Finland to cut unemployment benefits for immigrants

ISTANBUL

Finland plans to cut unemployment benefits for immigrants who do not have Finnish or Swedish skills, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper reported on Saturday.

Unemployment benefits for immigrants in Finland will be reduced by up to nearly €50 ($58) per month if they lack proficiency in Finnish or Swedish.

The support could reportedly be raised to match the current labor market support if sufficient language skills are demonstrated or enough work is completed.

It remains unclear whether the shift to reduced support will apply only to future arrivals or also to immigrants already living in Finland.

"Integration support will replace labor market support for some immigrants. The support can be reduced to the level of the current basic component of income support," Finance Minister Riikka Purra also explained on the US social media company X.