Helsinki, April 27 : Majority of the people in Finland support immigration as a way of maintaining the workforce, according to a survey by the pro-business think tank EVA.
The percentage of people in Finland supporting the facilitation of immigration has gone up from 27 per cent in 2019 to 55 per cent this year, EVA said.
However, 30 per cent do not consider the population deficit to be a valid reason for facilitating immigration, Xinhua news agency reported citing the survey.
Immigration is a key topic on the agenda of the new Finnish government.
Finns are highly critical of the top three political parties, saying that only those who work and support themselves independently should be admitted.
Sonja Hamalainen, immigration director at the Ministry for Labour and Economic Affairs (TEM), said the increased publicity given to the Finnish population problem has likely contributed to the change in public opinion on the issue.
Hamalainen said Finland will probably need between 20,000 and 30,000 foreign workers annually by 2030.
Ministry of Labour and Economic Affairs statistics show that 130,000 jobs could not be filled in Finland last year.
While the employment situation in Finland has improved, close to 7 per ent of the workforce was unemployed last year.
To obtain a work permit for Finland, non-EU nationals need a confirmed job.
“Permits are not given for entering the country in search of employment,” Hamalainen said.
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