Finland / Oulunkylän yhteiskoulu

Country presentation in relation to flight and migration on national/regional/local level 11.12.2016

Photo: Sissi Puranen

Refugee and asylum seekers in FinlandStatus Dec. 2016

Total population of Finland: 5 501 297

Share of migrants: 231 295 (4.2%)

Population density: 18 people per sq. km of land area

Popul. density in metropolitan area: 390 people per sq. km of land area

Gender split: 2.7/2.8 million men vs. woman

Wage earners: 2.0 million

0-14 years: 16.3 %

15-64 years: 63.2%

65+ years: 20.5%

Age distribution in population of Finland

Men Women

Unit 2020 2060 CAGR

Population 1000 / %

5 595 5 979 1.5

0-14 % 16.2 14.3 -3.5

15-64 % 61.2 56.9 -1.5

65+ % 22.6 28.8 5%

Language Unit Share Change over years

Finnish % 88.7

Swedish % 5.3

Saamish % 0.05

Russian % 1.3

Other % 4.7

Citizenship of migrants

Amount in 2015

Estonia 50 367

Russia 30 813

Sweden 8 174

China 8 042

Somalia 7 261

Thailand 7 229

Iraq 7 073

Turkey 4 992

Vietnam 4 552

UK 4 427

Germany 4 112

Poland 3 959

Afghanistan 3 741

Former Yugoslavia

3 535

Others 76 893

TOTAL 229 765

Number of migrants in Finland 231 295

Refugee and asylum seekers in FinlandStatus Dec. 2016

In 1000 / % 2010 2014 CAGR 2015 2016 est.Asylum seekers total

4 018 3 651 - 9% 32 476 6000

Asylum granted 181 501 66% 1 112 n/aResidence permit granted

1 603 845 - 11% 767 n/a

Received refugees

3 207 2 204 - 5% 1 815 1000

Refugees and asylum seekers 5 407

Refugee and asylum seekers in HelsinkiStatus Dec. 2016

Total population of Finland: 634 940

Share of Migrants: 88 132

Population density in Helsinki: 2964 residents/km2

The situation in our school

At our shool, Oulunkylän Yhteiskoulu, the number of refugees is extremely low, even on a Finnish scale.

Our school has around 900 students (ages 13-19 years), out of which only 25 – 30 doesn't speak Finnish as their native language.

However, there is going to be built a new reception unit for minor asylum seekers who have arrived in Finland alone. This will drastically change the number of refugees in our school and school has to react different ways, for ex. more S2-teaching (finnish as other foreign language).

How do we participate?• In Finland there are many ways, how people can participate. For

example you can do voluntary work through your hobbies (scout, church and sports).• Churches for example collaborate with reception centers and organize

a lot of happenings, where people donate clothes and money for them. Scouts raise money for charity organizations.

How do we collect information ?We will interview people involved in refugee issue:

- We had a meeting with Kalle Kekomäki who told us a lot about Finnish refugee situation. He works

as Ministerial advisor in Ministry of the interior.

- We will meet Cucu Wesseh (an Liberian refugee) who has worked for ex. as psychosocial

counsilor/educator, in the city of Espoo, and as refugee counselor, in The Espoo Group Home (minors

arriving in Finland as asylum seekers and without their guardian) and also as Sports Consultant

(soccer/football, empowerment both Finnish and immigrant through sports education and physical

agility training; implementing participatory approach to user-empowerment, rights and advocacy

methodology models for cultural diversity and multicultural integration.)

• We will interview Jutta Kivistö, who was co-founder of Support for asylum seekers (Turvapaikanhakijoiden tuki ry.)• We will interview Jonna Wickström who directed a documentary

theatre Kielirikot: a project done about encounting and prejudices

How do we collect information ?

• We will meet a Family which participate as support family / godparents to one unaccompanied minor from Afganistan (17 year old boy)

in Finland at least Deaconess Institute of Helsinki organizes support family activities

How do we collect information ?

What are we going to do ?

• Finnish refugee council (Suomen pakolaisapu) Themes• gives us an opportunity to do volunteer work by organizing a training

(for 3 – 6 months volunteer work) in February• Usually there is an age limit (18) to do volunteer work

• We can volunteer by organizing activities, meeting asylum seekers via meeting cafés, teaching finnish etc.

We will also get to know how art makes a difference

• Watch Me and the refugee –documentary short films (7 films)Over the past six months or so, refugees have entered all of our lives

here in Europe. A few filmmakers documented events last fall when an unprecedented number of asylum seekers arrived in Finland, too. Lasting 102 minutes, the Me and the Refugee screening includes seven movies taking the viewer around Finland and all the way to Aleppo in Syria.

• Interview either the producer of these films (Rostislav Aalto) or one of the directors

• We visit Kotka to watch the theatre play Turvallinen maa (Safe country) made together by refugees and finnish people• It is based on true stories• There is also a documentary of making this play• We can interview the director Piia Kleimola