Helsinki plans its own immigration policy
New municipal department launched with EUR 300,000 budget
One of the new focal points for Helsinki Mayor Jussi Pajunen is to "work for more efficient handling of issues linked with work-related immigration in the city".
Helsinki wishes to promote the immigration by foreigners who want to come to Helsinki to work, and to help those who have already decided to come here.
One example that he mentions is the European Chemical Agency, and the employees that it will bring to Helsinki.
In Pajunen's view, the growth in the number of foreign-born residents is a more significant demographic trend than the ageing of the population.
Eight per cent of the population of Helsinki have foreign backgrounds - that is, they are either foreign citizens or Finnish citizens who were born outside the country. Their number is constantly on the increase, and their proportion in the city's population is already comparable to that in many other countries and far outstrips the national figure for Finland. Foreign nationals account for more than five per cent of Helsinki's population, at least twice the total for the country as a whole.
Work-related immigration is seen as a source of strength for Helsinki's competitiveness, as is the establishment of a marketing company that starts operations this year.
An immigration department is to be set up in Helsinki's Personnel Centre. Its task will be to promote migration to Helsinki, and to send the message to the national government that immigration policy is important for the city - possibly more so than for the rest of the country.
Helsinki has set aside just EUR 300,000 for immigration policy in its budget proposal, but more is expected later; having a separate section in the draft budget is an indication of changing priorities.
Does anyone of u know some more details about this?