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The City of Mariehamn decided to receive approximately 15 quota refugees from Venezuela during 2024. In the end, it was in June 2025 that 14 Venezuelan quota refugees – six households – arrived from Peru, where they had been waiting for resettlement.
Finland participates in the international system for receiving quota refugees, which is based on proposals from the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR). Finland's parliament decides each year how many quota refugees the country will receive, and a quota refugee only comes to Finland when there is a municipal placement available.
Åland Living interviewed integration counsellor Hanna Lindholm and integration coordinator Sofie Roxbäck at the City of Mariehamn about the reception process, integration work, and the challenges that may arise.
The reception process involves a great deal of work even before the quota refugees arrive. Among other things, their accommodations must be ready with basic furnishings, food, beverages, and other necessities for the first days in a new country.
Cooperation with other authorities must also be planned and arranged in advance. The city's integration unit works together with, among others, the Åland Health and Medical Care authority (ÅHS), the Municipal Social Services (KST), the Adult Education Centre (Medis) regarding language education, and the Åland Employment and Study Services (AMS).
Actors from the third sector, such as the Red Cross, also participate in the planning and offer, among other things, befriending activities. This time, the City of Mariehamn's housing company Marstad has been able to offer rental apartments to all newly arrived residents. In some cases, housing is rented from private landlords.
Once the quota refugees have arrived in Mariehamn, they have the same rights and obligations as other municipal residents. The goal is for them to thrive and become independent members of the community.
Learning the language is therefore very important. During the first year, the Spanish-speaking refugees participate in Swedish language education (SFI) arranged by Medis. This time, the entire group has Spanish as their mother tongue. Language instruction is thus somewhat easier since they use the same Latin alphabet as we do. Instead, it may be more challenging for the newcomers to get used to how important the sense of time and punctuality are in our society.
In the beginning, it can also be difficult to find a sense of community and leisure activities. While the City of Mariehamn is responsible for the refugees' basic needs, it is often the third sector that provides contacts and activities that create a sense of community and security. It is valuable for newcomers to come into contact with people other than officials and to have the opportunity to build social networks from the very beginning.
According to Sofie, the local community has received the new municipal residents in a positive way. There has been curiosity, including from local media. She hopes that more people will think about how important it is to invite newcomers into everyday Åland life with its traditions and customs.
This particular group has been very positive and feels that they have been warmly welcomed in Mariehamn and on Åland. Here, the families who arrived share in their own words how they experienced their first time on Åland:
"Arriving in Åland was a complete change in our lives, we felt the calm, the stillness and the harmony from the very first moment! As a family, we felt very content from the moment we arrived. We thought it was well organised and very good work! They took care of everyone! Little by little we have been able to adapt and feel like part of the Åland community. Many people who did not know us helped us many times on the street even though we do not understand or speak Swedish! Everyone and each person gave us a warm welcome to Åland. Thanks to their support, our integration process on Åland has been much easier and smoother.
When asked when some of the newly arrived residents might be able to enter working life on Åland, Sofie and Hanna estimate that this could become a reality as early as the summer of 2027. By then, the quota refugees are expected to have achieved sufficient language skills to work. Many in the group also have a solid professional background, including in service occupations, and show a great interest in starting to work.
The group also includes school-age children. They have initially been placed in preparatory education (FBU) classes with individual study plans, while also participating in teaching together with their year group in practical subjects. Both the children and their parents are very grateful for the Åland school system.
The City of Mariehamn's integration unit also hopes that there will continue to be opportunities to regularly receive quota refugees, so that the expertise and routines do not disappear within the organisation. Continuity leads to better quality reception for everyone involved.
During 2026, a further eleven quota refugees are expected to arrive from Venezuela. At that point, the next introduction to civic orientation in Spanish, followed by intensive Swedish language studies, may become relevant.
In the Town Hall at Storagatan 11 B, you will find Mariehamn's integration unit, which helps you who have recently moved to the city to find your way in your new everyday life. Here you can get answers to practical questions and other useful information, for example about daycare, school, or other municipal services. The integration unit also organizes activities and projects where you can meet others and become part of the local community.
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