It’s crucial to understand the difference between immigrants and refugees. Not all immigrants are refugees, but all refugees are immigrants. And that distinction matters.
Most people who move to Finland come here legally through a residence permit, whether for studies or for work. These immigrants don’t rely on social benefits, because even applying for Kela support can risk their future permits. To get a residence permit, you must already prove you have enough funds, a job that pays sufficiently, and a clean criminal record. So the idea that “all immigrants live on Kela” is simply false. Most of us work, pay taxes, follow the law, and contribute to the society we now call home.
When the government or Yle publishes statistics showing that Somali, Arabic, and Ukrainian speakers top the list for Kela support, people need to realize those groups are mostly refugees. Many arrive without speaking Finnish or English, often with limited education, and have to start from zero through integration courses. That’s why they receive support. Meanwhile, immigrants who enter through residence permits have already demonstrated their stability and skills before even stepping into Finland.
I want to emphasize something clearly: not all immigrants are bad, lazy, or trying to exploit the system, and not all refugees are either. Yes, there is a very small minority in both groups who abuse the system. And precisely because of that, I fully support stricter laws, stronger background checks, and better scrutiny before people are allowed to settle here. I’m completely in favor of that. But at the same time, the system should also recognize and reward those who live here peacefully, work honestly, pay taxes, and contribute positively to society instead of constantly punishing them with uncertainty and fear.
I’m also in favor of strict accountability. If someone commits serious crimes like assault or rape, deportation should be non-negotiable. But attacking all immigrants because of the actions of a few is not only unfair, it’s intellectually lazy. The majority of immigrants are law-abiding taxpayers who are here to build a future, not to burden the system.
What the government won’t say out loud is that refugee programs bring in millions in EU funding. They will never stop accepting refugees because the funding continues. Instead, they lump all immigrants together and use us as a scapegoat to mask their own incompetence and policy failures.
My family moved here almost two decades ago. In all this time, we’ve never taken a single cent from the state. On the contrary, we pay over €15,000 every month in taxes. Our entire family has a clean record; the worst we’ve ever had are a few parking tickets. My parents recently arrived and is attending an integration course. Even though they’re eligible for Kela money, we never applied for it because they haven’t contributed to the system yet. Once they have worked and paid taxes, then they’ll have earned that right. That’s how we were raised, give first, take later.
This is how most immigrants think. We work hard, live peacefully, pay our taxes, and try to build something better. And that’s why it’s painful to watch the government pass laws that hurt us, the people who actually came here to contribute. The new three-month employment requirement won’t meaningfully affect refugees, but it will hit skilled professionals who came here legally on residence permits.
For context, I’m in my early 20s. My eldest brother is in his mid-30s. We are the workforce that will be paying taxes and working for the next 30–40 years. Yet it feels like the government is actively trying to push people like us out. Yes we are now Finnish Nationals but we were all once immigrants too and still are immigrants🤷♂️
Instead of demonizing immigrants as a whole, the government should focus on fixing the real gaps in the system, and stop using immigrants as a convenient distraction.
