South Ostrobothnia is proven to be the most Finnish-speaking province in the world. Yet the number of foreign-language speakers who have moved to the region is already equivalent to the population of a medium-sized municipality, at over 7 000. This represents almost 4% of the population of the province. There are many different reasons for moving in, the main ones being certainly work, study and love. What they all have in common is that moving to a new environment requires a variety of ways of adapting and learning new things.
The number of new South Ostrobothnians is also growing rapidly and their importance to the region’s economy and vitality is increasing year by year. The ideas and aspirations of newcomers must therefore be listened to with a more sensitive ear. For its part, the Interreg Europe project INVOLVIM, implemented by the Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia, together with other European regions, aims to bring out the voice of immigrants. The project is particularly interested in those who, for one reason or another, have been excluded from various integration measures.
In this newsletter, we also hear the thoughts of two newcomers from the South Ostrobothnia region on their integration into a new environment. The tone of the stories is very positive and should be welcomed. However, there is certainly a wide range of experiences, and perhaps the most valuable lessons to be learned can be found from the stories of those who have not settled in as expected.
Our economic cycle is not currently favourable to immigration. Unemployment is rising, businesses are not investing, and public sector is heavily in deficit. However, immigration policy cannot be built on cyclical trends; we must continue to look at long-term demographic trends and build a sustainable immigration policy around them.
Wishing you a pleasant reading time
Antti Saartenoja
Innovation Director