10% of Foreign Students in Finland Failed to Meet Residence Requirements

A large number of students from developing countries arrive in Finland. Previously, there was little oversight, which led to many individuals arriving as students who lacked the necessary qualifications or preparedness for studies.

To address this, a legislative amendment came into effect at the beginning of last September. Since then, the Finnish Immigration Service has started monitoring whether the criteria for residence permits granted on the basis of studies are being met—in other words, whether these individuals are genuinely studying.

So far, the Finnish Immigration Service has reviewed the residence permits of 5,795 students. This process uncovered as many as 558 cases where there was reason to suspect that the legal grounds for their residence were no longer valid. In other words, nearly ten percent of the students who came to Finland based on study permits were engaged in activities other than studying.

Presumably, these students will be deported unless they can provide an acceptable reason to counter the Immigration Service's determination that they no longer have the right to reside in Finland on the basis of studies. Under the new law, they are also not allowed to change the grounds for their residence, such as switching to a work-based residence permit.

This is an example of how Finland’s current government has rationalized immigration policy. At the same time, it fulfills the election promises made by the Finns Party, which gained significant support in the spring 2023 elections and joined the government. In other words, it demonstrates the functioning of Finnish democracy.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Information for Asylum Seekers in Finland
University of Helsinki gained an anti-Semitic reputation
International Master´s degree is an opportunity to be used