New strategy on expatriate Finns published

The Ministry of the Interior on Monday published the Strategy on Expatriate Finns 2022–2026, which sets objectives and actions to respond to the service needs of expatriate Finns and to make better use of their expertise, said the ministry in a press release.

About 300,000 Finnish citizens live outside the country. According to some estimates, the number of people with a Finnish descent is up to 1.6–2 million worldwide.

“With this new Strategy on Expatriate Finns, we want to strengthen the contacts of expatriate Finns with Finnish society and their inclusion. The Strategy’s actions aim to ensure that in future Finland is better able to serve its citizens regardless of time and place, and to support Finnish identity and culture abroad,” said Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen.

The objectives and actions of the Strategy are related to coordinating the affairs of expatriate Finns in central government, developing communication by public authorities concerning expatriate Finns, promoting easy access to services provided by authorities for expatriate Finns, strengthening the Finnish identity, language, culture and nationality of expatriate Finns, making use of expatriate Finns in support of trade and industry, export promotion, research and sustainable development, strengthening the social participation of expatriate Finns and the attractiveness of return migration.

“Expatriate Finns have a lot of talent needed in the Finnish labour market, which is why we have wanted to ensure that those who are planning to return to their home country are able to do so as easily as possible,” the Minister said.