The Finnish Ministry of the Interior has announced the creation of a review which will aim to help Ukrainian refugees in the country settle in and create lives for themselves.
According to a statement released on the government website, many Ukrainian refugees look set to stay in Finland for longer than they first imagined. As a result, the E2 Research organisation will launch a review of their current situation and consult Ukranians on their future plans in Finland, expanding on a report published by the Ministry of the Interior in September.
The aim is to aid local government and other authorities to prepare for spring 2023 in which many Ukranians who are currently being supported by reception services, will start accessing municipal services instead.
The review will put a particular focus on interviewing the refugees themselves in order to gain a better understanding of their current situation and what their expectations are.
According to preliminary data, about one in three Ukrainian refugees will be planning to remain in Finland. This statistic comes from a survey carried out in June and July 2022, which spoke to 2,136 refugees. Up to 27% of the respondents said that they did not plan to return to Ukraine, whilst 33% said they had decided to return to Ukraine after the end of the war or sooner. 40% said their plans were still open.
Since February 2022, some 44,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Finland in order to apply for temporary protection or asylum.
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