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Home NATIONALPerussuomalaiset plays down immigrants’ economic role
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Fri, 03 Apr, 2015 12:03:40 AM
Researcher terms the evaluation simplistic
FTimes – STT Report, April 3

The Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) has downplayed the role of immigrants in the country stating that it will bring more costs than benefits.

The party on Thursday released their own version of the costs of immigration which reflects a position contrary to the evaluation of the OECD and the Institute for Economic Research.

According to the report, the annual cost of immigration would be 700 million euros.

Another 100 to 200 million euros should be added to the figure, as a result of, among other things, the accumulative costs of integration, said Matti Putkonen, a Finns Party official.

The rapporteur, Samuli Salminen, did not disclose the full cost stated in the report.

The issue of cost of immigration has been a subject of fierce debate for a long time.

Meanwhile, Niku Määttänen, research director at the Research Institute of the Finnish Economy-ETLA, termed the Finns Party’s evaluation too simplistic.

“These kinds of calculations tend to underestimate the benefits of immigration to the economy,” he said.

According to Määttänen, when the overall lifecycle picture is taken into account, it all looks good.

It is important to note the significance of lifecycle, because immigrants often come to Finland when they are of working age or at the age of going to school.

Many of them also move out of the country before old age and before care costs shoots.

The Finns Party specified their costs in terms of country of origin. The largest costs are incurred from those who come from Somalia and Iraq, whereas the net benefit in Germany is better than the Finnish average, according to the party.

According to Määttänen, it is dubious to calculate costs in such a way. Those who come from Somalia and Iraq often enter the country on asylum grounds.

“The objective of refugee politics is not about the improvement of public finance, rather other values lie in the background,” observe Määttänen.

Juho Eerola, the deputy chair of the Finns Party, said the calculations in the report prove that the country does not need immigration to boost economic growth.

The party would reduce the number of quota refugees and make a careful selection where the refugees would come from.

According to Eerola, it is important to assess what type of immigration is beneficial.

Eerola, however, said the party does not want to stop immigration from a specified country altogether.

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