Finnish Immigration Service establishes permanent posts
The Finnish Immigration Service will establish approximately 300–400 permanent posts next year. This is due to the exceptional staff structure of the agency, with as much as half of the staff having a fixed-term public-service employment relationship. The establishment of these permanent posts will not increase the number of staff members. Instead, positions with tasks of a permanent nature will be made permanent and filled. At the same time, the agency is adjusting its operations and increasing its operational efficiency, since its operating expenses will be cut by approximately 13 per cent next year.
With regard to the increase in work-based and study-based immigration and immigration prognoses, the increased monitoring of residence permits and the added responsibilities of the agency, the majority of the agency’s related official duties can no longer be considered temporary. It is not sustainable in view of our operations and their continuity and development, nor fair to our staff, as there must always be a legal reason for a fixed-term public-service relationship.
New tasks for Finnish Immigration Service while immigration has increased
The rapid increase in immigration over the last ten years has created a growing need for staff at the Finnish Immigration Service. According to prognoses, work-based and study-based immigration to Finland will remain high in the coming years. The growth of immigration has also led to a considerable increase in the number of citizenship applications, for example.
Due to increased immigration, the Finnish Immigration Service has recruited a large number of fixed-term employees in recent years. At the same time, the agency has been given tasks previously carried out by other authorities. For example, the Finnish Immigration Service replaced the police as the competent authority responsible for extended permits and EU registrations in 2017, as well as for the state-run reception centres. In 2021, the reception centre maintained by the City of Helsinki became a part of the Finnish Immigration Service, and more than 50 employees will join the agency at the beginning of 2025 as the TE Offices close down. These reassignments have not increased the total number of public-service employment relationships in the public administration.
“Due to these extensive changes in the staff and the increased flow of customers as a result of growing immigration, the agency has had a considerable number of fixed-term public-service employment relationships in its staff structure, concerning approximately half of the staff members. With the help of our new staff programme, we will improve the staff structure, which becomes visible in the form of a large number of vacant posts,” says Director of Personnel Karoliina Ruuskanen.
Although the Finnish Immigration Service is set to make extensive changes to its operations and staff structure in 2025, it is probable that the total number of staff members starts to decrease in the long term, in 2026–2028.
“The level of our appropriations will decrease sharply in the long term and result in a narrower staff framework. It is, however, too early to predict the impacts in more detail from 2026 onwards at this stage,” says Director of Development Johannes Hirvelä.
Despite the plans to establish permanent posts, the Finnish Immigration Service will, as a large agency, continue to have a certain number of fixed-term positions that are connected to projects, seasonal tasks or clearing temporary backlogs, for example. At the moment, the agency has approximately 1,500 employees.
Media enquiries
Recruitment: Karoliina Ruuskanen, Director of Personnel, email: firstname.lastname@migri.fi, tel. 0295 433 037
Goals and long-term prospects: Johannes Hirvelä, Director of Development, email: firstname.lastname@migri.fi, tel. 0295 433 037
*Revised on 28 November 2024 at 14.30: The subjects concerning which Johannes Hirvelä can be contacted.
