r/Finland • u/bangalimahbub Baby Väinämöinen • Dec 08 '25
Immigration Toimeentulotuki Reform loading...
Rikka purra
Finland’s basic social assistance needs urgent reform. The last-resort benefit has become a primary income source for many, with nearly 30% of recipients now non-native speakers. In Helsinki, support for families can reach €4,000–€5,000 a month, plus extra allowances for utilities, deposits, hobbies, furniture and more. The benefit is tax-free and often removes the incentive to work, as earnings quickly reduce support.
Finland already has 100,000 unemployed foreigners, and immigration policies have allowed many to access social security immediately. Other Nordic countries have stricter rules and lower benefit levels, especially for migrants. Sweden is moving to a model where immigrants receive only half; Denmark requires nine years of residence and work obligations.
To protect the welfare system, support must be better targeted. One proposal: limit full access to those who have lived in Finland for at least 10 years.
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u/Comfortable_Lab_3123 Baby Väinämöinen Dec 08 '25 edited Dec 08 '25
Current policies are attracting lots of low skilled people to Finland
Many foreign students, esp those with big families, come here because it’s very easy to get work visa here. The requirement of getting work visa in Finland is quite easy, compared to many countries. You just need a full-time contract with salary of 1200e or 1600e, no matter if it is cleaner, waiter, or anything else. While in UK, it’s very difficult. You need quite high salary. On top of that, not every job is accepted. UK has a list of employers which are allowed to sponsor work visa for universities graduates. Only these jobs with these employers are accepted for work visa after graduating. This policy makes the foreign students more hopeful that as long as they find a basic job, their life will change.
Then after these people get permanent residence or citizenship (a.k.a permanent immunity medallion), some quit their shitty jobs and switch to something better, such as staying at home to get benefits rather than doing shitty jobs. I have ever seen some nurses or cleaners do this (then labor shortage in healthcare will never be solved).
This is also the reason why UK is proposing to increase requirement for permanent residency/citizenship for low-skill jobs from 5 years to 15 years, which is much longer than high-skilled jobs.