Excerpt:
Significant differences exist in the employment situation for immigrants of different nationalities in Finland. The highest rates of unemployment are found among Somalis, Iraqis and Afghans who arrived as refugees. Annika Forsander, who is Director of Immigration Affairs for the City of Helsinki, is especially critical of employer discrimination against Somalis.
Figures from Statistics Finland show that unemployment rates vary greatly according to nationality. Refugees top the list of those without jobs. For example, the rate of unemployment for Somalis, Iraqis and Afghans is over 50%. That they ended up in Finland, in many cases, was a matter of chance and finding a way into the job market can take years.
The Director of Immigration Affairs for the City of Helsinki, Annika Forsander, is dismayed by the position of Somalis in the Finnish capital. In other countries, Somali immigrants have integrated well into society.