Building Bridges in Finland: ConnACT Study Visit on Migrant Integration

As part of the ConnACT – Connecting through Adult Community Training project, MPG’s Mojib Atal and Carmine Conte joined colleagues from Regione Emilia-Romagna and Malta’s Human Rights Directorate on a study visit to Southwest Finland.

Hosted by our partner ELY-keskus – the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, the visit offered a first-hand look at how Finnish regions are shaping inclusive communities and supporting newcomers.

Over the course of the visit, participants:

• Explored Vaasa’s integration and community orientation programmes and learned how local employment services are tailored to migrants.
• Visited the Närpes Adult Institute, where integration teachers, students, and officials shared how municipalities can deliver practical, people-centred integration.
• Met with public officials and NGOs in Pargas, exchanging insights on diverse approaches to local integration.
• Heard directly from migrants in Finland who spoke about their journeys, challenges, and successes in building new lives.

These exchanges go to the heart of ConnACT’s mission: identifying, documenting, and sharing innovative, transferable, and scalable integration practices that work for migrants of all backgrounds. By bringing together practitioners, policymakers, and communities, ConnACT strengthens the evidence base for better integration policies across Europe.