Our Proposal on Citizenship

Policy Proposal Summary: Equal Citizenship Pathway for Finnish Remigrants

Objective

Establish a citizenship pathway for remigrants—individuals with a legally verified Finnish parent or grandparent—equivalent to that offered to Nordic citizens under current Finnish immigration law.

Current Reference: Pathway for Nordic Citizens

Under Migri guidelines, Nordic citizens may apply for Finnish citizenship if:

• They are citizens by birth of another Nordic country.

• They have lived in Finland continuously for 5 years.

• They have no criminal sentences in the past 5 years.

• No language requirement applies.
  
  

📄 Source: Migri.fi – Nordic Citizens

Proposed Requirements for Finnish Remigrants

The right to declare citizenship after five years of residence in Finland for individuals with at least one legally verified parent or grandparent who was a Finnish citizen:

• 5-year continuous residence in Finland (as with Nordic citizens).

• No Finnish language proficiency requirement.

• No criminal convictions during the qualifying period.

• Proof of ancestry and residence through standard documentation.

• For individuals from high-risk countries, in-person interviews, extended criminal, financial, and intelligence checks, and ancestry documentation would need to be cross-verified, and further processes.

EU Citizenship by Descent: Comparative Perspective

Several EU countries—including Ireland, Italy, Germany, Poland, Croatia, and Lithuania—offer citizenship by descent without:

• Residence requirements

• Language tests

• Generational limits (often up to great-grandparents)

 These countries recognize that bloodline and cultural heritage are sufficient grounds for reclaiming citizenship.

Recognizing the Language Hurdle for Remigrants

• Finnish is widely recognized as one of the more challenging EU languages for non-native speakers, due to its unique structure and distance from Indo-European languages.

• The formal style taught in most Finnish language courses often differs significantly from everyday spoken Finnish, which can create additional hurdles for learners trying to integrate into daily life.

• Finnish is among the more linguistically distinct and challenging languages in the EU for non-native speakers, due to its unique grammar and vocabulary, which can make language acquisition more demanding compared to many Indo-European languages.
  
  

Policy Justification

Parity:
Upholds existing eligibility for permanent residence, and ultimately offering Finnish descendants a citizenship path equal to that of Nordic citizens in Finland.

Precedent:
Aligns with EU norms that grant facilitated residency to diaspora descendants and extends Finland’s existing model for Nordic citizens to Finnish descendants seeking citizenship.

Heritage Preservation:
Reinforces cultural ties and strengthens national identity through reconnection.

Equity:

Eases legal obstacles that impact Finnish descendants seeking permanent residence and, ultimately, citizenship.