Finland witnessed historic highs in immigration in 2023, with 71,918 new arrivals, according to initial data from Statistics Finland.
This surpasses the 2022 record by 21,920.
Net immigration also reached an unprecedented 58,496 people and is expected to rise in finalized statistics.
Ukrainians at the Helm
Emigration fell by 2,213 year-over-year to 13,422.
Of those, 7,018 were Finnish citizens immigrating back home, while 8,470 left the country.
Driving this growth is an influx of Ukrainians displaced by war.
Senior Statistician Markus Rapo revealed that 19,834 Ukrainians successfully applied for municipalities in 2023 — 26% of all immigrations and over 18,000 more than in 2022.
He noted that this excludes Ukrainians not applying after a year.
Asian Immigrations Also Spike
Besides Ukrainians, immigrants from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and China jumped.
Per Joonas Toivola, there were over 14,000 combined arrivals from these countries.
Notably, Sri Lankan immigration grew by over 2,000 and Bangladeshi by 1,300 since 2022.
Conversely, Russian immigration dropped significantly.
Just 4,311 Russians migrated in 2023, over 1,600 fewer than before.
However, they remain the third largest nationality group after Ukrainians and Finns.
ETIAS Approval Easier Amid Population Decline
Finland’s immigration surge and population stagnation stand to ease ETIAS approvals when the system launches in May 2025.
As the country faces a shrinking workforce, aging crisis, and record-low births, it will likely welcome more digital nomads, foreign students, and even non-EU immigrant families to fill labor shortages.
This aligns with a recent government report favoring more work-based migration.
With these dynamics, ETIAS applicants with ties to Finland may see higher approval rates for stays up to 90 days versus other EU states.
Schengen Policy Changes Possible
Finland’s migrant influx could also impact Schengen and EU immigration policy.
As war, climate change, and instability propel rising global migration, the bloc continues grappling with balancing humanitarian concerns, security risks, and overburdened social services.
States like Finland receiving disproportionate flows may push for better burden-sharing schemes.
Alternatively, the surge could spur tighter external borders if surges are seen as excessive.
Much depends on whether current trends persist or prove temporary shocks.
However, with Finland’s history of pragmatic immigration policymaking, 2023’s record of arrivals will likely factor into future EU-level decisions.
Immigration Wave Buoys Stagnating Population
Finland’s immigration rise helps buoy a shrinking native population amidst low births and high elder deaths.
However, reliance on Ukrainian war refugees poses risks if they return home.
Long term, promoting birth rate growth is key.