Finnish Ombudsman: Russian immigrants’ skills often ignored
Russian speakers make up the largest immigrant group in Finland, and their numbers are growing. However, Russian speakers’ skills are often discounted, according to a recent study by the Finnish Ombudsman for Minorities.
About 50,000 Russians live in Finland. Last year they were the largest group of immigrants seeking residence permits, Yle.fi reports.
According to the study by the Finnish Ombudsman for Minorities, Russians often feel like they are on the outskirts of society. They complain of a lack of information in Russian about what is happening in Finland. Furthermore, they want to see improvements in Finnish and Russian language instruction.
The immigrants also complain of discrimination at the workplace. The language and cultural knowhow of Russian immigrants are often not taken advantage of. The study points out the obvious: negative attitudes and stereotypes about Russian speakers still exist, Yle.fi writes.
The Finnish Ombudsman for Minorities Johanna Suurpää says it ought to be clear that Russian speakers’ language, culture and professional skills are a significant resource to Finland. For example, many young Russians are completely fluent in Finnish and Russian. According to Suurpää, more support should be given to promote bilingualism in early childhood.
