Increasing numbers of immigrants living in Finland are moving toward southern Finland. For many, the target is the southwestern city of Turku which is not affected by the housing shortage that plagues the greater Helsinki area.

   

According to Kyllikki Höyhtyä-Pikkarainen, the secretary of refugee affairs of the northern city of Oulu, many Iraqis have moved from Oulu to Turku.

   

In this case, "many" means a few dozen in the past four to five years.

   

The City of Oulu offers those who leave the first month's rent in the new city.

   

Somali refugees have also been leaving Oulu: they generally go to the Helsinki region, presumably to live with friends and relatives. The Iraqis, meanwhile, tend to rent apartments on the open market.

The migration trend to Turku

is reflected in statistics as well. According to Leena Koistinen of the regional Employment and Economic Development centre of the southwestern region of Finland Proper, 1998 was the busiest year of migration to Turku; 1999 was more quiet, and this year will probably be as busy as 1998.

   

In the first half of this year, 110 foreigners decided to settle in Turku, most of them from the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Iran.

   

In neighbouring Raisio the influx was even greater when measured in proportion to population.

   

"The year before last came 98, last year 55, and this year about as many", calculates Markku Tuukkanen, a Raisio social worker.

   

These figures do not include those arriving in the area as part of refugee quotas or family unification.

   

The immigrants come to Turku from all over Finland; this year the greatest numbers have come from Hämeenlinna, Kuopio and Salo.

   

Many hope to find work. The Finland Proper Employment and Economic Development Centre is the only one where the number of immigrant job seekers has increased.

   

Officials believe that mass migration is often sparked by a rumour.

   

"I watched the situation in Ilomantsi (a rural community on the Russian border) where many Bosnians were settled. They stayed there for many years until the rumour spread that there is work available in Turku... Within a few years, they all moved to Turku", says Mervi Virtanen, the head of the immigration section of the Ministry of Labour.

   

In fact, it is not very easy

to find work in Turku, a city with an unemployment rate of 16%. However, this is less than in many rural areas of eastern Finland where some of the immigrants have been living, and sometimes they succeed. "We have many very well educated immigrants who speak good Finnish", says Leena Koistinen.

The sudden flood of immigrants

to Turku has caught local officials by surprise.

   

"Integration is more difficult, when we were not able to prepare for the situation. This year there have been more and more who have arrived in Finland recently, and who have not yet learned the basics of life in Finland", says Koistinen.

   

In Raisio, the City Council recently granted more funding for income supports.

   

Markku Tuukkanen notes that the city is getting more and more unemployed people, senior citizens, and people with ailing health, leading to an unplanned increase in social expenditure. He suspects that the Ministries in Helsinki are not aware of how strong the influx of immigrants to the Turku region really is.

   

Mervi Virtanen of the Ministry of Labour agrees that it might be a good idea to examine the situation.

   

Finnish government officials have very precise data on where refugees live for their first three years in Finland, when the state pays for their accommodations. After that, their movements are not monitored any more than those of other Finnish residents.