The situation of Ukrainians

in Finland who fled the war:

Survey results

Migration | Publications of the Ministry of the Interior 2022:34

Sisäisen turvallisuuden opetuspeli | Publications of the Ministry of the Interior 2022:x

Ministry of the Interior

www.intermin.fi

PO Box 26, FI-00023 Government

The situation of Ukrainians

in Finland who ed the war:

Survey results

Arseniy Svynarenko, Anastasiya Koptsyukh

Ministry of the Interior Helsinki 2022

Publications of the Ministry of the Interior 2022:34

Ministry of the Interior

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ISBN pdf: 978-952-324-562-4

ISSN pdf: 2490-077X

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Description sheet

7 September 2022

The situation of Ukrainians in Finland who ed the war – survey results

Publications of the Ministry of the Interior 2022:34 Subject Migration

Publisher Ministry of the Interior

Author(s) Arseniy Svynarenko, Anastasiya Koptsyukh

Language English Pages 63

Abstract

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Finland has accommodated

about 37,500 Ukrainian citizens seeking temporary protection or asylum (as at the end

of August). The number of clients receiving reception services provided by the Finnish

Immigration Service is higher than ever before.

The arrival of Ukrainian refugees in Finland has given rise to the need to obtain information

on their situation and needs for various services. For this purpose, the Ministry of the Interior

launched a survey in June, carried out as an online Webropol survey directed at Ukrainians

between 15 June and 6 July 2022. In addition to the Ministry of the Interior, other parties

involved in drawing up the survey included the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry

of Economic Aairs and Employment, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Social

Aairs and Health, and the Finnish Immigration Service. The total number of responses

was 2,136.

The survey queried Ukrainians who had arrived in Finland for their background details,

education, occupation, language skills and region of origin in Ukraine. It also explored

their lives in Finland, their place of residence, the status of their applications for temporary

protection, potential employment and studies, and children’s schooling. It further assessed

how satised Ukrainians were with access to information and certain services provided

by reception centres. It concluded with questions about their plans for the future. The

respondents also had a chance to send a message to the Finnish authorities. Based on the

survey, the researchers also provide recommendations for public authorities on how to

develop services for Ukrainians moving forward.

Keywords Ukraine, immigration, migration, services

ISBN PDF 978-952-324-562-4 ISSN PDF 2490-077X

URN address https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-324-562-4

Kuvailulehti

7.9. 202 2

Sotaa paenneiden ukrainalaisten tilanne Suomessa − kyselytutkimuksen tulokset

Sisäministeriön julkaisuja 2022:34 Teema Maahanmuutto

Julkaisija Sisäministeriö

Tekijä/t Arseniy Svynarenko, Anastasiya Koptsyukh

Kieli englanti Sivumäärä 63

Tiivistelmä

Sen jälkeen, kun Venäjä hyökkäsi Ukrainaan 24.2.2022, on Suomeen saapunut noin 37 500

ukrainalaista hakemaan tilapäistä suojelua tai turvapaikkaa (tilanne elokuun lopussa).

Maahanmuuttoviraston vastaanottopalveluiden piirissä olevien asiakkaiden määrä on

korkeampi kuin koskaan aikaisemmin.

Ukrainalaispakolaisten maahantulo Suomeen on herättänyt tarpeen saada tietoa heidän

tilanteestaan sekä tarpeistaan erilaisille palveluille. Tätä varten sisäministeriö käynnisti

kesäkuussa selvityksen, joka toteutettiin ukrainalaisille suunnattuna, verkossa täytettävänä

Webropol-kyselynä 15.6.−6.7.2022. Sisäministeriön lisäksi kyselyn laatimiseen osallistuivat

opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriö, työ- ja elinkeinoministeriö, ympäristöministeriö, sosiaali- ja

terveysministeriö sekä Maahanmuuttovirasto. Kyselyyn saatiin yhteensä 2 136 vastausta.

Selvityksessä kartoitetaan Suomeen saapuneiden ukrainalaisten taustatietoja, koulutusta,

ammattia, kielitaitoa ja sitä, miltä alueelta he Ukrainasta ovat lähtöisin. Lisäksi selvitetään

ukrainalaisten elämää Suomessa, millä paikkakunnalla he asuvat, tilapäisen suojelun

hakemisen tilannetta, mahdollista työllistymistä ja opintoja sekä lasten koulunkäyntiä. Lisäksi

arvioidaan, miten tyytyväisiä ukrainalaiset ovat vastaanottokeskuksen tiettyihin palveluihin ja

tiedon saatavuuteen. Lopuksi selvitetään myös tulijoiden tulevaisuudensuunnitelmia. Kyselyyn

vastanneilla oli myös mahdollisuus lähettää terveisiä Suomen viranomaisille. Selvityksen

pohjalta tutkijat antavat myös suosituksia viranomaisille siitä, miten ukrainalaisten palveluja

pitäisi kehittää jatkossa.

Asiasanat Ukraina, maahanmuutto, palvelut

ISBN PDF 978-952-324-562-4 ISSN PDF 2490-077X

Julkaisun osoite https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-324-562-4

Presentationsblad

7.9. 202 2

Läget för ukrainska krigsyktingar i Finland – enkätresultat

Inrikesministeriets publikationer 2022:34 Tema Migration

Utgivare Inrikesministeriet

Författare Arseniy Svynarenko, Anastasiya Koptsyukh

Språk engelska Sidantal 63

Referat

Sedan Rysslands invasion av Ukraina den 24 februari 2022 har cirka 37 500 ukrainare anlänt till

Finland för att söka tillfälligt skydd eller asyl (situationen i slutet av augusti). Antalet klienter

som omfattas av Migrationsverkets mottagningstjänster är högre än någonsin tidigare.

I och med de ukrainska yktingarnas ankomst till Finland har det uppstått ett behov av att

få information om deras situation och behov av olika tjänster. För detta ändamål inledde

inrikesministeriet i juni en utredning riktad till ukrainare, som genomfördes i form av en

Webropol-enkät 15.6–6.7.2022. Enkäten genomfördes på ukrainska. Utöver inrikesministeriet

deltog också undervisnings- och kulturministeriet, arbets- och näringsministeriet,

miljöministeriet, social- och hälsovårdsministeriet och Migrationsverket i utarbetandet av

enkäten. Enkäten besvarades av sammanlagt 2 136 personer.

I utredningen kartläggs läget för ukrainare som anlänt till Finland i fråga om deras bakgrund,

utbildning, yrke och språkkunskaper och vilken region i Ukraina de kommer från. Dessutom

utreds ukrainarnas liv i Finland, vilken ort de bor på, situationen i fråga om deras ansökan om

tillfälligt skydd, deras eventuella sysselsättning och studier samt deras barns skolgång. Det

bedöms också hur nöjda ukrainarna är med vissa tjänster vid förläggningen och tillgången till

information. Slutligen utreds också ukrainarnas framtidsplaner. De som besvarade enkäten

hade också möjlighet att skicka hälsningar till myndigheterna i Finland. Utifrån utredningen

ger forskarna även rekommendationer till myndigheterna om hur tjänsterna riktade till

ukrainare borde utvecklas i fortsättningen.

Nyckelord Ukraina, invandring, migration, tjänster

ISBN PDF 978-952-324-562-4 ISSN PDF 2490-077X

URN-adress https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-324-562-4

Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................. 8

1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 11

1.1 Foreword .......................................................................................................... 11

1.2 Methodology and data ...................................................................................... 12

2 Demographics of recently arrived Ukrainians ....................................................... 13

2.1 Age and gender ................................................................................................ 13

2.2 Languages ........................................................................................................ 15

2.3 Education and work in Ukraine .......................................................................... 16

2.4 Regions ............................................................................................................ 17

2.5 Living in Finland ................................................................................................ 19

2.5.1 Time spent in Finland ..................................................................................... 19

2.5.2 Place or residence in Finland ............................................................................ 19

2.5.3 What has had the biggest influence on you deciding to come to Finland? ....................... 21

2.6 Work situation ................................................................................................... 23

2.6.1 Current situation in Finland .............................................................................. 23

2.6.2 Employment status ........................................................................................ 24

2.6.3 Type of employment contract ............................................................................ 25

2.7 Composition of households ............................................................................... 27

2.8 Sources of information about Finland ................................................................ 28

3 Temporary Protection ............................................................................................. 30

3.1 Legal status application in Finland .................................................................... 30

3.2 Evaluation of information about temporary protection or applying for asylum .... 31

3.3 Client status at the reception centre ................................................................... 31

3.4 Accommodation status ..................................................................................... 32

4 Services for persons with Temporary Protection status ....................................... 33

4.1 Use of services .................................................................................................. 33

4.2 Evaluation of services ........................................................................................ 34

4.3 Feedback on the work of reception centres ........................................................ 35

4.4 Help centres ..................................................................................................... 37

5 Views on the Future ................................................................................................ 38

5.1 The next steps ................................................................................................... 38

5.2 Awareness ....................................................................................................... 39

5.3 Schools for children ........................................................................................... 40

5.4 Thinking of return ............................................................................................. 41

5.5 Informed decisions by Ukrainians ...................................................................... 43

6 Feedback for the Finnish government ................................................................... 44

7 Conclusions ............................................................................................................. 46

8 Recommendations .................................................................................................. 51

Appendixes: crosstabulations ................................................................................. 55

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Finnish government wants more effectively to meet the needs of those who have

fled Ukraine. Together with other ministries, the Ministry of the Interior is monitoring the

situation and needs of Ukrainians who have come to Finland.

In addition to demographic information, this report presents the analysis of the situation

and experiences of Ukrainians who have come to Finland in relation to the services

addressing their needs.

The data for this report was gathered by means of an anonymous online survey between

15 June and 6 July 2022. Responses from 2,136 participants were used in the analysis.

Previous studies and reports, as well as information from the Ministry and other public

organisations, was used in the preparation of this report. The purpose of the report

is to provide a detailed overview of the situation of Ukrainians in Finland and offer

recommendations for further development of services.

In the period from the beginning of 2022 to end of the August 2022, Finland has

accommodated over 37,500 Ukrainians citizens seeking protection. This figure exceeds the

previous peak in applications for international protection, in 2015 (32,477 applications).1

This was the first time that, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February

2022, the Temporary Protection Directive was implemented for rapid and effective

assistance for people fleeing the war in Ukraine.2

Based on the survey data, almost every second respondent came to Finland from parts

of Ukraine that were severely affected by the war: the Kharkiv, Kyiv and Donetsk regions.

Many of those who were fleeing the war had earlier ties in Finland: friends, relatives or

experiences of previous work in the country. In Finland, Ukrainians have settled across

almost the entire territory.

1 Migri. Statistics. International protection. Applications 1/2015–12/2015. Altogether 32,477. Online publication

https://tilastot.migri.fi/#applications/23330 Accessed 15 August 2022

2 European Commission (2022) Temporary protection. Online publication. https://home-affairs.ec.europa.

eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/common-european-asylum-system/temporary-protection_en Accessed

8 August 2022

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Of the respondents, 95% have applied for temporary protection status. The right to work

is a particularly crucial element of temporary protection status. Employment is one of

the most important issues raised by Ukrainians throughout this study. Every second

Ukrainian of working age (and even pensioners) expressed their desire to work and 23% of

respondents already have jobs. Among the obstacles for employment, many mentioned

language (only one third of the respondents speak English), complications with

paperwork, challenges in getting childcare (every second respondent lives with minors

and only 31% reported living with a spouse).

Ukrainians claim that they get the best information about Finland online, especially

on Facebook and other social media channels. It seems that government agencies’

communication needs further development to ensure its efficiency and consistency on

multiple platforms. Even though 73% of respondents were satisfied with the information

they acquired regarding temporary protection, the information may need reviewing to

ensure consistency. There is a large need for the provision of additional information about

employment, language studies and the education system, and health and social services.

Over half of Ukrainians arriving are mothers with school-age children (54% of survey

respondents), and one third (37% of survey respondents) have children under school age.

Only 42% of the respondents said that they had received sufficient information about

the Finnish education system. This indicates a need to give special attention to informing

Ukrainians about how to arrange childcare, children’s education, and training for adults

leading to job market placement.

While overall only every fourth Ukrainian (23%) reported that they had found

employment, the general trend in employment is positive. The employment numbers

increased with the time of stay in Finland. For instance, almost every third respondent of

working age who came to Finland during the first month of the war had already found

a job. According to estimates, approximately one out of ten Ukrainians of working age

has registered as a jobseeker so far. TE Offices should intensify their work, first of all by

informing Ukrainians about the employment services available.

Most respondents are planning to work (75%) and study languages (58%), even if for

many, the future is still uncertain. Almost 40% of the respondents have not yet decided

whether they will return to Ukraine. One out of three has decided to return to Ukraine

when the war is over, or sooner. As many as 27% of Ukrainians do not plan to return to

Ukraine. The factors most influencing a desire to stay in Finland are: employment (70%),

continuation of the war (66%), children’s wellbeing (50%), housing in Finland (32%), and

language skills (28%).

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Almost all respondents in the survey (85%) were reception centre customers. Every second

respondent (55%) lives in private accommodation. This draws attention to the necessity to

(i) clarify the life-situation of those who do not use their right to the services provided by

reception centres and (ii) monitor the living conditions in private accommodation.

There are significant differences in the use of services provided by reception centres. Most

often, Ukrainians consult advisory and guidance services at reception centres. The users of

reception services are mostly satisfied with the quality of the services. When referring to

the services provided by reception centres, while the overall evaluations are very positive,

respondents highlighted several topics of concern regarding organisational matters at the

centres (long waiting times, challenges involving communication or information delivery)

or issues with personnel (attitudes and skills). Other questions relate to healthcare,

especially the difficulty of accessing medical attention and the long waiting times.

Two thirds of respondents used services offered by the help centres established by non-

governmental organisations. A large proportion of those who use these centres evaluate

their services positively.

In open feedback to the Finnish government, most respondents express their gratitude.

The government should think about how to convey this gratitude to the Finnish public.

This would cement trust between Ukrainians fleeing the war and the rest of society.

Some aspects of life in Finland and the work of institutions are still not fully clear to

Ukrainians who recently arrived. These are issues related to employment, schooling, the

healthcare system, banking, taxation and their rights after the first year of temporary

protection status.

From the comments by Ukrainians, it is clear that the issue of language requires attention.

The status of Ukrainian language teaching in Finland must be ensured. Primarily, this

includes broadening the teaching of the Ukrainian language in Finnish vocational schools

and universities. In the future, it would be good to have more workers at government

agencies and in industries who speak Ukrainian and are familiar with Ukrainian culture.

This will help in understanding Ukrainians who have relocated to Finland and support

their needs. This is important for reducing the influence of Russian narratives when

addressing issues regarding those who have fled the war in Ukraine.

Further research about Ukrainians in Finland is needed. The themes could include more

detailed examination on such topics as employment, the efficiency of government

services and the needs of young people and families, as well as comparative studies of the

situations of Ukrainian seekers of protection in different European countries.

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

1 Introduction

1.1 Foreword

As at the end of August 2022, over 37,500 Ukrainians have submitted applications for

temporary protection or asylum. This figure exceeds the number of refugees that arrived

in Finland as part of the refugee flow from Middle East, Western Asia and Africa that

peaked in 2015. The first four months after the escalation of Russian military aggression

against Ukraine saw the largest wave of immigration into Finland since World War II.

Of Ukrainians who applied for temporary protection, the majority (66%) were women and

34% were men. Some 36% of the applicants were minors. Those of working age made up

about 60%3.

The future of many Ukrainians remains uncertain and some of the key decisions will

depend on the development of the security situation in Ukraine. However, it is important

to monitor their situation in Finland with the aim of improving their integration process.

This report offers some preliminary findings that are important in setting the direction of

the future work of government agencies, municipalities and other organisations regarding

support of people with temporary protection status in Finland.

In June–July 2022, the Ministry of the Interior conducted a survey of Ukrainians who have

fled the war in Ukraine and arrived in Finland. A total of 2,181 responses were collected.

Respondents were asked to share, among other things, their reasons for choosing Finland,

their experiences of the services provided by reception centres, and their needs related to

work and study. In addition, respondents were asked to share their thoughts concerning

their plans to return to Ukraine or stay in Finland.

The Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Economic Affairs

and Employment, Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health,

and the Finnish Immigration Service participated in drafting the questionnaire.

3 Migri. Statistics. International protection. Online publication https://tilastot.migri.fi/#applications/23330

Accessed 15 August 2022

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

This report aims to help the government agencies and other organisations to anticipate

better the needs of Ukrainians in Finland regarding, for instance, early childhood

education, school places and employment services.

1.2 Methodology and data

The survey was conducted among Ukrainians who arrived in Finland because of the

Russian aggression against Ukraine. Links to the online questionnaire in the Ukrainian

language were distributed through the social media channels of the Ministry of the

Interior as well as through the Ministry’s stakeholders. Invitations to answer the survey

questions were also posted in Facebook and Telegram communities of Ukrainians in

Finland. The Webropol platform was used. The survey was open from 15 June until

6 July 2022.

The total number of responses collected was 2,181. During evaluation of the quality of the

sample, 45 survey responses were excluded from further analysis as they did not represent

the target group (for example, they were Finnish citizens or had lived in Finland for more

than one year). The final size of the sample used for analysis was 2,136.

Invitations to complete the survey were posted on a broad range of social media channels,

including multiple Facebook and Telegram groups of Ukrainians in Finland, the pages of

a number of local initiatives, and on official websites. This allowed for broad geographical

representation in the sample. At the stage of data collection, no filters or eligibility criteria

were applied to shape the sample. A convenience sampling meant that respondents

voluntarily made decisions about taking part in the survey and invitations to participate

were not individualised.4

4 Wolf, Joye, D., Smith, T. W., Fu, Y., & Smith, T. W. (2016) The SAGE handbook of survey methodology. SAGE.

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

2 Demographics of recently

arrived Ukrainians

2.1 Age and gender

After 24 February 2022, men aged between 18 and 60 were not allowed to leave Ukraine,

due to martial law.5 As a result, females make up most of the adult population fleeing the

war in Ukraine. In the online survey, 85% of respondents were female and 15% were male.

Table 1 presents the age structure of the adult population of Ukrainians with temporary

protection status in Finland according to the Finnish Immigration Service, Migri.

Table 1. Age structure of adult applicants for temporary protection. Source: Migri

Age of persons who applied for temporary protection Percentage of respondents

18–21 7.7

22–29 15.2

30–39 32.5

40–49 22.6

50–64 15.1

65+ 6.8

The age structure of the adult population that participated in the online survey is

presented in Table 2. When the statistics from the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri)

and from the survey are compared, one can see that youth and adults under 45 years old

are over-represented in respondents to the survey, while adults aged over 46 are under-

represented. This must be taken into account when examining the survey results related to

the employment situation, for example, as well as when planning future surveys.

5 Ukrainian Laws in Wartime: Guide for International and Domestic Businesses (2022) https://www.

bakermckenzie.com/-/media/files/insight/guides/2022/guide-to-ukrainian-laws-in-wartime-fourth-edition.pdf

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Table 2. The age structure of the adult population in the online survey sample.

Age (only adults) Percentage of respondents

18–25 10.5

26–35 31.2

36–45 35.7

46–55 14.1

56–65 7.0

66+ 1.4

Such a trend is common in online surveys with similar sampling procedures. The youngest

and oldest respondents were not especially targeted during the process of recruiting

respondents. Children aged 10–17 and those aged 66 and older made up only 1.5% and

1.4%, respectively, of those who took part in the survey (Table 3).

Table 3. The age structure of all respondents in the online survey, including children.

Age (all respondents) Percentage of respondents

10–17 1.5

18–25 10.4

26–35 30.8

36–45 35.2

46–55 13.9

56–65 6.8

66+ 1.4

The age structure of the survey respondents (Figure 1) demonstrates that a significant

proportion of the respondents are between 26 and 45 years old. More young boys than

girls answered the questionnaire (4.5% of boys aged 10–17 and 1% of girls in the same age

group).

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Figure 1. The age–gender pyramid of respondents in the online survey.

2.2 Languages

Most of the Ukrainians who participated in the survey are bilingual and speak both

Ukrainian and Russian. About every third respondent (31%) said that their knowledge of

English was sufficient for work or study (Table 4).

Table 4. Responses to the item, Choose the languages that you know well enough to work or study in.

Most of the Ukrainians are bilingual and speak Ukrainian

(97%) and Russian (94%).

Percentage of respondents

Ukrainian 97

Russian 94

English 31

Other 5

The survey did not pose a question about the preferred language of communication

for Ukrainians. Surveys in Ukraine demonstrate a clear decrease in the use of Russian in

everyday life: from about 40% in 2012 to 18% at the beginning of the full-scale Russian

10%

31%

37%

14%

29%

27%

14%

0–17

8–25

6–35

6–45

6–55

6–65

66+

Age and gender pyramid of the online survey respondends

Female Male

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

invasion.6 We should not overlook the fact that, for some Ukrainians, the use of the

Ukrainian language in everyday life may enhance their feeling of safety and emotional

comfort. This aspect of language and the related cultural issues was not studied in more

detail in this survey.

2.3 Education and work in Ukraine

The Ukrainians who participated in the survey are highly educated, as every second

respondent (48%) had a university education to Master’s degree level (Table 5). The rest

of the respondents had incomplete higher education (16%) or professional education at

vocational school level (28%).

Table 5. The distribution of answers to, The highest obtained level of education.

Level of education Percentage of respondents

Higher education (at least Master’s degree) 48

Vocational school, professional education 28

Incomplete higher education (at least Bachelor’s degree) 16

Secondary school or lower 7

Other 1

The most common occupational groups (Table 6) were trained professionals (20%),

service and sales personnel (17%), specialised experts (12%), and office and customer

service workers (12%). Prior to coming to Finland, approximately one third of respondents

worked in higher ranked positions as managers (7%) or skilled professionals (20%) or were

entrepreneurs (8%). A similar proportion belonged to population groups in Ukraine with

lower salaries, such as service workers (17%) or office workers (12%). The early estimates

suggest that about 4.8 million jobs have been lost in Ukraine since the escalation of

military conflict in February 2022.7

6 Sociological Group “Rating” (2022) The Tenth National Survey: Ideological markers of the war (April 27,

2022). Online publication, accessed 9 August 2002 https://ratinggroup.ua/en/research/ukraine/desyatyy_

obschenacionalnyy_opros_ideologicheskie_markery_voyny_27_aprelya_2022.html also Stern, D., Klemko,

R., Dixon, R. (2022) War impels many in Ukraine to abandon Russian language and culture. The Washington

Post. Online publication, accessed 9 August 2002 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/12/

ukrainians-abandon-russian-language/

7 ILO (2022) The impact of the Ukraine crisis on the world of work: initial assessments, ILO

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Table 6. The distribution of answers to the question, What was your profession before you left Ukraine?

Occupation Percentage of respondents

Expert, highly skilled professional 20

Service and sales worker 17

Specialist 12

Oce and customer service worker 12

Other 11

Entrepreneur 8

Manager 7

Construction, repair and manufacturing worker 5

Student 4

Process and transport worker 2

Agriculture or forest worker 1

2.4 Regions

A significant proportion of the Ukrainians with temporary protection status in Finland

arrived from the regions of Ukraine that were targets for the Russian army’s most intensive

attacks (Figure 2). The largest group, 18.4% of all respondents, came from the Kharkiv

region (neighbouring the Russian Federation and the Luhansk and Donetsk regions);

16.1% came from Kyiv and the Kyiv region (neighbouring Belarus, and one of the main

avenues of the Russian military assault in February 2022); 12.1% came from the Donetsk

region (neighbouring the Russian Federation and the territories that have not been

under Ukrainian government control since 2014); 5.5% came from the Zaporizhya region

(neighbouring the Donetsk and Kherson regions); 5.3% came from the Dnipropetrovsk

region (neighbouring the Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhya regions); and 5.1% came from

the Cherkassy region (neighbouring the Kyiv region). At the time of writing this report,

Ukraine is unsafe because of continuing missile strikes. It is likely that the homes of many

people arriving from these regions have been destroyed or damaged. Nonetheless, in

July 2022, the largest numbers of returnees in Ukraine were reported in the Kyiv and

Kyiv region, the Kharkiv region and the Odessa and Chernihiv regions, according to the

International Organization for Migration.8

8 International Organization for Migration (2002) Ukraine Internal Displacement Report, Round 7, July 2022, IOM

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Figure 2. A map of Ukraine’s regions representing the distribution of answers to the question, Where in Ukraine did you live before arriving in Finland? (The numbers are percentages.)

Where in Ukraine did you live before arriving in Finland?

0,7

0,0

1,3

0,6

1,1

1,0

0,2

3,3

3,1

12,1

18,4

Kharkiv oblast

Kyiv oblast

16,1

Donetsk oblast

2,9

4,1

1,2

5,1

2,6

2,4

2,7

3,3

0,0

5,3

Dnipropetrovsk oblast

Zaporizhzhia oblast

Cherkasy oblast

5,5

0,4

0,0

18,4

Percent

Palvelun tarjoaa Bing

@ GeoNames, Microsoft, TomTom

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

2.5 Living in Finland

2.5.1 Time spent in Finland

Most respondents arrived in Finland during the first few days of the war (56%) in late

February, and during March or April (Table 7). One in three respondents (34%) arrived

during May–June, and 10% arrived more recently, in June–July or less than one month

prior to taking part in the survey. Only a handful (1%) were in Finland earlier and could not

return to their homes in Ukraine.

Table 7. The distribution of answers to the question, How long have you lived in Finland?

Time in Finland Percentage of respondents

3–5 months 55.7

1–2 months 33.7

Less than one month 9.3

6–11 months 1.4

2.5.2 Place or residence in Finland

After arriving in Finland, Ukrainians have settled in municipalities across the entire

country. Almost every respondent stated in the questionnaire the name of the town or

village where he or she was living. In total, 1,962 responses were collected, demonstrating

that respondents live in as many as 273 municipalities, towns and villages (Figure 3). 13.1%

of respondents live in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area (Helsinki 7.2%, Espoo 3.5%, Vantaa

2.8%, Kauniainen 0.2%).

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Figure 3. Municipalities and regions where survey respondents live. Table 8. The distribution of answers to

the question, Where do you live in Finland?

(Table only includes answers ≥1%)

Municipality Responses Percentage

Where do you live in Finland?

7,2

Percent

Palvelun tarjoaa Bing

@ GeoNames, Microsoft, TomTom

Helsinki 153 7.2

Pori 74 3.5

Espoo 61 2.9

Vantaa 60 2.8

Lahti 55 2.6

Riihimäki 55 2.6

Turku 54 2.5

Oulu 49 2.3

Joensuu 48 2.3

Jyväskylä 48 2.3

Kajaani 46 2.2

Kotka 46 2.2

Tampere 42 2.0

Kuopio 41 1.9

Jämsä 35 1.6

Vaasa 34 1.6

Kristiinankaupunki 28 1.3

Pietarsaari 28 1.3

Rovaniemi 26 1.2

Porvoo 24 1.1

Järvenpää 23 1.1

Rauma 22 1.0

Salo 22 1.0

Somero 22 1.0

Other 865 34.4

No answer 164 7.7

Total 2125 100

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2.5.3 What has had the biggest influence on you deciding

to come to Finland?

Ukrainians fleeing from the war to the safety of other countries gave a broad range of

reasons as to why they have chosen Finland as their destination country in which to apply

for temporary protection. When asked about what influenced their choice, respondents

had the option of giving more than one answer.

Among the rational reasons for choosing Finland (Table 9) the most common were:

Finland’s good reputation (51%); ties to Finland through relatives and friends (42%); an

opportunity to find a job or study in Finland (18%); and knowledge about Finland based

on earlier visits (11%). Only 4% had a pre-arranged workplace in Finland.

Table 9. The distribution of answers to the question, What has had the biggest influence on you deciding

to come to Finland?

Categories Percentage of respondents

Finland’s good reputation 51

I have friends/relatives in Finland 43

Work or study opportunities 18

I have visited Finland before 15

Other 11

I had a job in Finland 4

It is hard to estimate how many Ukrainians have chosen Finland irrationally (not relying

on previous knowledge or having ties to or plans in Finland). When analyzing the

138 answers to an open-ended question about the reasons for choosing Finland, ‘war’ was

the most frequently mentioned (39) reason (Table 10). Here are several examples of such

descriptions of the war leading to a sometimes accidental choice of Finland: “Fleeing the

war, I found an ad about evacuation to Finland”; “I wanted to run away from the war”9; “ To

take the children away from the war wherever possible. There was such a task”; “Fled with

a child from the war in Ukraine, specifically from Donbas.”

9 Quotes throughout the report were selected from answers to open-ended questions and are not

representative for all respondents.

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Table 10. What had the biggest influence on you deciding to come to Finland? Answers to open-ended

question about ‘other reasons’.

Categories Number of mentions

‘War’ 39

‘By chance’ 22

‘Finland’ 16

‘Husband’ 11

‘Ukraine’ 10

‘Away’ 6

‘Children’ 6

In 22 statements, the respondents said that their decision to come to Finland was due

to chance or external forces (such as lack of money, deportation to Russia, or someone’s

advice). This indicates that a person had little or no control over where he or she was going

in the search for safety: “There was enough money only to [get to] Finland, it was possible

to flee only through Russia”; “[I] Took the bus wherever it went”; “Volunteers offered

a ride”; “By accident”; “The only country where I could go from Donetsk”; “We went there

where we arrived”; “We didn’t know that we would get here”; “As a safe place [Finland] was

offered in the refugee centre in Poland”.

Poland was mentioned in several answers. By 3 August 2022, Poland had received

approximately 1.3 million people (about twice the population of Helsinki) who registered

for temporary protection. This is more than any other EU country.

When describing their reasons for choosing Finland, the word ‘country’ was mentioned

only 16 times (see Figure 4) in phrases that predominantly referred to the respondent’s

connections to Finland, geographical location, or other favourable conditions for choosing

this country: “My mother used to work in Finland”; “Acquaintances used to live in Finland

and I stayed with friends here”; “My family was planning to move to Finland”; “They bought

me a ticket to Finland with a 95% discount”; “I had only enough money to escape to

Finland through Russia”.

Having family ties, such as a Finnish spouse or a spouse working in Finland, was

mentioned 11 times, in phrases such as: “My husband works here”; “Husband found a job”;

“Husband works in Finland”; “My husband worked in Finland for two years before the war”.

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Figure 4. A word cloud based on the most frequently used words in the answers to the open-ended question,

What has had the biggest inuence on you deciding to come to Finland?

The word cloud visualises answers to the open-ended question about what the main

influence was on the decision to come to Finland.

2.6 Work situation

2.6.1 Current situation in Finland

About 23% of respondents said that they were employed, 34% were learning the

language, 4% said they were retired, and just above 3% were studying (Table 11). As many

as 36% said that they did not belong to any of the above-mentioned groups.

Table 11. The distribution of answers to the question: What is your work situation in Finland?

Current situation Percent of respondents

None of the mentioned 35.9

I am learning the language 33.8

I am working 22.9

I am retired 3.9

I am a student 3.4

war

nland

husband

country

ukraine

away

children

child

volunteers

occupied

work

good

people

nnish

nearest

possible

territory

oered

ran

temporary

used

case

live

opportunity

stayed

relatives

russia

friends

refugee

future

works

help

life

safety

safe

european

station

agreed

nancial

acquaintances

protection

attack

occupation

living

shelter

political

accident

start

turned

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Interestingly, the employment level is the same among women and men. Nonetheless,

employment levels are higher when:

y a respondent had vocational school professional education (27%) or

incomplete higher education (25%);

y a respondent previously worked in Ukraine in agriculture or the forestry

sector (27%), construction or repair (26%), or as entrepreneur (25%);

y a worker speaks English (30%).

We must note that there can be significant differences between the occupational groups.

For instance, IT professionals may have significantly greater employment opportunities

when compared to other highly educated experts.

Also, it is difficult to estimate how many people work remotely in Ukraine (for example

IT experts or teachers). Further research is needed to clarify how seasonal work (for

instance in agriculture) and remote work (for an employer abroad) affect the employment

situation in Finland.

2.6.2 Employment status

As many as 59% of working Ukrainians said that they have full-time contracts, and 28%

said that they had part-time contracts (Table 12). A few respondents among those who

chose ‘Other’ were seasonal workers at farms and could not identify what kind of contract

they had.

Table 12. The distribution of answers to the question, If you are employed, what is your employment

status?

Employment status Percentage of respondents

Full-time 58.8

Part-time 28

Zero-hours contract 7.5

Entrepreneur 0.8

Other 4.8

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2.6.3 Type of employment contract

The majority of workers (65%) had a temporary job in Finland (Table 13). Every third

working Ukrainian had a permanent contract and 2.5% (or 12 persons) responded that

they did not have any contract at all. This could also mean a probation period at a new

workplace, or shadow employment.

Table 13. The distribution of answers to the question, If you are employed, what is your employment

contract?

Employment contract Percentage of respondents

Temporary 64.9

Permanent 32.6

I have no contract 2.5

While only 31% of respondents said that they can speak English, English language

proficiency is the highest among those studying and working.

Importantly, over time, the employment rate increases (Figure 5). This increase may be

a temporary phenomenon. Every year, Finland has provided thousands of Ukrainians with

seasonal work. It is likely that many found jobs on farms for the harvesting season. We

should not exclude the possibility that at the end of the agricultural season there will be

a less positive situation in the number of employed Ukrainians in Finland.

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Figure 5. The employment situation of those who have been in Finland for less than one month, for

1–2 months and 3–5 months (percentage of all Ukrainians of working age who applied or got temporary

protection in Finland)

According to the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), at the time of this study in early July,

of all 31,500 Ukrainians with temporary protection, some 60% (or 18,900) are of working

age (between 15 and 74 years old). According to the survey, 36% of respondents (almost

all of them of working age) were not working or studying, while 34% were studying

languages. So, as many as 70% of the respondents of working age (approximately 13,200

persons at the time of study) were potential clients of TE Offices, of which only 1,704 (13%)

were registered as jobseekers at TE Offices.

The right to work offered by the Temporary Protection Directive has an extremely

significant role in improving the situation of temporary immigrants. However, public

service providers should aim to communicate more effectively about what they offer to

this specific audience, as it seems that many could benefit from becoming jobseekers and

having access to the broad range of services available to jobseekers in Finland.

18%

28%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

less than one month 1–2 months 3–5 months

The employment situation of those who have been in Finland for under one month,

for 1–2 months and 3–5 months

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2.7 Composition of households

Every second respondent (51%) said that they are living with children under 18 (Figure

6). Among the women of working age (18–65-year-olds), this number increases slightly

to 56% (974). Meanwhile, only 31% of men of working age reported living in a household

with children under school age. Among those who reported the age of their children, 46%

said that they live in a household where at least one child is under seven years old, and

54% live in a household with a child of school age.

Figure 6. The distribution of answers to the question, With whom do you live in Finland?

In total, 729 respondents indicated that they share a household in Finland with children

under 18. Of them, 59% live with only one child, 32% live with two children, 7% live with

three children and 2% live with four or more children (Table 14).

Table 14. Households with children under the age of 18 among respondents in Finland who indicated the

age of their children, in comparison to the indicators in Ukraine.

Number of children Survey in Finland (%) Ukraine’s Statistics Service (%)

One child 59.5 79.4

Two children 31.8 18.1

Three children 6.7 2.2

Four or more children 1.9 0.3

10%

14%

31%

51%

a grandparent

a father

with uncle/aunt or other relative

with relatives or acquaintances with children

other

with neighbors/friends

alone

with one or more adult children

mother

a spouse

with one or more children under the age of 18

With whom do you live in Finland?

(multiple options are possible)

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The data from the online survey for a population with temporary protection status

suggests that, compared to the average composition of households in Ukraine, people

who arrived from Ukraine are more likely to live in households with a greater number

of children. For instance, in Ukraine, as many as 79% of households include only one

child,10 while among the Ukrainian respondents in Finland, 59.5% are in a household with

one child. In Ukraine, 18% of households include two children, while in households of

Ukrainians who fled to Finland, 31.8% of respondents reported living with two children. In

Ukraine, only 2.2% have three children, and 0.3% have four and more children under the

age of 18, whereas among Ukrainians in Finland responding to the online survey, it is 6.7%

and 1.9%, respectively.

Out of those who reported the age of their children, 54% had a child of school age, 37%

had a child of daycare age and 9% had a 6-year-old in their household (Table 15).

Table 15. Reported age of own children living in the same household.

Age of children For the youngest child (%) For the second child (%)

School age, 7–17 54.1 79

Daycare age, 1–5 36.9 16.9

Pre-school, aged six years old 9.1 3.7

Only 5% of respondents reported that they live in the same household as someone

else’s children. In almost 70% of such households, the children are between seven and

17 years old.

2.8 Sources of information about Finland

Almost all respondents (1,856) gave an answer to the open-ended question, Where do

you find the best information about life in Finland? and mentioned one or several sources

of information. In total there were 2,347 mentions of various information sources. These

answers were divided into the categories presented in Figure 7.

10 State Statistics Service of Ukraine (2020) Children, females and family in Ukraine. Kyiv.

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Figure 7. Categorised answers to the question, Where do you nd the best information about Finland and

life here?

Out of these mentions, most answers (1,788) referred to various sources of information

online: Facebook (683), unspecified internet sources (650), Telegram (202), unspecified

social networks (201) or official government websites/channels such as Migri.fi, Kela.fi,

Vero.fi, and the TE Office (52).

The fact that many respondents used a general term, ‘internet’, as the source of

information about Finland, made it hard to determine precisely which internet site or

network they were referring to.

Mentions of ‘Other residents, friends and family’ were included 300 times. Ukrainians

referred to their ‘neighbours’, ‘family members’ and ‘Finns’. ‘Help centres, volunteers and

NGOs’ was mentioned 138 times. For example, answers such as ‘Luckan’ (the network of

Finnish–Swedish cultural centres in Finland), ‘Help Centre in Helsinki’ (the help centre

established by the Ukrainian Association in Finland in Helsinki, Valilla) or ‘Ukrainian

Association’ (e.g. Ukrainian Association in Finland) came up. There were 67 explicit

mentions of reception centres or ‘Refugee Centres’ info sessions’. Answers in the category

‘Other’ (54 mentions) include references to comments like: “it is really hard to find

information” or “can’t find it anywhere”.

It is safe to conclude that the respondents represented in the survey claim to obtain the

best information about Finland and life in Finland online, especially on Facebook and

other social media.

683

650

300

202

201

138

Facebook

Unspecied internet sources

From other residents in Finland, friends and family

Unspecied social networks

Help Centers, volunteers and NGOs

Reception centres

Other

Governmental channels and oces

Where do you nd the best information about Finland and life here?

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

3 Temporary Protection

3.1 Legal status application in Finland

Of the 2,117 respondents who answered the question about their migration status in

Finland, 94.5% (or 2,000) said that they had applied for the temporary protection, 3%

(73) said that they had applied for asylum and only 2% (44) are in Finland on other legal

grounds (Table 16). Among those respondents who had applied for temporary protection,

186 answered that they were not clients at a reception centre.

Table 16. The distribution of answers to the question, Have you applied for temporary protection or

asylum in Finland?

Answers Frequency Percentage Among clients

of a reception

centre (%)

Among non-

clients of

reception

centres (%)

Applied for temporary

protection 2,000 94.5 95.8 81.5

Yes, I applied for asylum 73 3.4 3.7 2.3

No, I did not apply for

temporary protection or asylum 44 2.1 0.4 16.2

In the 37 answers collected to the open-ended question about the reasons the respondent

did not apply for temporary protection or asylum, the most common reply was that

the respondent had applied for a residence permit on the grounds of work or family

reunification (13). Other answers included: “I have a place where I can live”; “I didn’t have

time to apply [for temporary protection]”; “I am planning to apply”; “Because I want to be

able to return to my husband”.

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

3.2 Evaluation of information about temporary protection

or applying for asylum

At the end of July 2022, most respondents (73%) said that they were satisfied (47% very

satisfied; 26% somewhat satisfied) with the information they received about temporary

protection status (Table 17). Only 8% were not satisfied, and 19% could not decide.

Table 17. The distribution of answers to the question, Are you satisfied with the information you received

about temporary protection or applying for asylum?

Answers Frequency Percentage

Very satised 990 47

Somewhat satised 542 26

Dicult to say 398 19

Somewhat dissatised 134 6

Very dissatised 42 2

As many as 1,335 respondents answered the open-ended question, What would you like

to know more about?, which followed the set of questions about temporary protection.

Every second response concerned the topic of employment and the right to work: “work,

because now it’s vacation and in September I won’t be able to leave four of my boys with

my pensioner father”; “about kindergartens and employment opportunities”; “how a single

mom can find a job”; “[about] kindergartens for children under three years old while the

mother intensively studies the language for further employment”; “about working without

knowledge of the language, about health services”.

3.3 Client status at the reception centre

When respondents were asked if they were a client of a reception centre, a majority (85%)

responded that they were (Table 18). As many as 15% said that they were not clients (10%)

or did not answer this question (5% missing answers). In this group, of respondents who

said that they were not clients of a reception centre (222), the majority (83%) had applied

for temporary protection or asylum. Those who did not answer this question indicated

earlier that they had applied for temporary protection or asylum.

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Table 18. Are you a client of a reception centre? (That is, are you registered at a reception centre and do

you receive, for example, cash assistance?)

Answers Frequency Percentage

Yes 1,803 85

No 222 10

(Missing answers) 100 5

3.4 Accommodation status

Less than one third of respondents (28%) said that they were living in a reception centre

(Table 19). Almost everyone who answered ‘other’ and provided additional information

about housing was in fact living in private accommodation: “I live in a municipal

apartment from the [reception] centre”; ” [I live] in the premises of the Red Cross”;

”Accommodation on a farm”; ” My husband’s employer, _____, rents us an apartment”;

”[I live] with friends”; “We live in a Finnish family.”

Table 19. Do you live in a reception centre or in private accommodation?

Answers Frequency Percentage

Live in reception centre 505 28

Live in private accommodation 984 55

Other 290 16

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4 Services for persons with Temporary

Protection status

4.1 Use of services

The data suggests that Ukrainian clients of reception centres most often use counselling

services (Figure 8). As many as 82% had used advisory and guidance services at least once

or more often during the past month and 73% had used the services of a social worker or

counsellor. Every second respondent (54%) said that during the past few months she or he

used the services of a nurse. In the reception centres, among other tasks, nurses perform

the initial health examination that is legally required but not obligatory for all adults.

Therefore adults are highly likely to meet or interact with a nurse even when they regard

themselves healthy.

Figure 8. Usage of reception services in the last month (%)

About 65% have used the services of non-governmental organisations or religious

organisations (for instance, help centres that were set up by these organisations).

According to the data, help centres and other support organisations have been frequently

visited: almost every third respondent (29%) had used their services three or more

times during the past month. The clients of help centres also tend to give more positive

evaluation of their work (see Table 20, section 4.2.).

22%

15%

29%

60%

58%

46%

36%

18%

27%

46%

35%

advisory and guidance services

the services of a social worker or counsellor

health services

services of a non-governmental or

religious organisations

Usage of reception services in the last month

3 times or more often 1–2 times did not use

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

4.2 Evaluation of services

The reception services are provided primarily by reception centres. Nevertheless, since the

start of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, many NGOs and religious organisations,

and some municipalities, have established help centres for Ukrainians. These help centres

can be focused on a very specific type of help (collecting and distributing clothes or food)

or on a broader range of services (serving as platforms and coordinating the efforts of

many organisations). These services by help centres and NGOs are rarely standardised or

centrally coordinated. They are supplementary to the work of government agencies.

Overall, customers of reception centres positively evaluate their services. The best points

were attributed to instructors at advisory and guidance services and to social workers’

services. For both of these, about 71% of the evaluations were positive (Table 20).

While healthcare services received predominantly positive feedback, they also received

the largest share of uncertain respondents (33%). As was demonstrated in Figure 8,

healthcare services are least intensively used by reception centre customers. This could

be due to, for instance, difficulties in reaching a specialist. The healthcare system in

Ukraine is somewhat different from the Finnish one: for instance, in Ukraine, patients

have more direct access to specialist doctors.11 Some Ukrainians may need more time for

familiarisation with how the healthcare system functions in Finland.

Table 20. Evaluation of services provided by reception centres and help centres (%)

Services of

instructors at

reception centre

(RC)

Services of social

workers (at RC)

Services of

healthcare workers

(at RC)

Services of help

centres

Very good 39.8 39.9 34.4 57.2

Good 31 30.6 21 31.3

Dicult to say 20.7 21.4 32.9 9.3

Poor 5.9 5.6 6.7 1.4

Very poor 2.6 2.6 4.9 0.8

On the other hand, customer satisfaction with the work of help centres is remarkably

high (88.5% described their work positively). In comparison to services offered by the

11 Romaniuk, P., Semigina, T. Ukrainian health care system and its chances for successful transition from Soviet

legacies. Global Health 14, 116 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-018-0439-5

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

reception centres, non-governmental organisations usually operate on a smaller scale

and volunteers may work specifically for Ukrainians, often offering humanitarian help and

supportive information.

4.3 Feedback on the work of reception centres

A total of 1,035 free-form responses were analyzed regarding the services provided by the

reception centres, and the summary of this analysis is presented in this chapter.

Some 53% of the 1,035 respondents gave positive feedback regarding the work of

reception centres and their staff. A total of 40% expressed concerns, left suggestions or

referred to problems they experienced in reception centres.

In their feedback on the work of reception centres, respondents mentioned a range of

issues, which we categorised by topic (number of mentions in parentheses):

y Organisational issues (231) – pointing particularly to slowness and waiting

time, issues in the delivery of information (lack of timely delivery or topics

not covered), or issues related to the phone/email follow-up process and

communication, among other things.

y Personnel/sta-related factors (193) – such as perceived attitudes, perceived

level of competence or the lack of a common language for communication.

y Healthcare (87) – long waiting process for an appointment or the perceived

quality of service, as well as diculties in accessing healthcare.

y Financial matters (24) – mentions of delays in payment and lack of

information regarding nancial support.

y Accommodation (17) – living conditions, distance to the reception centre or

municipal services, the state of household items/appliances, co-living with

strangers.

y Concerns about other services (12) – such as the quality of food (expiry date

or type of nutrition provided) or lack of emotional support/psychological

help services.

Questions related to organisational issues, particularly ‘delivery of information’, mainly

referred to the perception that relevant information about Finland and life here was

not gathered from the authorities and presented or communicated in a clear or timely

manner. Secondly, the slowness of and the waiting time for the reception centre’s services

(such as receiving consultation or medical attention) were mentioned. Thirdly, there were

concerns about follow-up communication, such as SMS and/or email.

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Quoted below are example responses regarding organisational issues, such as the delivery

of information:

“The information in printed files does not correspond to reality 100%”; “The SMS

messaging should be fixed in terms of its currency and accuracy”

In 193 comments regarding Personnel, there were 217 mentions of concerns regarding:

y the personnel’s language skills, e.g. the lack of Ukrainian-speaking

personnel/a lack of translators (82),

y the perceived level of competence of employees (82),

y perceived issues in personal attitudes, e.g. negligence, rudeness, etc. (53).

Examples:

“Not enough Ukrainian language. Everyone speaks maximum Russian. And

in English, although I know it, it is still difficult to understand each other

sometimes.”

(Personnel – Language skills)

“Very attentive and positive personnel, but not always competent in important

questions.”

(Personnel – Level of competence)

“In the Refugee Reception Centre of [name omitted], the workers explain

absolutely nothing, they are not advising and not helping. They talk to us rudely

and tell us to leave.”

(Personnel – Attitude)

Out of 87 comments making a reference to Healthcare, some included mentions to

specific issues regarding:

y waiting time and other diculties in getting an appointment (69),

y perceived quality of service (16).

Example:

“Very long waiting time to get a doctor appointment”

(Healthcare – Waiting time)

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

With the least amount of mentions, 24 answers referenced Financial matters, including

mentions to:

y delays in payment (14),

y lack of information regarding nancial support (7),

y problems with the support amount (4).

In conclusion, most mentioned concerns in feedback to reception centers were related

to organisational issues of the centres, followed by perceived issues with the centres’

personnel.

4.4 Help centres

Across Finland, civil society and religious organisations and, in some instances,

municipalities maintain help centres aimed at helping Ukrainians. Food and humanitarian

aid are among the most used services (see Figure 9). Regarding other services, every

fourth respondent mentioned using consultation on housing and accommodation,

education and employment services. Every fifth respondent mentioned receiving

consultation on health services, while only 10% mentioned that they used emotional and

psychological support services at help centres. Further research is needed to map in more

detail the needs of refugees regarding emotional and psychological support.

Figure 9. Services at help centres used by Ukrainians (%). Multiple answers possible.

78%

70%

25%

24%

23%

21%

10%

food aid

humanitarian aid

ousultation on housing and accommodation

cousultation on education

cousultation on employment

cousultation on health services

emotional and psychological support

other

What services have you used?

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

5 Views on the Future

5.1 The next steps

When asked about the future (see Figure 10), the majority want to work (75% of all

respondents, and 89% of those working) and study Finnish or Swedish (58% of all

respondents). The desire to work is also strong among those who currently do not have

a job (71%) and even among those who described their own status as pensioners (39%).

Figure 10. The distribution of answers to the question, Which of these would you like to do next? Multiple

answers were possible. The comparison is between all respondents, and those who are working, studying,

learning languages, retired, or do not belong to any of these groups.

Those respondents who answered ‘Other’ and wrote their own answer (78) most

frequently also mentioned learning a language, working and studying as their plans.

Among the 577 respondents who were not planning to return to Ukraine, some 554

answered the question about their plans for the future: 75% are planning to work; 70% are

planning to study; 22.8% are planning to learn Finnish or Swedish (Table 21).

75%

89%

51%

71%

39%

75%

58%

46%

54%

70%

50%

54%

16%

15%

49%

18%

13%

24%

All respondents

I'm working

I'm studying

I learn languages

I am retired

None of the above-mentioned

Which of these would you like to do next?

to work to learn Finnish or Swedish to study other

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Table 21. The distribution of answers to the question, Which of these would you like to do next? among

respondents who said that they were not planning to return to Ukraine. (Multiple answers possible.)

Number Percentage

To work 432 75.3

To study 403 70.2

To learn Finnish or Swedish 131 22.8

Other 23 4.0

5.2 Awareness

Only 42% of respondents said that they have received sufficient information about the

Finnish education system (Table 22). Every second respondent has received sufficient

information about the employment opportunities and other services in Finland. In

comparison to working respondents, those who do not work, study, learn a language or

are retired are less likely to receive information about employment opportunities and

services in Finland.

Table 22. The distribution of answers to the questions, Have you received enough information about the

Finnish education system? and, Have you received enough information about employment opportunities

and employment services in Finland? (%)

Answers Enough information

about the Finnish

education system

Enough information

about employment

opportunities and

employment services

in Finland

A subgroup of

working respondents,

about receiving

enough information

on employment

opportunities and

employment services

in Finland

A subgroup of

respondents who are

not working or studying,

about receiving

enough information

on employment

opportunities and

employment services in

Finland

Yes 42.4 50.4 60.3 40.3

No 57.6 49.6 39.7 59.7

Ukrainians who participated in the survey expressed their need for more information

about employment (73%), language studies (65%), health (59%) and social services (48%),

and education opportunities (43%) (see Figure 11). Only 16% mentioned a need for

psychological support, although we would expect that the need for psychological support

is much greater.

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Figure 11. Distribution of answers to a question, Which services do you need more information about at the

moment? Multiple responses possible.

5.3 Schools for children

The majority of respondents with children said that their children were in school (54%) or

in pre-school education (Table 23).

Table 23. The distribution of answers to the question, Are your children in school or pre-school education?

Answers Number Percentage

Yes 809 54.1

No 685 45.9

Every third respondent said that their children continue to study in Ukraine but at the

same time also study or want to study in Finland (Figure 12). Some 18% said that their

children study only at a Finnish school, and 14.7% planned to continue distance learning

in Ukrainian schools when the school year starts in the fall (September).

73%

65%

59%

48%

43%

16%

About employment services

About studying the language

About health services

About social services

bout educational opportunities

About psychological support

Other

Which services would you need more information about at the moment?

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Figure 12. The distribution of answers to the question, Are your children studying remotely in Ukraine? (%)

5.4 Thinking of return

We observed that every third survey respondent (33%) said that she or he has decided to

return to Ukraine (Figure 13). About 40% have not make their decision yet, and 27% do not

plan to return to Ukraine.

Figure 13. The distribution of answers to the question, Are you planning to return to live in Ukraine? (%)

30,1%

24,8%

18,3%

14,7%

12,2%

Yes, but they also study or want to study

at a Finnish school

No, they study at a Finnish school

Yes, and they will continue distance

learning in the fall

I am not the guardian of children in Finland

Are your children studying remotely in Ukraine?

I will not return

to live in Ukraine

27,3%

I can't say yet

39,3%

I'll return when the war

ends or sooner

33,3%

Are you planning to return to live in Ukraine?

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Only 2% were planning to return to Ukraine in the summer months, and 4% are planning

to return within the next half year (Table 24).

Table 24. Distribution of answers to the question, Are you planning to return to live in Ukraine?

Answers Percentage

I can’t say yet 39.3

I will not return to live in Ukraine 27.3

I’ll return when the war ends 26.1

I’ll return in six months 4.1

I’ll return during the summer 1.9

I’ll return in over a year 1.2

Talking about the preconditions for the decision about staying in Finland or returning

to Ukraine, a job in Finland (70%), the continuation of the war in Ukraine (66%), a child’s

wellbeing in Finland (50%), an apartment of one’s own (32%) and language skills (28%)

have the most influence on such a decision (Table 25).

Those who had decided to stay in Finland said that the biggest factors influencing their

decision were a job in Finland (73%), children’s wellbeing (61%) and the continuation

of the war (55%). Those who have not yet decided to return to Ukraine consider getting

a job in Finland (75%) and the continuation of the war in Ukraine (66%) to be the most

important factors. Ukrainians sometimes face inappropriate treatment or discrimination

during their stay in Finland. About 15% reported experiencing inappropriate treatment or

discrimination one or more times.

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Table 25. Cross-tabulation of answers to the questions, Are you planning to return to live in Ukraine? (only

one response possible) and, What are the factors that most influence whether you would stay in Finland?

(Multiple responses possible.) (%)

I will return

when the war

ends

I will not

return to live

in Ukraine

I cannot say

yet

Total

Work in Finland 61 73 75 70

Continuation of the war in Ukraine 77 55 66 66

My children’s wellbeing in Finland 40 61 53 50

Own apartment 35 29 34 32

Finnish or Swedish language skills 18 39 30 28

Place of study in Finland 15 36 27 25

My relatives in Finland 11 12 910

Friends, acquaintances in Finland 610 6 7

Other 2 7 4 5

5.5 Informed decisions by Ukrainians

When talking about the future, it is difficult to estimate how many Ukrainians with

temporary protection status will decide to stay in Finland. There are many factors that

affect this decision. For many, Finland is not a transit country, so perhaps plans for further

travel can be excluded for a majority of respondents. Finding a job and improvement of

the security situation in Ukraine are among the key factors for many when considering

whether to return to Ukraine or stay in Finland. Such a decision will require a good level of

awareness.

The government could further focus on developing the means to help Ukrainians increase

their understanding of the employment, healthcare and education systems in Finland on

the one hand, and of the security situation in Ukraine on the other hand.

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

6 Feedback for the Finnish government

We received 1,638 answers to the open-ended question, What message would you like to

send to the Finnish authorities? The main theme was that of appreciation and expression

of gratitude (1,289 mentions in answers) to the Finnish government and society.

“You have a wonderful country. Very good and kind people. Very beautiful

nature. Thank you for accepting the Ukrainian people.”

(Appreciation)

Despite the clearly predominant expression of gratitude, a few concerns were also raised

regarding the following topics (see Figure 14):

Figure 14. Counted coded topics mentioned in the answers to the open-ended question, What message

would you like to send to the Finnish authorities?, excluding 1,289 mentions of the topic ‘Appreciation’.

133

Employment

Accommodation

Bureaucracy

Finances

Information

Healthcare

Waiting time and slowness

Other

Education

Learning Finnish

Transportation

Banking

Reception centres

Ukrainian language

Personnel

Russians

Food

Discrimination

Translators

Services

Development

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

The issues of concern were: employment (e.g. the need to facilitate and promote

employment for Ukrainians), accommodation (e.g. issues with renting private housing

or concerns regarding the social housing provided), bureaucracy (e.g.: complicated

administrative procedures), waiting time (or slowness of processes), financial concerns

(e.g. insufficiency of funds or budget management), information (e.g. lack of a detailed

course of action to apply for services), healthcare (particularly the difficulty accessing

it), learning Finnish (e.g. the need to facilitate online or evening classes for working

Ukrainians), banking (e.g. difficulties in opening a bank account or access to bank

credentials), transportation (paid public transportation after August), Ukrainian language

and translators (e.g. lack of Ukrainian schools and professionals), as well as interaction with

Russians or Russian-speaking personnel in Finland (concerns of bias, fear for safety), etc.

Examples of quotes:

“We will not sit on the allowance, because it degrades us to the level of

helplessness. We are capable of being useful to the state that sheltered us, and

even if the war in our home ends in six months, we will have time to work and pay

taxes.”

(Employment)

“Please do not appoint ex-residents of Russia as social workers for Ukrainians.”

(Russians)

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

7 Conclusions

Profile of Ukrainians arriving

Out of the 2,136 respondents who participated in the online survey between 15 June and

6 July 2022, 85% were female and 15% male. The difference in the number of males and

females is not surprising, given the imposition of martial law in Ukraine on 24 February

2022. The sample aims to represent the 31,000-plus population of Ukrainians that had

arrived in Finland by 6 July 2022. However, due to the survey’s online administration

procedure, youth and adults under 45 years old are over-represented, while older groups

(aged over 46) are under-represented. Most respondents, both male and female, are aged

between 26 and 45. About 56% of the respondents arrived during the first days or months

of the war: in February, March or April. One in every two Ukrainians (approximately 55%)

who applied for temporary protection status in Finland arrived from the regions most

vulnerable to Russian military aggression, such as Kharkiv, Kyiv or Donetsk.

The survey responses indicate that Ukrainians are predominantly bilingual and speak

both Ukrainian and Russian. No question was posed about the preferred language of

communication for Ukrainians. It is, however, important to note that Ukrainian is the only

official language in Ukraine and is the one used by the authorities, the educational system

and most of the media.12 About every third Ukrainian speaks English. Ukrainians who

participated in the survey are highly educated: every second respondent has a university

education at Master’s level. Among the top occupations prior to coming to Finland, 20%

of respondents worked as trained professionals and 17% as service and sales personnel,

while 12% were specialised experts. Approximately one third of respondents worked in

a managerial position or were skilled professionals or entrepreneurs.

Life in Finland

When deciding to come to Finland, Ukrainians were most influenced by Finland’s

good reputation (51%), ties to friends or family (43%) and work or study opportunities

(22%). The open-ended answers on the reasons for fleeing to Finland were dominated

12 Pidkuimukha, L. (2020, October 20). Law of Ukraine “On ensuring the functioning of Ukrainian as the state

language”: The status of Ukrainian and minority languages. Forum for Ukrainian Studies. https://ukrainian-studies.

ca/2020/10/20/the-official-act-on-the-state-language-entered-into-force-on-16-july-2019-the-status-of-ukrainian-

and-minority-languages/

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

by mentions of ‘war’ or attributed to ‘chance’. At the time of collecting answers to this

questionnaire, only about 13% of respondents resided in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area,

and the rest were accommodated across the country in as many as 273 municipalities,

towns and villages. Every second respondent said they live with children under school

age, and every third lives with a spouse. Out of those respondents who reported the age

of the children they live with, 46% live with at least one child under seven, and 54% with

a child of school age. Of the respondents who indicated that they share a household with

children under 18, about 60% live with only one child, 32% with two children and the rest

with three or more children. Every third respondent said that their children continue to

study in Ukraine but at the same time study or want to study in Finland.

Ukrainians arriving in Finland had the opportunity to apply for asylum, for temporary

protection status based on the Temporary Protection Directive, remain for 90 days (about

three months) without seeking any status due to the visa-free regime, or stay on other

legal grounds such as employment opportunities, study rights or family reunification.

Less than 5% of respondents applied for asylum. Most typically, asylum applicants arrived

in Finland in the early months of the escalation of the war in Ukraine when awareness

of temporary protection status was lower. Clarification of the issues surrounding the

legal status, as well as intensification of the information work of the Finnish Immigration

Service (for instance, the translation of valuable information into Ukrainian) and the

work of other government agencies, have resulted in increased awareness of Ukrainians

about temporary protection. Of respondents to the current questionnaire, about 95%

applied for temporary protection. A total of 73% of respondents were satisfied with

the information they received about temporary protection status. Of all questionnaire

respondents, 85% indicated that they were a reception centre client. However, less than

one third of respondents indicated that they were living in a reception centre. Over 50% of

respondents indicated that they live in private accommodation.

Some 23% of respondents stated that they were employed. The question posed regarding

the employment status of respondents did not reference the country of employment.

It is hard to determine how many individuals implied remote employment in Ukraine

(or elsewhere) versus work in Finland. Out of employed Ukrainians, about 60% are

employed full-time, while 28% are employed part time. Approximately 65% of employed

Ukrainians have a temporary contract and 32% a permanent one. The employment trend

of Ukrainians in Finland is currently upward. However, such a positive trend might be

a temporary phenomenon, due only to the familiar short-term seasonal employment

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

which Finland has been providing to thousands of Ukrainians each year, even prior to the

full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.13

The number of unemployed jobseekers receiving temporary protection who are registered

with the TE Office was 1,704 persons on 26 June 2022. Most likely, highly educated

Ukrainian immigrants who applied for temporary protection in Finland will face the

need to retrain, change their occupation or take lower skilled jobs. For example, skilled

professionals like teachers, doctors or nurses may find it challenging to continue to work

in their profession in Finland due to complexities in validating their qualifications and lack

of Finnish language knowledge.14 Moreover, differences between the occupational groups

can be expected (e.g. IT professionals that do not necessarily require Finnish language

skills or extremely specific diplomas and certifications may have significantly greater

employment opportunities when compared to other highly educated experts).

Inappropriate treatment and discrimination were not widely reported in the survey. About

15% of respondents in this survey reported experiencing inappropriate treatment or

discrimination one or more times in Finland.

Information about Finland

For Ukrainians, social media groups are the most common source of information about

Finland. Out of 1,856 responses to an open question on the best sources of information,

respondents indicate that they receive the best information about Finland and life here

from social media channels and networks. Topping the list are mentions of ‘Facebook’ (683)

or the general term ‘internet’ (650). Next in order is the information received from other

individuals, such as neighbours, friends or family (300). Reception centres and government

channels got the lowest number of mentions as the best information sources (only 67

and 52 mentions respectively). It is interesting to explore why this is so. Is the information

in official government channels easily accessible to Ukrainians? For example: Is it

communicated in a familiar language? Is it clear and written in a straightforward manner?

Are government representatives active in the channels that Ukrainians browse most for

information (social media, Facebook, Telegram)?

13 According to Finnish Immigration Service Director General Jari Kähkönen, “about 15,000 Ukrainians have

previously been involved in seasonal work in Finland, for example on berry farms,” Yle News (2022a, April 4). Finland

aims to streamline the permit process for Ukrainians seeking to work. News. https://yle.fi/news/3-12389009.

Accessed 12 August 2022

14 “Given that most foreigners in Finland will struggle to exceed B1 level Finnish, we are obviously concerned that

these requirements [C1-level Finnish and the process for getting non-EU qualifications recognised in Finland] could

result in a lot of qualified Ukrainians being locked out of their professions,” Olga Silfver, Project Manager at the City

of Espoo’s Employment Services. Yle News. (2022b, April 16). Ukrainians can apply for jobs in Finland, but will they

find them? News. https://yle.fi/news/3-12406093

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When respondents were asked in an open question what they would like to know more

about, every second respondent referred to employment and the right to work. On

another question, only 42% of respondents have said that they have received sufficient

information about the Finnish education system. Only every second survey respondent

has received sufficient information about the employment opportunities and services in

Finland. In comparison to working respondents, those who do not work, study, or learn

a language, or who are retired, are less likely to receive information about employment

opportunities and services in Finland.

Ukrainians who participated in the survey mention their need for more information about

employment (73%), language studies (65%), health (59%) and social services (48%), and

education opportunities (43%). Only 16% mentioned the need for psychological support.

One could assume that the need for psychological support is much greater than this and

that the small number is due to the stigma of seeking psychological help.

Reception centres: use of services and feedback on work

The data suggests that Ukrainian clients of reception centres most often use counselling

services (82% used counselling services at least once during the past month) and social

services (73%). Every second respondent (54%) said that she or he had used the service

of a nurse during the past few months. To our knowledge, in the reception centres,

nurses perform, among other tasks, the legally required but not obligatory initial health

examination of all adults. Therefore adults are highly likely to meet or interact with a nurse

even if they regard themselves as healthy.

Overall, Ukrainians had positive experiences with the services provided by reception

centres. Generally, reception centre customers positively evaluate their services.

Instructors and social counsellor services get the highest score (71% of positive

evaluations). However, the contact with social workers reported by respondents was

infrequent. Over a quarter of respondents claimed not to have used the services of social

workers due to lack of information and communication about their assigned worker and/

or the services covered by him/her, as well as the language barrier and lack of trust in

the competence of the social workers. The concept of social worker is not widespread

in Ukraine. This may explain why some Ukrainians do not understand the role of

social workers.

Over 50% of respondents submitted positive evaluations of reception centres. However,

40% expressed concerns regarding different topics (in the following order of mention):

Organisational issues (231), pointing particularly to slowness and waiting time, and issues

in the delivery of information (lack of timely delivery or topics not covered) or in relation

to the phone/email follow-up process and communication, among other things.

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Personnel/staff-related factors (193), such as perceived attitude, perceived level of

competence or inability to communicate in a common language. Healthcare (87), such as

a long waiting process for an appointment or the perceived quality of service, as well as

difficulties in accessing healthcare. Financial matters (24), including mentions of delays

in payment and lack of information regarding financial support. Accommodation (17),

including living conditions, distance, household items and appliances, living with others,

and concerns about other services (12) such as food or emotional support. Financial

issues were not mentioned frequently. It seems safe to assume that the monetary

support provided by Finland to arriving Ukrainians is deemed sufficient. Throughout the

analysis, minor open replies to questions noted perceived discriminatory treatment from

employees at specific reception centres.

Overall feedback to the Finnish government

A total of 1,638 answers were received to the open-ended question, What message would

you like to send to the Finnish authorities? A broad range of issues were raised in the

replies. Among these, the main theme was that of appreciation and the expression of

gratitude to the Finnish government and society.

Despite the predominant expression of gratitude, a few concerns were also raised

regarding the following topics: employment, healthcare, accommodation, bureaucracy,

financial concerns, learning Finnish, information, banking, transportation, the Ukrainian

language and translators, the interaction with Russians or Russian-speaking personnel

in Finland.

The future of Ukrainians in Finland

When asked about the future, the majority of respondents want to work (75% of

all respondents or 89% of those working) and study Finnish or Swedish (58% of all

respondents to the question). The desire to work is strong among those who currently

do not have a job (71%) and even among those who described their own status as

pensioners (39%).

We observed that every third respondent (33%) had decided to return to Ukraine.

About 40% had not made their decision yet, and 27% do not plan to return to Ukraine.

However, not all Ukrainians have a home to return to, so some see Finland as a long-

term home. Respondents deciding to remain in the country said that the biggest factors

influencing their decision were: a job in Finland (73%), children’s well-being (61%) and the

continuation of the war in Ukraine (55%). Those who have not yet decided whether to stay

in Finland or return to Ukraine prioritise getting a job in Finland (75%) and are considering

staying due to the continuation of the war (66%).

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

8 Recommendations

In order to take better account of the needs of Ukrainians arriving in Finland as

beneficiaries of temporary protection, the following measures are recommended:

1. Better access to ocial information in social media

Access to sufficient information plays a key role in helping newly arrived Ukrainians

adapt to and integrate into Finnish society. Public authorities should review

the means currently used to communicate information. Procedures should be

developed with a view to ensuring that the necessary information will easily and

readily reach all Ukrainians arriving in the country in a comprehensible manner.

Ukrainians currently receive the bulk of information through unofficial internet and

social media channels. Official communications are fragmented and distributed

across several different websites. In order to ensure the flow of information, public

authorities should significantly step up information provision in various social

media channels (Facebook and Telegram in particular) and consider setting up

a website and/or developing existing websites (such as infofinland.fi) to consolidate

all official information relevant to Ukrainians.

2. Operational development at reception centres: better access to

information, contacts between centres and their clients

The information provided at reception centres does not currently reach Ukrainians

to a sufficient extent. It would be important for reception centres to provide

access to all information required at the early stages, also regarding topics such

as employment and schooling. Reception centres should review and step up their

processes for communicating information. By way of example, the information

sessions organised at reception centres should be developed to better meet

client needs. In particular, more information should be provided in the Ukrainian

language.

Increasing attention should also be paid to outreach to Ukrainians in private

accommodation to keep them informed. Access to reliable official information

about Finnish society and individual rights, combined with close contacts with

public authorities, will also prevent cases of possible exploitation and human

trafficking. Reception centres could make better use of the know-how of Ukrainians

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

already living in Finland to improve access. Reception centres should develop

the mechanisms for providing feedback on issues such as possible inappropriate

treatment.

While public authorities are ultimately responsible for providing statutory

services, civil society and non-governmental organisations have made significant

contributions to the reception of Ukrainians. The survey indicates that Ukrainians

rate very positively the services provided by various NGOs/volunteers and religious

organisations. Moving forward, cooperation between public authorities and NGOs

should be developed further so as to identify the best practices in organising

services. Public authorities should be able to make better use in their work of the

experiences and lessons of help centres for Ukrainians on emotional support or

communicating information, for example.

3. Enhancing employment opportunities

Finland is suffering from ever-growing labour shortages. Ukrainian adults

arriving in Finland are mostly highly educated professionals, whose employment

opportunities should be promoted more efficiently. In particular, practical problems

in finding employment should be eliminated.

The services provided by TE Offices should be mobilised while identifying

more efficient procedures in order to reach a larger number of Ukrainians

more effectively. It is also necessary to establish the reasons behind why so few

Ukrainians register with TE Offices as unemployed job seekers. Potential reasons

include a lack of understanding of the role of TE Offices, possible uncertainty about

how registration affects statuses or benefits, etc.

Active efforts should be made to organise events promoting Ukrainians’

employment opportunities. Various information sessions on employment

opportunities should be organised for Ukrainians, both online and in person.

Likewise, job fairs targeted at Ukrainians should also be actively organised

in the future.

Finland has particular shortages of trained healthcare staff. Many Ukrainians are

trained healthcare professionals, who should be drawn into the Finnish job market

as soon as possible. It would be advisable to consider opportunities to create

so-called ‘fast-track’ programmes specifically tailored for Ukrainian healthcare

professionals to promote fast recognition of Ukrainian diplomas and Finnish

language acquisition.

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Since most beneficiaries of temporary protection are women with children of

school or pre-school age, reconciling employment and childcare should be

supported by actively providing daycare places for children and arrangements such

as part-time work for parents.

4. Stepping up language teaching

The status of Ukrainian language teaching in Finland must be ensured and

developed. Finland will need an increasing number of people with Ukrainian

language skills in the future. At the same time, Ukrainian refugees should be

guaranteed an opportunity to start studying the Finnish or Swedish language

immediately following arrival. Teaching should also be designed for different target

groups (e.g. stay-at-home mothers, employed people) in a manner that caters to

their needs.

5. Further research is required

Public authorities aim to continuously develop their procedures and services in

order to better meet the needs of Ukrainians arriving in Finland. The survey covered

in this report was carried out in a situation where Ukrainian refugees had only

just started to arrive in Finland. Further research is therefore required to clarify the

questions raised by the survey, obtain reference data and follow up on the results

already received. The situation of seasonal workers, for example, changes at the

end of the harvest season. Information on schoolchildren’s situation will also be

more readily available once the school year has started. This will provide important

information to further develop services.

Other potential themes for further research include barriers to accessing

employment among Ukrainians and means to remove these; establishing an

overview of assistance activities and the challenges and successes involved;

and a comparative study on the status of Ukrainian refugees in other European

countries.

The roles and job descriptions of staff working at reception centres are not always

clear to all Ukrainians. Further research is also required on the types of subjects in

which Ukrainians need more support, such as understanding the roles of different

authorities.

There is growing interest in studying Ukrainians arriving in Finland. In addition to

research carried out under the leadership of public authorities, research by public

organisations is also required in support of efficient decision-making.

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The survey indicates that Ukrainians are very grateful to Finnish authorities and

people for the way in which they have been received in Finland. As a general rule,

Ukrainians also have very positive attitudes towards the services provided by

the Finnish Immigration Service. Public authorities should actually consider how

to convey the gratitude felt by Ukrainians to Finns. At the same time, this would

cement trust between different population groups.

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Appendixes: crosstabulations

Appendix 1. The distribution of answers to the question, Are you satisfied with the information you received about temporary protection or refugee status? Crosstabulation with gender and age.

Gender Age of persons who applied for temporary protection

Are you satised with the information you received

about temporary protection or applying for asylum?

Female Male 10–17 18–25 26–35 36–45 46–55 56–65 66+ total

Very satised 48% 44% 43% 50% 48% 44% 46% 58% 40% 47%

Somewhat satised 26% 26% 30% 24% 26% 27% 26% 20% 27% 26%

Dicult to say 19% 19% 17% 18% 19% 20% 18% 15% 20% 19%

Somewhat dissatised 6% 7% 10% 6% 5% 7% 8% 5% 13% 6%

Very dissatised 2% 4% 0% 2% 2% 2% 4% 1% 0% 2%

Appendix 2. The distribution of answers to the question, Are you satisfied with the information you received about temporary protection or applying for asylum? Crosstabulation with education and time in

Finland.

Education Time in Finland

Are you satised with the information you received

about temporary protection or applying for asylum?

Secondary

school or

lower

Vocational school,

professional

education

Incomplete higher

education (at least

Bachelor’s degree)

Higher

education

(MA)

Other Less than

one month

1–2 months 3–5 months 6–11

months

Very satised 59% 50% 46% 45% 18% 50% 48% 46% 44%

Somewhat satised 18% 24% 26% 28% 32% 21% 26% 27% 20%

Dicult to say 19% 19% 19% 18% 32% 23% 18% 19% 24%

Somewhat dissatised 3% 5% 7% 7% 11% 6% 6% 7% 12%

Very dissatised 1% 3% 2% 2% 7% 1% 2% 2% 0%

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Appendix 3. The distribution of answers to the question, Are you satisfied with the information you received about temporary protection or refugee status? Crosstabulation with current situation,

accommodation.

Current situation Accommodation

Are you satised with the information you received

about temporary protection or refugee status?

I am working I am a student I am learning

the language

I am retired None of the

mentioned

Live in

reception centre

Live in private

accommodation

Other

Very satised 50% 49% 47% 52% 45% 48% 49% 46%

Somewhat satised 24% 26% 29% 25% 24% 26% 27% 27%

Dicult to say 20% 18% 17% 14% 21% 17% 17% 18%

Somewhat dissatised 6% 4% 6% 7% 8% 7% 6% 7%

Very dissatised 1% 3% 2% 3% 3% 3% 1% 1%

Appendix 4. Evaluation of services provided by instructors at reception centres. Crosstabulation with gender and age.

Gender Age of persons who applied for temporary protection

Evaluation of services provided by instructors at

reception centres

Female Male 10–17 18–25 26–35 36–45 46–55 56–65 66+ Total

Very good 39% 44% 35% 33% 42% 38% 39% 50% 42% 40%

Good 31% 30% 39% 32% 31% 31% 34% 29% 21% 31%

Dicult to say 22% 14% 22% 23% 19% 24% 19% 16% 17% 21%

Poor 6% 7% 4% 11% 6% 5% 6% 3% 13% 6%

Very poor 2% 4% 0% 2% 3% 2% 3% 4% 8% 3%

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Appendix 5. Evaluation of services provided by instructors at reception centres . Crosstabulation with education and time in Finland.

Education Time in Finland

Evaluation of services provided by instructors at

reception centres

Secondary

school or

lower

Vocational school,

professional

education

Incomplete higher

education (at least

Bachelor’s degree)

Higher

education

(MA)

Other Less than

one month

1–2

months

3–5

months

6–11

months

Very good 49% 47% 35% 37% 17% 47% 39% 39% 33%

Good 28% 28% 31% 33% 26% 27% 34% 30% 33%

Dicult to say 18% 17% 23% 22% 39% 20% 19% 22% 33%

Poor 3% 6% 8% 6% 4% 5% 5% 7% 0%

Very poor 2% 3% 4% 2% 13% 1% 3% 2% 0%

Appendix 6. Evaluation of services provided by instructors at reception centres. Crosstabulation with current situation, accommodation.

Current situation Accommodation

Evaluation of services provided by instructors at

reception centres (RC)

I am working I am a student I am learning

the language

I am retired None of the

mentioned

Live in

reception centre

Live in private

accommodation

Other

Very good 39% 43% 40% 49% 39% 42% 40% 34%

Good 30% 37% 34% 27% 28% 32% 30% 33%

Dicult to say 22% 17% 19% 12% 22% 16% 22% 25%

Poor 8% 4% 4% 6% 8% 6% 6% 6%

Very poor 2% 0% 2% 6% 3% 3% 3% 2%

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Appendix 7. Evaluation of services provided by social workers at reception centres. Crosstabulation with gender and age.

Gender Age of persons who applied for temporary protection

Evaluation of services provided by social workers

(at RC)

Female Male 10–17 18–25 26–35 36–45 46–55 56–65 66+ Total

Very good 40% 42% 30% 34% 41% 40% 41% 44% 48% 40%

Good 31% 29% 22% 34% 32% 28% 35% 26% 22% 31%

Dicult to say 22% 18% 37% 21% 20% 24% 17% 19% 9% 21%

Poor 5% 7% 7% 7% 5% 5% 6% 7% 13% 6%

Very poor 2% 4% 4% 4% 3% 3% 1% 5% 9% 3%

Appendix 8. Evaluation of services provided by social workers at reception centres. Crosstabulation with education and time in Finland.

Education Time in Finland

Evaluation of services provided by social workers

(at RC)

Secondary

school or

lower

Vocational school,

professional

education

Incomplete higher

education (at least

Bachelor’s degree)

Higher

education

(MA)

Other Less than

one month

1–2 months 3–5 months 6–11

months

Very good 49% 46% 37% 36% 14% 45% 43% 37% 40%

Good 22% 29% 32% 33% 23% 30% 31% 31% 20%

Dicult to say 22% 18% 21% 23% 36% 22% 18% 23% 40%

Poor 3% 4% 7% 6% 9% 2% 5% 6% 0%

Very poor 5% 2% 3% 2% 18% 1% 3% 3% 0%

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Appendix 9. Evaluation of services provided by social workers at reception centres. Crosstabulation with current situation, accommodation.

Current situation Accommodation

Evaluation of services provided by social workers

(at RC)

I am working I am a student I am learning

the language

I am retired None of the

mentioned

Live in

reception centre

Live in private

accommodation

Other

Very good 41% 42% 40% 46% 38% 43% 39% 37%

Good 28% 28% 33% 29% 30% 30% 30% 33%

Dicult to say 21% 24% 21% 11% 23% 17% 23% 22%

Poor 8% 6% 4% 10% 6% 6% 5% 6%

Very poor 2% 0% 2% 5% 3% 3% 2% 2%

Appendix 10. Evaluation of services provided by healthcare workers at reception centres. Crosstabulation with gender and age.

Gender Age of persons who applied for temporary protection

Evaluation of services provided by healthcare workers

(at RC)

Female Male 10–17 18–25 26–35 36–45 46–55 56–65 66+ Total

Very good 34% 37% 53% 30% 35% 32% 37% 43% 38% 34%

Good 21% 22% 20% 22% 21% 23% 21% 17% 10% 21%

Dicult to say 34% 28% 27% 38% 32% 35% 31% 26% 33% 33%

Poor 7% 8% 0% 5% 8% 6% 8% 11% 5% 7%

Very poor 5% 5% 0% 5% 5% 6% 3% 3% 14% 5%

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Appendix 11. Evaluation of services provided by healthcare workers at reception centres. Crosstabulation with education and time in Finland.

Education Time in Finland

Evaluation of services provided by healthcare workers

(at RC)

Secondary

school or

lower

Vocational school,

professional

education

Incomplete higher

education (at least

Bachelor’s degree)

Higher

education

(MA)

Other Less than

one month

1–2 months 3–5 months 6–11

months

Very good 54% 39% 31% 31% 18% 31% 37% 33% 75%

Good 19% 18% 21% 23% 23% 10% 20% 23% 0%

Dicult to say 21% 34% 34% 33% 41% 52% 32% 32% 13%

Poor 2% 5% 9% 8% 5% 5% 7% 7% 0%

Very poor 4% 3% 6% 6% 14% 1% 5% 5% 13%

Appendix 12. Evaluation of services provided by healthcare workers at reception centres. Crosstabulation with current situation and accommodation.

Current situation Accommodation

Evaluation of services provided by healthcare workers

(at RC)

I am working I am a student I am learning

the language

I am retired None of the

mentioned

Live in

reception centre

Live in private

accommodation

Other

Very good 30% 33% 35% 39% 36% 38% 33% 35%

Good 22% 18% 24% 13% 19% 22% 21% 19%

Dicult to say 34% 42% 31% 25% 35% 27% 35% 34%

Poor 10% 4% 6% 14% 5% 7% 6% 7%

Very poor 4% 2% 5% 9% 5% 5% 5% 5%

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Appendix 13. The distribution of answers to the question, Have you experienced inappropriate treatment or discrimination during your stay in Finland? Crosstabulation with gender and age.

Gender Age of persons who applied for temporary protection

Have you experienced inappropriate treatment or

discrimination during your stay in Finland?

Female Male 10–17 18–25 26–35 36–45 46–55 56–65 66+ Total

Never 77% 78% 50% 67% 76% 77% 84% 89% 76% 77%

1-2 times 13% 11% 27% 19% 14% 14% 9% 5% 10% 13%

Dicult to say 8% 8% 20% 13% 8% 8% 6% 4% 7% 8%

Often 1% 2% 3% 1% 2% 1% 1% 1% 7% 2%

Very often 1% 2% 0% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 0% 1%

Appendix 14. The distribution of answers to the question, Have you experienced inappropriate treatment or discrimination during your stay in Finland? Crosstabulation with education and time in Finland.

Education Time in Finland

Have you experienced inappropriate treatment or

discrimination during your stay in Finland?

Secondary

school or

lower

Vocational school,

professional

education

Incomplete higher

education (at least

Bachelor’s degree)

Higher

education

(MA)

Other Less than

one month

1–2 months 3–5 months 6–11

months

Never 70% 83% 72% 76% 75% 84% 77% 76% 62%

1-2 times 17% 9% 18% 14% 0% 5% 13% 14% 31%

Dicult to say 11% 7% 8% 8% 11% 8% 8% 8% 3%

Often 1% 1% 1% 2% 11% 1% 2% 1% 3%

Very often 1% 0% 1% 1% 4% 2% 1% 1% 0%

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Appendix 15. The distribution of answers to the question, Have you experienced inappropriate treatment or discrimination during your stay in Finland? Crosstabulation with current situation and

accommodation.

Current situation Accommodation

Have you experienced inappropriate treatment or

discrimination during your stay in Finland?

I am working I am a

student

I am learning

the language

I am retired None of the

mentioned

Live in reception

centre

Live in private

accommodation

Other

Never 77% 80% 78% 83% 76% 77% 77% 79%

1-2 times 13% 16% 14% 8% 13% 12% 14% 13%

Dicult to say 10% 3% 7% 5% 8% 8% 7% 6%

Often 1% 1% 1% 4% 2% 2% 1% 1%

Very often 0% 0% 0% 1% 2% 1% 0% 1%

Appendix 16. The distribution of answers to the question, Are you planning to return to live in Ukraine? Crosstabulation with gender and age.

Gender Age of persons who applied for temporary protection Total

Are you planning to return to live in Ukraine? Female Male 10–17 18–25 26–35 36–45 46–55 56–65 66+

I’ll return during the summer 2% 1% 7% 2% 2% 2% 1% 0% 3% 2%

I’ll return in six months 5% 1% 3% 7% 4% 4% 4% 2% 7% 4%

I’ll return in over a year 1% 3% 0% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 0% 1%

I’ll return when the war ends 27% 20% 27% 27% 27% 24% 26% 31% 43% 26%

I will not return to live in Ukraine 26% 37% 23% 22% 29% 30% 28% 20% 17% 27%

I can’t say yet 40% 39% 40% 41% 37% 39% 41% 46% 30% 39%

PUBLICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 2022:34

Appendix 17. The distribution of answers to the question, Are you planning to return to live in Ukraine? Crosstabulation with education and time in Finland.

Education Time in Finland

Are you planning to return to live in Ukraine? Secondary

school or lower

Vocational school,

professional

education

Incomplete higher

education (at least

Bachelor’s degree)

Higher

education

(MA)

Other Less than

one month

1–2 months 3–5 months 6–11

months

I’ll return during the summer 2% 2% 2% 2% 4% 2% 2% 2% 0%

I’ll return in six months 3% 4% 3% 4% 4% 6% 3% 5% 0%

I’ll return in over a year 1% 1% 1% 2% 0% 1% 2% 1% 3%

I’ll return when the war ends 30% 26% 24% 27% 14% 25% 26% 27% 24%

I will not return to live in Ukraine 23% 27% 27% 27% 39% 26% 30% 26% 38%

I can’t say yet 41% 40% 42% 38% 39% 41% 38% 40% 35%

Appendix 18. The distribution of answers to the question, Are you planning to return to live in Ukraine? Crosstabulation with current situation and accommodation.

Current situation Accommodation

Are you planning to return to live in Ukraine? I am working I am a student I am learning

the language

I am retired None of the

mentioned

Live in reception

centre

Live in private

accommodation

Other

I’ll return during the summer 2% 1% 1% 1% 4% 2% 2% 1%

I’ll return in six months 5% 4% 2% 5% 5% 2% 5% 4%

I’ll return in over a year 2% 4% 0% 2% 1% 1% 1% 2%

I’ll return when the war ends 30% 18% 20% 42% 28% 23% 28% 24%

I will not return to live in Ukraine 24% 26% 35% 16% 24% 36% 26% 24%

I can’t say yet 37% 46% 42% 34% 38% 37% 38% 45%

The situation of Ukrainians

in Finland who fled the war:

Survey results

Migration | Publications of the Ministry of the Interior 2022:34

Sisäisen turvallisuuden opetuspeli | Publications of the Ministry of the Interior 2022:x

Ministry of the Interior

www.intermin.fi

PO Box 26, FI-00023 Government