Community’s role in quota refugee reception to be studied

The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment have commissioned a study on how a community sponsorship model could complement the authorities' efforts in the reception of quota refugees, said an official press release on Thursday.

The study will be conducted by the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, which operates under the auspices of the University of Jyväskylä. The purpose is to assess the legal and practical feasibility of the model in Finland.

In a community sponsorship model, a group of around five sponsors will usually be selected for a quota refugee who will participate in promoting the refugee’s integration for 1 or 2 years.

The group can help quota refugees in matters such as dealings with public authorities, familiarisation with the culture, language studies and finding a place of study or job. The aim is to speed up and improve the integration of quota refugees.

In recent years, similar integration models have become more common in EU countries and around the world, and there have been encouraging reports on improved integration results for quota refugees. For example, Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany and New Zealand are developing the integration of quota refugees in this direction.

The study will be completed in February 2021. The results will be used as the basis for future discussions. The study will help the authorities plan the use and testing of existing international models in Finland.

Next year Finland will receive 1,050 quota refugees. Refugee quotas are a way to accept global responsibility by offering protection in an effective and safe manner to those who need it most, such as women and children.