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4.2 Immigration based on humanitarian grounds

Rovaniemi has received refugees on humanitarian grounds since 1989. At first, four fami-
lies from Vietnam arrived in the town, and next came Tamils from Sri Lanka. In 1994, 120
Alabanians from Kosovo arrived; next came Kurds and Afghans, Somalis, Afghans and
Myanmarians.

The total number of refugees received since 2007 has been 80 per year. Of the persons
received by Rovaniemi, the quota refugees totalling 50 and 30 are asylum seekers who
have obtained residence permits. In addition, immigrants have moved to Rovaniemi via
marriage or for family reunification purposes.

Year Quota refugees + asylum seekers who have obtained per- Total
mits
2006 + family reunifications 43
2007 92
2008 Afghans, Somalis, Iranians, Russians 132
2009 Myanmarians, Somalis, Russians, Chinese 139
2010 Myanmarians, Iraqis; Kurds and Arabs, Macedonians, Somalis, Esto- 102
2011 nians, Russians, Senegalese 97
2012 Iraqi; Kurds and Arabs, Somalis, Syrians, Palestinians, Sudanese, 74
2013 Ethiopians, Russians, Vietnamese, Afghans XX
Iraqis; Kurds and Arabs, Somalis, Iranians, Afghans
Iraqis; Palestinians, Arabs and Kurds, Afghans, Somalis, Ingush, Chi-
nese
Afghans, Iraqis; Arabs and Kurds, Burmese, Russians, Georgians,
Indonesians, Chinese
Syrians, Iraqis; Palestinians, Kurds and Arabs, Iranians, Burmese,
Somalis

Table 3: Refugees received by Rovaniemi, 2006–2013. (Source: The Centre for Economic Development,
Transport and the Environment for Lapland)

The integration of immigrants arriving on humanitarian grounds differs with regard to
other immigrants in the sense that they need the services of the authorities in abundance
during the initial stage. Immigrants‟ reception services during the initial stage is the
responsibility of the city‟s Social and Health Care Services. These services includes recep-
tion arrangements for refugees as well as social work-related services and those related to
basic public health care. After the initial-stage reception services have ended, the integra-
tion measures for refugees continue in basic services.

The measures pertaining to various fields have been compiled in greater detail in Appen-
dices 1, 2 and 3.
Appendices 4 and 5, sections applicable.

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