One-stop-shop Service eliminates unnecessary work by authorities

The possibility to obtain the services of various authorities from one place is in clear demand among immigrants, too. The City of Helsinki Citizen Office for Immigrants has been providing services on the one-stop-shop principle from the beginning of 2009 when it signed an agreement on citizen services with the Finnish Immigration Service and the Helsinki local register office.

The average customer visits the Citizen Office 2.5 times, using one visit to enquire about several matters. In 2009 the office was visited by 2,890 customers, of whom 1,036 (36 per cent) enquired about a matter falling within the remit of the Finnish Immigration Service: residence permits and Finnish citizenship. Of customers speaking Arabic, nearly 60 per cent had an enquiry that concerned the Finnish Immigration Service. For those speaking Russian, Somali, Turkish or Kurdish the corresponding figure was close to 40.

An inevitable new service model

With the number of customers constantly increasing and the agency lacking the funds to bolster its own service resources, the one-stop-shop model is an inevitable new service model for the Finnish Immigration Service.

– Our ability to correct unfounded or deficient application forms before they are submitted and to provide counselling on how to fill in applications saves a great deal of unnecessary work by the authorities. We do not fill in our customers’ applications for them, but provide counselling and encourage them to take independent initiative. We cannot influence the content of decisions, even though we often receive requests to that effect, says Christina Huotari, supervisor of the Citizen Office.

– We are extremely satisfied with the cooperation, which clearly improves our customer service, especially through the large number of languages spoken by the counsellors and their multicultural background, says Customer Service Director Hanna Koskinen from the Finnish Immigration Service.

Oral information spreads best

Huotari has discovered that oral information – delivered face to face or by telephone – is most effective in reaching immigrants. Oral communication is also more effective in spreading information among immigrants than notices published on the Internet, for example. The efficiency of communication is further increased by the fact that the employees of the Citizen Office, many of whom are immigrants themselves, speak ten languages: Finnish, Swedish, English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Kurdish, Somali, Turkish, Persian and Russian. This makes it possible for many people to be served in their own mother tongue.

– It is rare for us to have to resort to using an interpreter, as the majority of our customers speak one of our service languages. Chinese and French are the only languages whose speakers we are beginning to develop a genuine need for, Huotari says.

One-stop-shop services could also benefit the police

The range of services provided by the Citizen Services aimed at immigrants could also be extended: participation by the police would be particularly beneficial.

– A share of residence permit enquiries concern permit extensions, which fall within the remit of the police. Also, many people would like to submit their application at our office, which would eliminate the need for going to the office of the immigration police in Malmi. The cooperation with the Finnish Immigration Service has ensured our continuous training. This improves our ability to provide counselling, thereby reducing customer service volumes at the Finnish Immigration Service – we could enjoy similar mutual benefits with the police, Huotari notes.

Move to the city centre ahead

This year the clientele of the Citizen Office is anticipated to continue growing with the upcoming move from Itäkeskus to the city centre. The address of the new premises is not yet known, but the City Council has outlined that it should be in a readily accessible place along good traffic connections.

– It will be interesting to see if the move will have an impact on customer volumes and backgrounds. I have heard that at least students, university staff and others temporarily residing in Helsinki have struggled to find their way to Itäkeskus, Huotari says.

Until further notice the Citizen Office is located in Itäkeskus at the address Tallinnanaukio 1 A (4th floor) and is open on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. On Wednesdays the office is open until 6 p.m., mainly intended to serve immigrants with daytime jobs. The increasingly popular telephone counselling is mainly provided during the telephone hours between 9 and 10 a.m. on weekdays.

Further information for the media:

• Christina Huotari, supervisor, City of Helsinki Citizen Office for Immigrants, tel. +358 9 3106 2671, e-mail: christina.huotari@hel.fi
• Hanna Koskinen, Customer Service Director, Finnish Immigration Service, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: hanna.koskinen@migri.fi

10.6.2010