Government has also introduced significant changes to its integration policies, aimed at encouraging self-reliance and reducing public spending. Policies in this domain include a reduction in the period during which municipalities are reimbursed for supporting refugee integration (from four to three years for quota refugees, and from three to two years for other beneficiaries of international protection). In addition, some other compensations paid to municipalities and well-being services counties were also cut or reduced (e.g. the level of the imputed specified transfers, reimbursement of income support, interpreting costs). Alongside this, immigrants who fail to notify authorities of missed integration appointments may be charged fees for unused interpretation services. And, effective as of July 2024, the maximum age for after-care support for unaccompanied minors has been reduced from 25 to 23.
Finland’s integration strategy is increasingly focussed on employment, with new measures to link work-based residence permits more closely to active employment. For instance, recent proposals would require work-based permit holders to leave Finland if they remain unemployed for more than three months, except for specialists and entrepreneurs who would have a six‑month job-seeking period.
Finally, the Finnish Government is tightening the path to citizenship through reforms of the Citizenship Act, extending the required period of residence for naturalisation from five to eight years. Only time spent on a valid residence permit will count towards this requirement.
For further information: https://intermin.fi/ | https://tem.fi/ | www.emn.fi.
