Building an inclusive integration approach in Finland

The EU/CoE joint project Building an inclusive integration approach in Finland will provide technical support to the implementation of inclusive integration policies based on the Finnish Good Relations concept and the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Integration model. The aim is to improve community relations and to support better integration of migrants across society in areas such as participation, education, cultural and social life, urban planning, business, labour market, anti-discrimination and multilingualism.

The joint project will review current policies, present recommendations for the national and local level and bring together relevant stakeholders to build capacity and design and implement local integration strategies. A pool of experts will be trained to provide support to local and national stakeholders during and after the project. Peer learning will also form an important part. Furthermore, a national coordination mechanism will be designed to ensure continuous dialogue and co-management of the integration policies between all levels of government.

 Project outputs and activities

• An inception report mapping existing integration policies.
• A set of recommendations to further enhance and implement the government’s good relations strategy and action programme as well as recommendations for policy and legislative improvements, with a focus on the local level.
• A set of policy documents and tools merging the concepts of good relations and intercultural integration, including a roadmap for the sustainable operationalisation of the good relations concept.
• A report documenting capacity-building and awareness-raising activities on intercultural integration and good relations.
• A set of recommendations on operational modalities of the multi-level multi-stakeholder policy coordination mechanism.
• An exchange of good practices on migrant integration among EU member states.

 Participating municipalities

The joint project will work with the municipalities of Hämeenlinna, Kuopio, Oulu, Tampere, Turku, Vaasa and Vantaa  to promote the implementation of local integration strategies which reflect the Good Relations principles. The participating municipalities will receive support and guidance to:

• set up a cross-sectorial working group;
• complete the Index and receive recommendations through the Index Report;
• receive an “Expert Visit” and the recommendations resulting from that visit; and
• draft a local integration strategy reflecting the Good Relations concept and following up the recommendations.

All participating municipalities will benefit from several training sessions which will be tailored to the needs of the participants, a study visit to another EU or Council of Europe member state as well as support through the project in creating structures and policies to support the implementation of the Good Relations concept at the local level. Participating municipalities will be invited to contribute to the multilevel multistakeholder coordination mechanism, which will work to enhance multilevel co-operation within the field of integration and Good Relations.

 Beneficiaries 

The target groups of the joint project include:

• Mid-level to senior civil servants at the national level
• Member organisations of national and regional Advisory Boards for Ethnic Relations
• Elected officials and policy officers in the participating municipalities and regions
• Representatives of migrants and/or their civil society organisations
• Representatives of agencies and organisations dealing with migrant integration and inclusion
• Academics
• Society as a whole