Community-sponsored integration

At the start of integration, social relationships and networks are of the utmost importance. Immigrants who have arrived in Finland as quota refugees are invited to participate in developing training activities in the community-sponsored integration project.

The project, which is set to run until the end of 2025, was started in January 2023. The project is funded by the European Union.

Community sponsor groups will be established in the roughly 15 municipalities receiving quota refugees involved in the project. These groups will offer versatile support for immigrant integration. The Red Cross and project partners recruit and train community sponsors.

The needs of immigrants as the starting point

Community sponsors and those arriving as quota refugees will receive training in finding ways to help refugees find information on life in Finland and the skills needed to operate in a new location.

Community sponsor groups and instructors arrange for a variety of customised practices for those who have moved to the municipality as quota refugees help them participate in life in their new home town.

The aim is to develop activities that take into account the needs and wishes expressed by immigrants as well as their situation. In addition to those who have arrived as refugees in Finland, the beneficiaries also include participating municipalities, associations, parishes and the entire refugee reception system.

Project goals

1. Quota refugees are aware of activity opportunities and participate in activities. They feel that they are welcome in the activities. Contacts with local residents increase, the social network expands and feelings of belonging and inclusion are generated. The training offers new alternatives to the integration path and increases competence.
   
   
2. The community sponsors recognise their tasks and have clear roles. They develop the activities in ways that are fitting for the municipality. They are motivated and satisfied with the activities. They receive any support and training they need from the project staff and the authorities in charge.
   
   
3. Community-sponsored integration practices and models provide experience from different locations. Cooperation parties and stakeholders actively participate in the development of the model. In the development work, target group members are activated to provide feedback and development proposals. A guide on community sponsor activities will be completed.
   
   

Tools for smoother integration

‘How are you’ discussions

The ‘How are you’ discussion is a low-threshold tool aimed at helping people going through integration feel heard and, as a result, experience a sense of inclusion. These discussions provide information that helps tailor the project’s activities more accurately to the needs of the people going through integration. In the discussions, everyday issues are discussed with the person going through integration according to a predefined framework. The person is free to choose which questions they want to answer. The purpose is to find out how the person feels about everyday life, what works, what does not and what their hopes are. The ‘How are you’ discussion provides valuable information on how local operators could adapt their activities to better serve the needs of people going through integration.

Integration platforms for organisations

The work on the integration platform includes analysing and describing the cooperation between authorities and stakeholders in different localities. Working together also makes visible any barriers to participation or inclusion that communities often face.  The aim is to tackle them by discussing them together. The integration platform template and instructions can be downloaded free of charge from this page. The integration platforms have been used in integration work since 2016. The integration platform template can be downloaded here. 

Community sponsors

A community sponsor promotes the participation of people going through integration in the activities of different communities and organisations based on the participants’ hopes and wishes. A community sponsor can work alone or as a member of a group. A community sponsor has completed the related training or orientation or has become qualified through practice. A community sponsor is interested in a variety of activities, is familiar with the local activity opportunities and is able to enable the people going through integration to access different communities. 
There are currently a little over 100 community sponsors. A specific community sponsor training has been developed for them. At the end of the training, the community sponsors and local people going through integration plan future activities together.

Nordic network for community support programs and similar initiatives

The aim of the Nordic network for community support programs and similar initiatives is to raise awareness and share practical experiences of community-sponsored integration in the Nordic countries. 
Read more about the network here. 

Guiding principles and guidelines

Guiding principles for community support programs

Guidelines for people going through integration 

Guidelines for community sponsors

The Finnish Red Cross headquarters is the main organiser of the project. The project partners are the Humak University of Applied Sciences, the Church Council and four Red Cross district offices: the Oulu district, the Western Finland district, the Southwest Finland district and the Southeast Finland district.