Ukrainians are still eager to claim Riihimäki as their home municipality

6.2.2024 News Welfare and health Integration Inquiry

Two women are talking at a table. The other is with a laptop, a pen and a notebook. A large computer screen on the side table. — Integration counselor Oleksandra Andriienko advising a customer in the new premises of integration services in Kotola, Matkakeskus. Photo: Sari Pietiläinen

At the end of last year, the city's integration services carried out a survey for Ukrainians covered by the reception center's services. It is important for the city to ask for interest in applying for a home municipality, so that the city's services can be adapted to demand (day care, schools, employment services, language training). The survey inquired about the same issues as a year ago in February 2023.

The survey was answered by 113 people living in a reception center receiving temporary protection. The defendants had basically arrived in Finland during the last year.

52 percent of all respondents said they were applying for a home municipality in Riihimäki. 38 percent did not yet know whether to apply for home municipality, and 10 percent stated that they did not intend to apply for home municipality.

The answers correspond to the previous survey

The answers followed the same line as in February 2023.

The answers to the survey showed that Ukrainians who fled the war are still educated professionals in various fields who have a high motivation to get to work.

The respondents did not know much of the Finnish language, but it is worth noting that all the respondents wanted to learn the Finnish language quickly.

"The survey results confirmed that Riksu is still an attractive and popular city among Ukrainians. There is a desire to move to the city's services. We have been relatively successful in our work, and this survey once again gives direction to the organization of the work. There is a willingness to learn, study and work in Finnish, and our task is to meet this need," sums up the city's integration manager Juha Hiltunen.

In 2023, about 65 percent of eligible Ukrainians applied for and received a residence permit from Riihimäki. The corresponding figure for the whole of Finland was around 35 percent.

Of all Finnish municipalities, Riihimäki is one of the municipalities that received the most civilians who fled the war in Ukraine.

Services for immigrants in the city of Riihimäki