A large number of Finns and people living in Finland will be invited this year to discuss the future of work-based immigration.The initiative launched by Sitra and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment aims to strengthen society’s capacity for decision-making and trust, as well as citizens’ opportunities to exert influence.
Broad citizen participation can help address important societal issues that also divide opinion. There are several methods available for citizen dialogue that have not yet been widely used in Finland.
During 2026, Finns and people living in Finland will be invited to discuss and form shared views on work-based immigration through several different methods of participation.
The aim is to identify feasible solutions to demographic and skills-related challenges, and to support decision-making capacity on work-based immigration. This is the first time in Finland that several methods of citizen participation have been combined on such a broad scale to address a socially significant issue.
The findings will be compiled and presented in spring 2027 for use by decision-makers and public administration actors. They will also be used during the process in different public administration organisations. The overall assessment of the impacts of the process will be carried out by the University of Turku, which will complete its work by September 2027.
The “Tomorrow of Working Life – How will Finland change as a result of work-based immigration?” citizen dialogues, which began in May, invite people from diverse backgrounds to engage in dialogue and build a shared understanding of experiences and expectations related to work-based immigration.The dialogues, which will continue until the end of September, are part of the National Dialogues, with a particular focus on people who have moved to Finland and different actors in working life.
In August, a discussion on work-based immigration will begin on the digital Voxit participation platform. The aim is to involve 10,000 Finns and people living in Finland.The platform includes statements that participants can vote on by agreeing, disagreeing or skipping the statement. Participants can also suggest new statements for the discussion in order to raise perspectives they consider relevant.The data generated through the discussion can be used to identify which issues related to work-based immigration command broad consensus among Finns, and which themes divide opinion.
In the autumn, 20,000 Finns selected through random sampling will receive an invitation to a citizens’ assembly. From among them, 100 participants will be selected to examine diverse background information and, through facilitated discussion, produce policy recommendations on key issues related to work-based immigration.The citizens’ assembly is the largest citizens’ assembly ever organised in Finland to produce recommendations, and it will meet over two weekends in Helsinki, with remote sessions taking place in between. The citizens’ assembly will begin its work in November, and the recommendations from its work will be published in February 2027.
Kuutio will be organised in November, bringing together experts and decision-makers in the field to develop a shared understanding of the current situation and identify potential solutions.Kuutio is a method developed by Sitra, with the aim of offering Finland’s public sector a quick and effective way to address societal challenges, examine them in a data-based and future-oriented manner, and find effective solutions.
Work-based immigration is closely linked to Finland’s long-term economic growth, the financing base of the welfare state and the development of human capital. In Finland, both the size of the working-age population and the overall skills base are projected to decline in the coming decades.
Public debate in Finland on immigration emphasises issues related to asylum seekers and international protection. At present, however, the majority of immigration to Finland is work-based: if temporary protection for Ukrainians is excluded, 94% of immigration in recent years has been based on work, study and related family migration.
Work-based immigration is a complex and often polarising topic, so it is challenging to address without citizen participation. Beyond labour market and economic policy considerations, it is linked to broader societal transformation and to people’s experiences of fairness, belonging and their expectations for the future. Citizen participation helps decision-makers identify what kinds of solutions, compromises and conditions citizens consider acceptable.
Similar citizen participation processes on immigration are also being prepared in, for example, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
Specialist, Democratic Innovations
+358 294 618 495
heikki.lauha@sitra.fi
Senior Lead, Democratic Innovations
+358 294 618 513
kirsi.hantula@sitra.fi
Programme Director, Democratic Innovations
+358 294 618 253
hannu-pekka.ikaheimo@sitra.fi
Specialist, Innovations
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aini.raisanen@sitra.fi
Senior Lead, Communications
+358 294 618 310
antti.lehtinen@sitra.fi