Leading Finnish startups have strongly criticised the new right-leaning government’s plans for employment and migration, saying they threaten the country’s entire startup ecosystem.
In its programme, the new government outlines that “labour immigration is very important for Finland’s economic growth and the securing of services”, but due to controversial policy changes made in many areas, including immigration, startups have already voiced their concern.
In a statement by the Finnish Startup Community, including companies like Supercell and Wolt, they blame the government programme for creating ”a significant threat to the entire Finnish startup ecosystem” and undermining the growth prospects of the economy. According to the statement, skilled workers are hesitating to come to Finland while those already there are contemplating departure.
Particularly worrying, according to the community, is the government’s proposed provision requiring migrants to leave Finland if they do not find new employment within three months of being laid off. The timeframe is considered too short for finding a position matching one’s skills, going through the interviews and signing a new contract.
The group also bemoans the government’s proposal to increase the mandatory residency period for obtaining a permanent residence permit from four to six years.
Also criticised was the proposal for permanent residency applicants to demonstrate sufficient language skills to obtain a permanent residence permit despite the startups noting that skilled professionals predominantly operate in English.
Instead of new restrictions, the Finnish Startup Community urges the government to look at France, which has Europe’s largest startup ecosystem. In France, the system has been streamlined and centralised to enable the smooth entry of skilled labour.
However, all hope may not be lost for Finnish startups.
”Concerns over immigration have already been heard”, Jarkko Nissinen, the assistant for the new MP Aura Salla (NCP), who in Brussels led Meta’s public policy team, said on Tuesday evening.
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
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