Government submits proposal to Parliament on integration services reform

Government submits proposal to Parliament on integration services reform

As per the Government Programme, immigrants will integrate into Finland through work and the integration system will be reformed to encourage integration. The reform will increase immigrants' responsibility for their own integration and make the system more binding.

The Government submitted a proposal on the reform of integration services to Parliament on 23 April 2026.

"Integration is based on learning the language, working, and becoming familiar with Finnish society and complying with its rules. The Government is clarifying the integration system and strengthening immigrants' responsibility for their own integration, while also making better use of funding and applying savings of over EUR 46 million," says Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.

Immigrants would have a stronger obligation to advance their own integration and employment by seeking access to and accepting services. They would also be required to take part in an assessment of skills and the need for integration services. If immigrants do not comply with their integration plan, their eligibility for unemployment benefits could be restricted or social assistance reduced. The labour market focus of integration would be improved by merging integration training and literacy training with labour market training.

The objectives of integration, individual integration plans and integration training would be defined more clearly. This initial stage, with referrals to services that support integration, would be accelerated.

One funding channel

Municipal employment authorities would take over the organisation of integration and literacy training. They would also decide how the trainings are delivered.

In future, funding for integration training would be provided through one channel. The source of funding would be the municipalities. Municipalities would be given a new statutory duty to provide literacy training. Overlapping funding for integration training would be removed to achieve further savings. The amendments aim to achieve better results in integration and literacy training in municipalities.

Savings to increase effectiveness of integration

The proposal implements the Government Programme and the decisions which the Government took at its 2024 spending limits discussion and 2025 budget session concerning savings in integration. Together with a later amendment to a government decree, the proposal would generate total savings of EUR 46.8 million in 2027.

The amendments would enter into force on 1 January 2027.

Inquiries:
Timo Kerttula, Special Adviser to the Minister of the Interior, [email protected] (requests for interviews with the Minister)
Nea Brandt, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 047 239
Laura Ruuskanen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 047 283