An Yle investigation last year revealed that third-party agents have exploited Finland’s image as the “happiest country in the world” to sell an inaccurate or downright misleading image of life in the country.
With a baby on the way and her fixed-term contract about to end, Canadian Silvie Kroeker must decide between her long-held ambition of becoming a Finnish citizen or a short-term unemployment entitlement.
If the proposal becomes law, a foreign student’s residence permit could be revoked if they receive basic social assistance, a last-resort form of financial support.
Finland’s government is pushing through legislation which would see newly-arrived immigrant jobseekers receive lower benefits than other unemployed people.
The new regulations will require applicants to have lived in Finland for longer, demonstrate some proficiency in Finnish or Swedish, and have a work history of a certain length.