The paper will cover the horizontal policy objectives of the EU Roma Strategic Framework (fighting antigypsyism, anti-discrimination, reducing poverty and social exclusion, participation), sectoral policy objectives (education, employment, health, housing), as well as other relevant policy areas identified as being important for the Roma migrants, for example political participation, culture and language, environmental justice, digital inclusion, child protection). The paper will be published in Finnish with executive summary in English.

First results from the focus group interviews and participatory trainings in June 2026

According to the focus group interviews, Roma migrants from Romania need support in all areas of life, which also should be articulated in the National Roma Strategic Framework (NRSF). In Helsinki, services have improved and Roma immigrants are fairly satisfied with them. Health and Social Services have centralised the care of undocumented people in one place, from where also Roma migrants receive services and interpretation. They have also arranged housing for some of the migrants, but at the same time there are also evictions and foreclosures. Food vouchers are provided by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. No jobs are available because unemployment is high, even among the majority population. Some of the Roma migrants have made living by selling the street newspaper Iso Numero, however its publication is now under a threat for tax reasons. Education is primarily characterised by language problems. Another reoccurring issue is that the Roma migrants face persistent racism and are constantly harassed by the guards in particular.

The Roma migrants from Baltic countries and returnees (from Sweden) are more familiar with the Finnish society and some of them had heard that there is something called NRSF. Basically, they argued that the position of Roma people in Estonia is weaker than in Finland, and much stronger in Sweden in comparison to Finland. Most of them knew that the Finnish government provides funding for Roma CSOs. Their opinions on whether Roma are consulted in decision-making however differed greatly from each other.

According to returnees, there is not as much discrimination in Sweden as there is in Finland, but people are still much better acquainted with the basic concepts, such as anti-gypsyism, in Sweden. Moreover, it is very difficult to support one’s family in Finland when the Roma cannot get work due to discrimination, nor do they get housing. They are afraid to use health services because they are not taken seriously, and they also feel that social workers are just bouncing them from one door to another. Even at school, Roma pupils are being bullied.

A need for a coalition

No coalition comes to fruition by itself nor only as an initiative of the Roma migrants themselves. This is why the support of the Roma CSOs is crucial. However, there are not many peer-to-peer relationships between Roma migrants and the Finnish Roma, and the Roma migrants do not quite feel that existing Roma organisations are for them.

This activity is funded by the European Union in the framework of the project “Roma CSOs promoting EU values” (ROVA) coordinated by the European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network.