An Analysis of the Evolution and Influencing Factors of Finland’s Immigration Policy

Abstract

Since the late 1970s, a large influx of immigrants and asylum seekers has profoundly transformed Finland’s population structure and social governance paradigm, leading to a historic shift in Finland’s role from a traditional source of migrants to a modern recipient of immigrants. Looking back over its more than 100-year evolution, Finland’s immigration integration policy has undergone a process of institutional change, from “endogenous forced assimilation” in the early years of its founding, to “multicultural exploration” in the post-Cold War era, to “structural integration” within the welfare system framework in the early 21st century, and finally to the current “instrumental contraction” characterized by populism and security. This policy trajectory of upheaval and shift is not purely an evolution of administrative techniques, but rather a result of multiple intertwined causal mechanisms, including geopolitical defensive psychology, macroeconomic cycle fluctuations, the inherent exclusive tensions of a universal welfare state, and the polarization of party politics. This article, from a historical institutionalist perspective, systematically reviews the evolution of Finland’s immigration policy since independence and deconstructs its underlying multidimensional dynamics, aiming to reveal the governance dilemmas and historical challenges faced by modern welfare states in the face of national identity, the aging population crisis, and the impact of globalization.