Finland Times

The incoming government will promote labor-based immigration, said the chair of the biggest parliamentary party Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party), Juha Sipilä and would-be prime minister on Wednesday afternoon.

The leaders of the alliance also intended to adopt tuition fees for university students from outside the European Union or European Economic Area.

Leaders of Keskusta, Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) and  Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party), who already agreed to form an alliance government  discussed immigration policies during the government formation talks on Wednesday.

Sipilä said at a press conference held after the discussions that the future government would try to promote work-related immigration in order to enhance employment and economic growth in Finland, as well as to tackle the severe challenge posed by an aging population, according to Sipilä.

    

Earlier, during his recent election campaign, Sipilä raised proposals to make work-based migration more liberal. He even maintained that Finnish employers should relax their Finnish-language requirement and accept English in the workplace.

     However, the parties outlined that immigration must be "controlled," saying they aimed to keep the number of quota refugees at the same level as in recent years, said Sipilä.

     A paper on immigration policies published by the Finnish government on Wednesday said the new cabinet intended to adopt tuition fees for university students from outside the European Union or European Economic Area.

     The paper also said Finland was encouraging graduates to work in Finland by extending a tax deduction policy to them.