DOCSLIB.ORG

The Best Interests of the Child in Asylum and Refugee Procedures in Finland

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Best Interests of the Child in Asylum and Refugee Procedures in Finland Ombudsman for Minorities, National Rapporteur on Traffi cking in Human Beings P.O. Box 26 FI-00023 GOVERNMENT Tel: 071 878 0171 Internet: www.ofm.fi Annika Parsons The best interests of the child in asylum and refugee procedures in Finland Publication 6 Annika Parsons THE BEST INTERESTS OF The child IN ASYlUM and refugEE procEdures in Finland Vähemmistövaltuutettu Helsinki 2010 © Vähemmistövaltuutettu ISBN: 978-952-491-512-0 ISSN: 1798-694X painoyhtymä Oy porvoo 2010 Contents Foreword...................................................................................................... 3 ABSTRACT................................................................................................. 5 I.INTRODUCTION..................................................................................... 7 1..Subject.and.structure.of.the.report..................................................... 7 2..Material.of.the.report.......................................................................... 9 3..Relevance.of.the.report..................................................................... 12 II.RIGHTS.OF.THE.CHILD.AND.THE.CHILD’S.BEST.. INTERESTS.IN.INTERNATIONAL.CONVENTIONS,.. STATUTES,.GUIDELINES.AND.RECOMMENDATIONS.................. 13 1..The.rights.of.the.child.and.the.child’s.best.interests.in.. international.conventions...................................................................... 13 2..The.rights.of.the.child.and.the.child’s.best.interests.on.. the.European.level................................................................................ 17 3..Guidelines.and.recommendations.relating.to.the.rights.. of.the.child.and.the.child’s.best.interest................................................ 20 4..Summary.......................................................................................... 22 III.THE.RIGHTS.OF.THE.CHILD.AND.THE.CHILD’S.. BEST.INTERESTS.IN.FINNISH.NATIONAL.POLICY.. AND.LEGISLATION................................................................................ 24 1..The.Government’s.Migration.Policy.Programme............................. 24 2..The.rights.of.the.child.and.the.child’s.best.interests.. in.international.legislation.................................................................... 25 3..Legislation.projects.in.progress........................................................ 29 4..Summary.......................................................................................... 31 IV.ASYLUM.PROCEDURE.FOR.UNACCOMPANIED.. MINORS.SEEKING.ASYLUM.IN.FINLAND....................................... 32 1..Submitting.the.application................................................................ 33 2..Reception.......................................................................................... 35 2.1..Reception.in.group.homes.and.supported.housing.units.......... 37 2.2..Private.accommodation............................................................ 39 2.3..Folk.High.Schools..................................................................... 41 2.4..Mental.health.and.child.welfare.services................................. 42 2.5..Social.assistance.......................................................................44 2.6..Basic.education......................................................................... 45 3..Representative................................................................................... 46 4..Counsel............................................................................................. 49 5..Police.interview................................................................................ 50 6..Age.determination............................................................................ 52 v 7..Processing.applications.for.asylum................................................... 56 7.1..Dismissal.of.applications.for.asylum........................................ 57 7.2..Processing.applications.for.asylum.and.asylum.briefings........ 59 8..Asylum.decision.and.notice.of.decision........................................... 62 9..Situation.after.a.decision.is.taken..................................................... 66 9.1..Placement.after.a.residence.permit.is.obtained......................... 66 9.2..After-care.................................................................................. 68 10..Family.reunification........................................................................ 69 11..Detention......................................................................................... 70 12..Summary.of.the.children’s’.interviews........................................... 72 V.THE.PROCESS.FOR.ACCOMPANIED.MINOR.ASYLUM.. SEEKERS.ARRIVING.IN.FINLAND..................................................... 74 1..Asylum.application.and.procedure................................................... 74 2..Reception.......................................................................................... 74 3..Police.hearing.and.Immigration.Service’s.asylum.investigation...... 75 4..Decision............................................................................................ 75 5..Detention........................................................................................... 76 6..Placement.in.a.municipality.and.integration.................................... 77 VI.THE.BEST.INTERESTS.OF.THE.CHILD.IN.THE.. ASYLUM.PROCESS................................................................................. 78 1..The.best.interests.of.the.child........................................................... 78 2..General.comments.and.recommendations....................................... 80 2.1..General...................................................................................... 80 2.2..Age.determination.as.an.indication.of.increased.scepticism... 81 2.3..Incrimination............................................................................ 83 2.4..Conclusion................................................................................ 85 3..Detailed.comments.and.recommendations....................................... 85 3.1..General...................................................................................... 85 3.2..Reception.................................................................................. 86 3.3..Age.determination.................................................................... 89 3.4..Representation.and.legal.aid..................................................... 92 3.5..The.Dublin.procedure............................................................... 93 3.6..The.normal.asylum.procedure.................................................. 95 3.7..Identifying.victims.of.human.trafficking.and.those.. facing.a.threat.of.being.victimised.................................................. 96 3.8..Detention................................................................................. 100 3.9..Family.reunification................................................................ 100 4..Conclusion...................................................................................... 102 LIST.OF.REFERENCES......................................................................... 105 Legislation.and.international.agreements........................................... 105 Instructions,.regulations.and.decisions.............................................. 105 Literature.and.other.sources............................................................... 106 vi Foreword As.I.am.writing.this,.the.UN.Convention.on.the.Rights.of.the.Child.has.just. seen.its.20th.anniversary..While.celebrating.this.anniversary,.Finland.reiter- ated.its.commitment.to.the.Convention.on.the.Rights.of.the.Child,.and.in.par- ticular.to.the.principle.of.the.child’s.best.interests.that.is.central.to.it.. How.can.the.principle.of.the.child’s.best.interests.be.applied.to.children.seeking. asylum.in.Finland?.Do.the.basic.rights.of.the.child.also.cover.their.situation? The.Government.Programme.of.Prime.Minister.Matti.Vanhanen’s.second. Cabinet.sets.as.its.goal.to.prepare.a.report.on.how.the.interests.of.children.are. recognised.in.the.decision-making.process.concerning.minor.asylum.seekers. and.refugees.and.in.their.reception..This.report.was.drawn.up.by.the.Office.of. the.Ombudsman.for.Minorities.with.funding.from.the.Ministry.of.the.Interior. The.results.show.that.this.report.was.badly.needed..The.report.indicates.that. the.principle.of.the.child’s.best.interests.is.not.adequately.recognised.in.deci- sion-making.concerning.minor.asylum.seekers.. The.first.step.should.be.to.perceive.minor.asylum.seekers.as.children.–.chil- dren.who.are.in.a.special.and.vulnerable.position,.but.children.nevertheless.. The.report.indicates.that.when.we.talk.about.unaccompanied.minor.asylum. seekers,.the.operative.word.is.‘asylum.seeker’,.possibly.overshadowing.efforts. to.identify.the.special.needs.of.the.child. Pursuant.to.the.UN.Convention.on. the.Rights.of.the.Child,.however,.each.and.every.person.under.18.years.of.age. should.be.treated.as.a.child..Whenever.necessary,.they.should.also.have.access. to.support.measures.under.the.Child.Welfare.Act.. In.the.report,.unaccompanied.minor.asylum.seekers.themselves.were.given.a. voice..It.turned.out.that.the.young.people’s.understanding.of.the.procedures. and.processes.concerning.them.was.rather.vague..From.their.perspective,.the. procedure.involves.many.actors,.a.great.number.of.processes.and.numerous. relocations..Their.ideas.of.their.own.rights.and.the.tasks.of.each.person.and. authority.were.rather.disorganised..When.taking.steps.to.improve.procedures,.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Toimintakertomus 2005
    Dnro 1/031/2006 15.3.2006 VALTION TALOUDELLISEN TUTKIMUSKESKUKSEN (VATT) TOIMINTAKERTOMUS 2005 Helsinki 2006 SISÄLLYSLUETTELO 1. JOHDON KATSAUS TOIMINTAAN ................................................................................................................................... 3 2. TULOKSELLISUUDEN KUVAUS ...................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 TOIMINNAN VAIKUTTAVUUS .............................................................................................................................................. 5 TUTKIMUSALUE I TYÖMARKKINAT, VEROTUS JA SOSIAALITURVA ............................................................................................. 5 TUTKIMUSALUE II JULKINEN TALOUS, YRITYKSET JA INTEGRAATIO .......................................................................................... 9 TUTKIMUSALUE III YMPÄRISTÖ JA INFRASTRUKTUURIT ....................................................................................................... 11 TUTKIMUSALUE IV JULKISET PALVELUT JA ALUETALOUS ..................................................................................................... 14 2.2 TOIMINNALLINEN TULOKSELLISUUS .................................................................................................................................. 19 2.3 TULOSANALYYSI JA JOHTOPÄÄTÖKSET ............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Review of National Finnish Health Promotion Policies and Recommendations for the Future
    WHO_FIN.FH9 Tue Jan 14 11:23:33 2003 Page 1 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Review of national Finnish health promotion policies and recommendations for the future WHO Regional Office for Europe Scherfigsvej 8 2100 Copenhagen Ø Denmark Telephone: +45 39 17 17 17 Review of national Finnish health Fax: +45 39 17 18 18 E-mail: [email protected] www.euro.who.int promotion policies and recommendations for the future Composite Review of national Finnish health promotion policies and recommendations for the future KEYWORDS EVALUATION STUDIES; HEALTH PROMOTION – organization and administration; HEALTH POLICY; FINLAND 2 For more information please contact Dr Erio Ziglio at the WHO European Office for Investment for Health and Development in Venice at e-mail: [email protected] The Venice Office was set up to advise Member States in the WHO European Region on understanding and acting upon the social and economic determinants of health. There is increasing evidence that economic wealth and people’s health are closely linked. Social and economic determinants play the major role in influencing the health of populations, whether through poverty, employment, education, housing, or the many other factors that shape people’s daily lives. The Venice Office works in three main areas: S Research and development - review, monitoring and dissemination of research on social and economic determinants and their impact on the patterns of ill health. S Country services - providing services to European Member States to increase their capacity to invest for health. S Information material - developing and disseminating evidence through specially designed information about knowledge and know-how in the area of social and economic determinants.
    [Show full text]
  • Extending Working Life in Finland
    EXTENDING WORKING LIFE IN FINLAND MARTEN VON WERDER AND ANNA-ELISABETH THUM CEPS WORKING DOCUMENT NO. 387 NOVEMBER 2013 Abstract This report reviews national and private initiatives to allow the elderly to continue their participation in the Finnish labour market and provides an analysis of the labour market and living conditions of seniors. We are interested in how those over 50 can be engaged in various forms of employment and lifelong learning. We find strong evidence that Finland generally provides good institutional conditions for active ageing. The quick and early ageing process was tackled by the fundamental pension reform that already prolonged retirement substantially and will probably facilitate later retirement as the attitudes concerning retirement change. On the other hand, Finland still seems to lack behind the other Nordic welfare states, has considerable problems in providing the same health conditions to low educated people in physically demanding occupations and could - with respect to family pension in particular - invest further effort in reforming the pension system. While many of the reforms Finland has conducted seem to be favourable and transferable to other European countries that still face the steepest phases of ageing in their societies, a reluctance towards changing attitudes that we observe in Finland, shows that organizing active ageing is a long-term project. Research for this paper was conducted as part of MoPAct, a four year project funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme to provide the research and practical evidence upon which Europe can begin to make longevity an asset for social and economic development.
    [Show full text]
  • Economic Wealth and Social Welfare: a Longitudinal Analysis of Transnational Well-Being
    University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 8-2015 Economic Wealth and Social Welfare: A Longitudinal Analysis of Transnational Well-Being Kelly Brooke Martin University of Tennessee - Knoxville, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the American Politics Commons, Comparative Politics Commons, Econometrics Commons, Economic History Commons, Economic Policy Commons, Economic Theory Commons, Income Distribution Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, International Economics Commons, Macroeconomics Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons, Political Economy Commons, Politics and Social Change Commons, Public Economics Commons, Social Policy Commons, Social Statistics Commons, Social Welfare Commons, Social Work Commons, and the Theory, Knowledge and Science Commons Recommended Citation Martin, Kelly Brooke, "Economic Wealth and Social Welfare: A Longitudinal Analysis of Transnational Well- Being. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2015. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/3443 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Kelly Brooke Martin entitled "Economic Wealth and Social Welfare: A Longitudinal Analysis of Transnational Well-Being." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Social Work.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Welfare in Finland Prof
    SOCIAL WELFARE IN FINLAND PROF. JOHN E. OWEN Like various other countries, Finland too operates several statutory social welfare measures, which to a great extent are supplemented by the voluntary efforts of the people. In the following article, the author describes some of the salient features of welfare programmes in Finland. Prof. Owen is on the Faculty of the Florida Southern College, Florida, United States. Although geography has placed Finland the problem, but it is still acute. Many large beside the Iron Curtain, her culture and and ultramodern apartment-buildings have social welfare policies are essentially of the been erected in Helsinki and Tampere, and democratic pattern. An independent nation several industrial firms have provided new since 1917, she maintains her relative freedom flats for their workers. But the influx of despite the proximity of Soviet power. The population from the rural areas and the major post-war problems afflicting her four marriage and birth rates continue to out­ million people have concerned housing, the distance home building, with the result that rebuilding of her bombed cities, and the re­ many young married couples are compelled settlement of over 400,000 refugees from to live temporarily with their parents. Karelia (eastern Finland) who voluntarily left their homes rather than live under Welfare Organizations.—As in the Scandi­ Russian rule. navian countries, welfare ideas are highly developed. Social welfare work is mainly A great burden upon the Finnish economy concentrated in the Ministry for Social followed the imposition of Soviet reparations Affairs, organised in five departments: amounting to the equivalent of 75 million general, labour, insurance, welfare, and pounds sterling, or one year's national temperance.
    [Show full text]
  • Finnish and Spanish Families in Converging Europe
    FINNISH AND SPANISH FAMILIES IN CONVERGING EUROPE Eriikka Oinonen FINNISH AND SPANISH FAMILIES IN CONVERGING EUROPE Academic Dissertation University of Tampere Department of Sociology and Social Psychology STUDIES IN EUROPEAN SOCIETIES AND POLITICS Copyright © Eriikka Oinonen Editorial Board Matti Alestalo Marjatta Hietala Jouni Häkli Briitta Koskiaho Jyrki Käkönen Leena Wilkman Cover picture Anu Valkama Cover layout Mainoscraft Oy Page layout Marita Alanko Sales Bookshop TAJU Yliopistonkatu 38, 33014 Tampereen yliopisto Tel. (03) 215 6055 Fax (03) 215 7685 email [email protected] http://granum.uta.fi Printed dissertation ISBN 951-44-6092-8 Electronic dissertation Acta Electronica Universitatis Tamperensis 381 ISBN 951-44-6093-6 ISSN 1456-954X http://acta.uta.fi Cityoffset Oy Tampere 2004 CONTENTS I AN INTRODUCTION TO A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON FINNISH AND SPANISH FAMILIES 13 1. To Compare Family Institutions 17 1.1. Premises of the Study 17 1.2. Family in Sociology: From Unity to Diversity 27 1.3. Comparative Research: Considering Methods and Data 40 2. Family and Modernisation in Finland and Spain 51 2.1. Th e Making of Modern Finland and Spain 51 2.2. Understanding Family Ideology 62 2.3. Family Values and Attitudes 87 2.4. On Family Formation 93 3. Family in Converging Europe 113 3.1. Family in Finland and Spain: Th e Focal Findings 113 3.2. Family in Converging Europe: Discussion 121 References 128 II NATIONS’ DIFFERENT FAMILIES? CONTRASTING COMPARISON OF FINNISH AND SPANISH ‘IDEOLOGICAL FAMILIES’ 145 1. Introduction 145 2. Family and Modernisation: Myth and Ideology 147 3. Finnish and Spanish Paths to Modern Societies 149 3.1.
    [Show full text]
  • Use of Health Services and Unmet Need Among Adults of Russian, Somali, and Kurdish Origin in Finland
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Article Use of Health Services and Unmet Need among Adults of Russian, Somali, and Kurdish Origin in Finland Katja Çilenti 1,2,* , Shadia Rask 1, Marko Elovainio 1,2, Eero Lilja 1, Hannamaria Kuusio 1, Seppo Koskinen 1, Päivikki Koponen 1 and Anu E. Castaneda 1,2 1 Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, 00271 Helsinki, Finland; shadia.rask@thl.fi (S.R.); marko.elovainio@thl.fi (M.E.); eero.lilja@thl.fi (E.L.); hannamaria.kuusio@thl.fi (H.K.); seppo.koskinen@thl.fi (S.K.); paivikki.koponen@thl.fi (P.K.); anu.castaneda@thl.fi (A.E.C.) 2 Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland * Correspondence: katja.cilenti@thl.fi Abstract: Equal access to health care is one of the key policy priorities in many European societies. Previous findings suggest that there may be wide differences in the use of health services between people of migrant origin and the general population. We analyzed cross-sectional data from a random sample of persons of Russian (n = 692), Somali (n = 489), and Kurdish (n = 614) origin and the Health 2011 survey data (n = 1406) representing the general population in Finland. Having at least one outpatient visit to any medical doctor during the previous 12 months was at the same level for groups of Russian and Kurdish origin, but lower for people of Somali origin, compared with the general population. Clear differences were found when examining where health care services were sought: people of migrant origin predominantly visited a doctor at municipal health centers whereas the general population also used private and occupational health care.
    [Show full text]
  • Finland, the Observatoryisapartnership,Hostedbywho/Europe, Organizations International Whichincludesother
    V ol. 21 Health Systems in Transition Vol. 21 No. 2 2019 No. 2 0 1 9 Heal t h S y s te m s in T r an s ition: Finland Finland Health system review Ilmo Keskimäki Vesa Syrjä Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen Lauri Vuorenkoski Eeva Reissell Bernd Rechel Meri Koivusalo Marina Karanikolos The Observatory is a partnership, hosted by WHO/Europe, which includes other international organizations (the European Commission, the World Bank); national and regional governments (Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Veneto Region of Italy); other health system organizations (the French National Union of Health Insurance Funds (UNCAM), the Health Foundation); and academia (the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)). The Observatory has a secretariat in Brussels and it has hubs in London at LSE and LSHTM) and at the Berlin University of Technology. HiTs are in-depth profiles of health systems and policies, produced using a standardized approach that allows comparison across countries. They provide facts, figures and analysis and highlight reform initiatives in progress. Print ISSN 1817-6119 Web ISSN 1817-6127 61546 Finland HiT_covers_WEB.pdf 2 02/09/2019 14:15 Marina Karanikolos and Bernd Rechel (Editors), and Ewout van Ginneken (Series editor) were responsible for this HiT Editorial Board Series editors Reinhard Busse, Berlin University of Technology, Germany Josep Figueras, European Observatory on Health Systems and
    [Show full text]
  • Finland – Civic Orientation Textbook
    FINLAND – CIVIC ORIENTATION TEXTBOOK Contents Foreword ........................................................................................................................................................................ 3 1. FINLAND AND THE FINNISH CULTURE ............................................................................................. 4 Geography and Climate of Finland ................................................................................................................................. 4 Population of Finland ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 What are Finns Like? ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 Outline of the History of Finland.................................................................................................................................... 9 Finnish Culture: Calendar, Celebrations and Traditions ............................................................................................... 16 Discussion Questions .................................................................................................................................................... 23 2. FINNISH SOCIETY .................................................................................................................................. 24 Sections of Finnish Society .........................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Welfare State Ethos in Finnish Government Programmes, 1950-2015
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Helsingin yliopiston digitaalinen arkisto Research on Finnish Society c RFS and the author Vol. 10 (2017), pp. 9-22 ISSN 1796-8739 Declaring, shepherding, managing: The welfare state ethos in Finnish government programmes, 1950-2015 Matilda Hellman, Marjukka Monni & Anna Alanko University of Helsinki, University of Tampere This study is concerned with the Finnish government’s political programmes (N=42) from the 1950s to the present. Its objective is to examine how conceptions of the welfare state have changed over the past 65 years. The analysis concentrates on the social and health care sectors as indicators of the content and nature of the ambitions set for the welfare system by the highest political leadership. The programmes were examined for their aims, character and concepts. The governments’ changing position towards its welfare political mandate emerges in three distinct periods: 1) 1950 through the 1970s, when the welfare state was being constructed; 2) the 1980s and 1990s, as the concept was further developed and internally synchronized; and 3) 2000 to 2015, a time of increasing estrangement from universal notions. The study shows that as late as 2014, the welfare state’s aims of inclusion and universalism were dramatically toned down to an absolute minimum in the government programmes. The article shows that in contemporary times, the coalition government system may have strengthened the welfare state ethos. This is a finding of great significance for a structural-political perspective on the support of welfare state ideas.
    [Show full text]
  • Contextualising Ethnic Residential Segregation in Finland: Migration Flows, Policies and Settlement Patterns
    Contextualising ethnic residential segregation in Finland: migration flows, policies and settlement patterns MARI VAATTOVAARA, KATJA VILKAMA, SAARA YOUSFI, HANNA DHALMANN, TIMO M. KAUPPINEN* Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki *National Institute for Health and Welfare Country Report for Finland Published December 2010 This study is part of a four-year comparative research project on Nordic welfare states and the dynamics and effects of ethnic residential segregation (NODES) The project is funded by NORFACE’s Research Programme on Migration Contents PREFACE 3 CONTEXTUALISING ETHNIC RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION IN FINLAND: MIGRATION FLOWS, POLICIES AND SETTLEMENT PATTERNS 4 1. THE FINNISH WELFARE SYSTEM 4 1.1. The birth of Finland – the youngest of the Nordic welfare states 4 1.2. Changes in the welfare state and economic structures 6 1.3. Future challenges 16 2. FINNISH HOUSING MARKETS 17 2.1. The Finnish housing stock 17 2.2. Access to different types of tenure 19 2.3. Policies focused on accessibility, affordability and creditworthiness 23 2.4. Housing outcomes 27 2.5. The current housing policy 33 3. FINLAND – IMMIGRATION FLOWS, POLICIES AND PRACTICES 35 3.1. The development of immigration 35 3.2. Features of the immigrant population 40 4. INTEGRATION POLICIES AND LEGISLATION IN FINLAND 46 4.1. Integration policy 46 4.2. Settlement and spatial dispersal policies 47 4.3. Citizenship and naturalisation 48 4.4. The rights and benefits of immigrants 50 4.5. The effects and monitoring of the integration-policy practices 52 5. REGIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND MIGRATION DYNAMICS AMONG IMMIGRANTS IN FINLAND 54 5.1. Settlement patterns 54 5.2.
    [Show full text]
  • Privatization of Social Care Services in Finland
    Juha Hämäläinen Privatization of Social Care Services in Finland Abstract Privatization of social care services is a strong trend throughout Europe. This article discusses this trend in Finland, a country which follows traditionally the Nordic welfare model based on a state- centered social policy and responsibility of the public power for people’s welfare. Reasons given for privatization in the Finnish debates as well as its forms and extension are introduced. Its conse- quences are surveyed especially from the point of view of professional social work. In the Finnish welfare system social workers are traditionally civil servants employed by municipalities who are responsible for organizing social care services according people’s needs and social rights. Until now educated social workers have not been active in starting up their own business. Rather they play a special role of expertise in the purchasers’ side in the purchaser-provider model in which municipal- ities use the mechanisms of competitive tendering. This brings new kind of professional expecta- tions to social workers, especially the demand to be able to define and control the quality of social care services produced by private for-profit organizations. Introduction This article discusses the grounds and forms of the tendency to privatize a part of the social care services in Finland and its impacts on social work1. In order to understand the process of privatiza- tion of social services in Finland it is important to know that after the World War II, especially since the 1960s, Finland has followed the Nordic welfare ideology according to which the public organisations, the State and municipalities, are responsible for welfare and social security of people.
    [Show full text]