Once regarded as a liberal haven, the current Finnish government wants to make irregular migration to the Nordic country unattractive. Healthcare provision is just one method it is threatening to use.
Healthcare provision for migrants in Finland is under threat, as Prime Minister Peterri Orpo is looking to undo legislation designed to require all local authorities to provide free basic healthcare to all migrants — including undocumented ones — throughout the country.
The law was only introduced at the beginning of the year under his predecessor; however, Orpo’s coalition government, which includes the far-right Finns Party, wants to leave the decision of continuing this policy to individual cities.
Thus, treating migrants who don't have a legal right to be in the country for any medical condition would become a matter funded by these cities' individual budgets so as not to burden the public healthcare system.
Prime Minister Peterri Orpo leads a coalition government which also features far-right elements | Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP/picture alliance
In addition to undocumented migrants, the change would also affect those who have exhausted all options to apply for asylum, as well as other EU nationals, who have been living in Finland for more than 90 days but have not regularized their stay.
This would apply in particular to citizens of Romania or Bulgaria, who have sizeable expat populations in the country.
Make Finland great again?
Obtaining access to the Finnish public healthcare system, however, is often a difficult and highly bureaucratic process, which can take months or in some cases even years to complete — even for EU citizens.
But the proposal to roll back the healthcare law is part of a set of legal proposals chiefly designed to make migration to Finland less attractive.
Other measures tabled as part of this new governmental direction reportedly include cutting access to social services and welfare benefits for migrants.
Finland also wants to explore options of deporting undocumented migrants to a third country if they cannot go back to their home country.
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Division within Kokoomus
Some cities in Finland however have vowed to keep medical services available to all migrants. The Finnish capital Helsinki is one of those places, which appears to be set on a collision course with the national government.
This is further compounded by the fact that the Mayor of Helsinki belongs to the same party as the prime minister, which is referred to locally as Kokoomus.
Deputy Mayor Daniel Sazonov told Euronews in an interview that even within Kokoomus, "there are also differing views" on such issues, adding however that it was his "duty" to serve the entire population of Helsinki — including undocumented migrants.
"These possible changes in legislation will of course mean that Helsinki's social services, healthcare and rescue departments' budget will have to pay these services out of our own pocket," he clarified, stressing that the associated costs were reasonable, and that Helsinki was able to cope.
Criticism against plans
Meanwhile, the government's move to possibly roll back healthcare for migrants has also drawn criticism from the Finnish Medical Association.
"The government's intention is in complete contradiction with the fact that it has also announced that it will work determinedly to promote equality and non-discrimination in society," the association’s health policy advisor Lauri Vuorenkoski said.
Meanwhile, questions about the real motivation for undoing healthcare provision for undocumented migrants have also surfaced, as Finland only has a relatively small refugee and migrant population and as the range of services made available to migrants is rather limited to begin with.
According to the free clinic in Helsinki, the most common ailments that bring migrants to the facility, include headaches, back pain, skin conditions, high blood pressure and diabetes monitoring, which are affordable services.
Sceptics say that Prime Minister Peterri Orpo is merely pandering to the far-right members of his coalition government and its voter base. An opinion poll commissioned by the Helsingin Sanomat daily newspaper showed that support for the government coalition remained steady.