Campaign to increase the number of municipal placements

During spring 2017, Changemaker has been campaigning to increase municipal placements for asylum seekers who have been granted residence permit and for quota refugees. Municipal placement means that the receiving municipality will provide a place to live and access to interpretation services as well as some other special services. At the moment, more than 5,000 municipal placements are needed.

Even though it is voluntary for a municipality to place asylum seekers and refugees, it can be seen as a way a municipality can carry its global responsibility. Finnish municipal elections will be held on 9th of April. Finn Church Aid’s youth network Changemaker encourages especially candidates from middle-sized municipalities to promise that their municipality will place more asylum seekers and refugees.

During 2015, around 30,000 asylum seekers came to Finland. On top of that, Finland receives 750 quota refugees yearly. Both quota refugees and asylum seekers who have been granted residence permit need to be placed in a municipality. At the moment, around 11,000 people need a placement but only around 4,500 placements are available.

You can participate in the campaign in various ways. You can ask candidates, if they support increasing the number of municipal placements in your municipality. You can also follow the news page or participate in local happenings. If you want to organize a happening in your municipality, contact Changemaker coordinator Jonas Biström (jonas.bistrom@kirkonulkomaanapu.fi)