Active Refugees in the Community

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The number of refugees and asylum seekers receiving residence permit in Finland and Sweden have doubled in 2016. Refugees usually lack formal certificates of their professional skills and education. They have challenges in seeking and forming connections to any local communities and integrating into the wider society. This prevents them from getting a job which increases the risk of marginalization and social exclusion. The ARC project aims to engage immigrants with refugee background in meaningful activities and interaction with the local community through providing them systematic guidance in practical activities like building and farming, opportunities to cultural interaction and practicing language skills. This helps to prevent the negative effects of polarization and marginalisation. Finnish and Swedish immigrants participating in the project will share their personal challenges and success stories via regular video blog enabling also the local community to better understand the immigrants and their individual journeys. Interaction between Finnish and Swedish immigrants will provide them peer support and strengthen their sense of dignity and belonging. The project organizes study visits as well as develops joint recommendations on cost efficient methods for improving job creation skills of immigrants and integrating them into the society. The recommendations will be disseminated to local public sector and NGOs working with immigrants by local workshops and a joint seminar. The project will involve at least 100 immigrants with refugee background from Finland and Sweden. In addition, approximately 200 local people will participate in the project activities.

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