Refugees in Finland (eng.)
Natalia Kres
The realities of our days force thousands and millions of people to leave their homes and look for a place where there will be at least a minimal sense of security. On March 3, the Council of the European Union adopted the Directive on temporary protection for citizens and other residents of Ukraine fleeing the war. In turn, temporary protection provides for refugees’ rights to residence, access to the employment market, and any medical and social services in European countries.
Currently, most EU countries (namely, Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Italy, Spain, France,United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Moldova, Finland, and many others) are ready to accept Ukrainian refugees and help/provide them with accommodation, employment, and even provide weekly humanitarian help. Information and details can be found anywhere: on the Internet, social networks, and sometimes such information comes in simple SMS. I would like to tell about such country like Finland, because we not only have a lot of information about it, but we can also share our own experience.
(If necessary during their stay in Finland, citizens of Ukraine can get help from the Embassy of Ukraine in Finland by phone or at the address: +35892289000; Vahaniityntie, 9, 00570 Helsinki, Finland)
The first stage is entry into the country, Ukrainian citizens can stay under the visa-free regime, and taking into account the situation in cities (hot spots) where any bureaucratic processes for obtaining passports (both foreign and biometric) are suspended or stopped altogether, a person, who crosses the border of Finland has the right to enter even with only a passport of Ukraine or a birth certificate (in the case of children).
It is difficult not to mention the cost of most transport within the territory of Finland, because it is free for Ukrainians (provided proof of Ukrainian citizenship is provided), (for example, the usual price of the train ticket we used was €22 (approximately UAH 825) per person) .
Ukrainians have the right to stay on the territory of Finland for 3 months under the visa-free regime, it is also possible to apply for temporary protection in person to the police or the border guard. The application process is free of charge, applications for temporary protection are generally processed much faster. There are cases when Ukrainians who arrived in Finland don’t speak English (let alone Finnish). In practice, every police station has translators who speak either Ukrainian or Russian, but before that you have to fill out an application (which is submitted in three languages: Ukrainian, English and Finnish), which greatly simplifies the procedure. Also, you have the right to apply for temporary protection only or for asylum only (or even both). Police representatives (along with interpreters) will be able to advise you on the difference between temporary protection and asylum.
The issue of residence of persons who have obtained the status of temporary protection or asylum is resolved by providing housing in the refugee reception center, which is mainly designed for the residence of entire families . There are many such centers throughout the country, they differ in scale and purpose (for example, minor children are placed in designated places), after you contact the police, you will be directed to the center that is closest or to the one that is currently free places ,In our case, we had the opportunity to live in a private house, which was located next to the building of the employers in which we worked.
Both persons with temporary protection and those who have issued the status of temporary asylum have the opportunity to receive all kinds of services from the refugee reception center: social and medical services (much cheaper for Ukrainians) or cash allowances in case of lack of own income and savings. Also, the police representatives will offer you to issue a social insurance (but it’s up to you) or a tax card (if you are employed).
(The photo shows the site (Migri.fi), where Ukrainians can get all the information about all the nuances of living and working for refugees in Finland (https://migri.fi/etusivu)).
The right to employment and training is granted immediately after registering your application for temporary protection with the relevant authority. You will be given a certificate that certifies your right to work, there are no restrictions on the fields of work, you must keep this certificate for the rest of your stay in Finland. But in the case of an asylum seeker’s application, the right to employment will be granted only 3-6 months after you submit such an application. Also, if a person already has a place of work, he has the right to apply for a residence permit. Such documents can be submitted at the office of the Immigration Service of Finland or online at the Enter Finland website (https://enterfinland.fi/eServices).
In the end, even a simple phrase “We are grateful to you” will not be enough to express the boundless gratitude for the understanding and hospitality of this country and its people, who continue to help every Ukrainian who is forced to move in search of safety and well-being. After all, Finland, like most other EU countries, helps the needy and their families to get the desired peace by simplifying national bureaucratic systems, volunteering, providing humanitarian aid, etc.
The project is implemented by the Chernihiv Polytechnic National University and the NGO “Center for Gender Education” together with the NGO “Human Rights Foundation” and is financed by the Institute of Foreign Cultural Relations (IFA) with the funds of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany.
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