Communities and municipalities

The Finnish Refugee Council supports the participation of those who have just arrived in Finland and those who have lived in the country for longer, as well as communities as facilitators of integration. FRC strengthens the bridges between immigrants and different communities, municipalities and the Finnish society by providing support, networks, information and education.

Peer activities

In peer activity work, participants receive information from peer tutors as well as support from people living in similar situations. In addition, they get to discuss issues related to their life in their native language. At its best, when participating in peer activities, one can boost their self-confidence, broaden their knowledge and resources, and find their place in the new society.
 
We train peer counsellors and support organisations in starting and developing peer activities. We develop peer activities that are easy to participate in, regardless of ones background. We coordinate the VeTo network, which regularly gathers together and strengthens cooperation between more than 90 peer agencies working with integration.
 
For more information on peer activities, trainings, organisational collaboration and the VeTo network (in Finnish): www.vertaistoimijat.fi

Civic orientation

Civic orientation is a course for those just arrived in Finland and provides basic information on living and working in Finland. The course provides necessary civic skills, introduces the newcomer to Finnish culture and gives a good start to integration in Finland.
 
The teaching is based on the Suomi – Yhteiskuntaorientaation oppikirja textbook, which is available nationwide in several languages. Civic orientation strengthens immigrants’ understanding of the Finnish society as well as of their own rights and obligations. Instruction is provided by trainers in the participants’ native language. The native language trainers are trained by the Finnish Refugee Council as part of the Navigaattori project.
 
For more information on civic orientation and trainers’ training, visit: 

www.yhteiskuntaorientaatio.fi (in Finnish).

Supporting municipalities in the reception and integration of refugees 

We support municipalities in developing reception and early integration services for refugees. The work is being carried out as part of the Navigaattori project (2018–2021), jointly with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak), and is supported by the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, AMIF.
 
Click here to download an illustrative visualisation of a quota refugee’s journey to Finland and to the home municipality.
 
See our tips for working with quota refugee residents which have been developed to support municipal housing (in Finnish).