Report from Police University College provides an overview of immigration and security
How will the increasing flow of immigrants affect security in society and the performance of government agencies? What should be done to facilitate immigrants’ integration into Finnish society? “Immigration and security – an assessment of the current situation and a look to the future” is a recent report by the Police University College seeking to answer some of these questions.
The report discusses the key immigration-related security considerations and future challenges such as the integration and employment of immigrants. According to researchers, many weak signals and trends have gained strength during 2015. At the same time, new previously unknown challenges have arisen, such as unrest at the reception centres and hate crimes against these facilities.
“The timing for the implementation of the project posed a number of challenges. Last year the policing environment was transformed at a rapid pace with the above-mentioned trends gaining new momentum. Data were collected right up to the last minute in order to provide an up-to-date overview of the situation,” says Adjunct Professor Pirjo Jukarainen, one of the researchers.
Integration and the segregation of the labour market are major concerns
The report addresses the risks associated with immigration and the need to predict them. Among the chief risks are, for example, violent radicalisation and the segregation of the labour market into low-paid immigrant jobs. Another source of concern is that Finland ranks last among the OECD countries in educating second-generation immigrants and integrating them into working life.
By contrast, there is less ethnic or nationality-based open discrimination in Finland than in the EU or OECD countries on average and hardly any at all in the labour market. Moreover, people of foreign descent place greater confidence in the police, the judiciary and people in general than the average Finn. A clear majority of people with immigrant background have at least one Finnish friend and most perceive that their quality of life is good.
The project was designed to gather inter-administrative and interdisciplinary data on immigration and security and create a comprehensive overview of the situation. The report supports preventive action by the authorities and gives pointers to developing integration efforts. The report, prepared as part of the implementation of the Government Plan for Analysis, Assessment and Research for 2015, was carried out during 2015 in collaboration with Statistics Finland and the National Institute for Health and Welfare.
For more information on Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities, visit http://tietokayttoon.fi/en
Inquiries: Project Manager, Adjunct Professor Kari Laitinen (on leave of absence), tel. 0295 16001 (Government switchboard) and Researcher, Adjunct Professor Pirjo Jukarainen, tel. 0295 483 226, [email protected], Police University College and Research Manager Anu Castaneda, tel. 0295 247 848, [email protected] and Research Manager Päivikki Koponen, tel. 0295 248 868, [email protected], National Institute for Health and Welfare (Survey on work and well-being among people of foreign origin (UTH) and Migrant Health and Wellbeing Study)
English translation of the press release published on 18 February 2016