When less than 6,500 work-based residence permit applications arrived in Finland in 2015, the number had more than tripled to almost 21,000 in 2022.
“If you do not make investments that exceed the current framework and the number of applications continues to develop according to the current trend, by the end of the government program period the queue for permit issues awaiting resolution will have grown to an estimated more than 200,000 and the system will be seriously congested,” Migri warned the four parties preparing the next government program – Kokoumus, Purussuomalaiin, RKP and for the Christian Democrats – in the presented document.
Migri explained that the system is at risk of congestion because without additional funding it cannot continue to automate its processes and has to rely on employees to clear the congestion manually.
At the same time, the agency would have to reduce its staff due to the increase in other operating costs.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also warned of future challenges related to work-related immigration. Jussi TannerThe head of consular affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Helsingin Sanomat on Thursday that several foreign consular offices have relatively limited resources for processing applications, which can be problematic, especially if the number of applications continues to rise.
“The situation is currently under control. In India, for example, we receive 100 residence permit applications per day, compared to 28 a year ago. This year, at least twice as many visas will be issued than last year,” he pointed out.
“The situation is unsustainable if the number of applications increases in the coming years as well. Then we simply wouldn’t have enough hands. We and Migri have ideas, but we have to have enough people and tools.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for both receiving residence permit applications at foreign consular offices and issuing short-term work permits.
As expected, work-related immigration has been one of the points of disagreement in the ongoing coalition negotiations. The Basic Finns have demanded that work-related immigration be limited, while the other three parties have considered that it should be increased in order to combat the labor shortage.
It has been reported that the parties have agreed on raising the income limit for non-EU employees from around 1,300 euros to 1,600 euros per month.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
Source: The Nordic Page