Helsinki (17.05.2004 - Daryl Taylor*) This news (Construction industry parties co-operate: New guidebook explains regulations on use of foreign labour) comes at an interesting time. My own impression is that the construction industry organisations would be wise either to defer publication of their guidebook for at least a few weeks or to be prepared to publish a revised edition after the summer.
This is because a comprehensive revision of Finland's immigration legislation took effect on 1 May 2004. Several migrant workers have reported to me on the implementation of the new system over the last two weeks. These reports strongly suggest that it will be some time before the State officials develop an understanding of the new arrangements.
No detailed administrative regulations have yet been issued, and even the basic application documents have not yet been produced in their final form.
The documents that have been released so far are clearly early drafts, and native English speakers have reacted with a mixture of puzzlement and outright hilarity at some of the translations used on these versions. More alarmingly, there are also errors of content in the Finnish language texts that have been released.
The new legislation enables migrant workers to file their permit applications at local police stations and employment offices. In one case in northern Finland last week a prospective applicant was referred back and forth between these agencies, neither of which considered that it was their business to serve the foreign worker concerned (in fact, both agencies had a duty to advise the applicant and accept the application for processing).
As this person is a highly-paid specialist who was given time off work by his Finnish employer to attend to this matter, the employer was also far from pleased with the standard of service.
*Daryl Taylor is the vice chairman of the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations ETNO, where he represents immigrants and ethnic minorities