Between National Guidance and Local Autonomy: Competence-Based Immigration Policy in Finland

Abstract

This article examines the multi-level governance of competence-based immigration (CBI) in the Finnish context. International talent attraction and retention strategies going beyond traditional immigration policies have become an economic imperative for many countries, but cities interpret and implement the desired national policy in a varied manner. Using qualitative, empirical data from interviews with governmental and case city representatives, this article analyses the CBI approaches adopted by three case cities at the time of considerable policy changes in Finland. The results indicate that the cities’ policy objectives are well aligned with the national policy, but their strategies to reach the objectives vary greatly, as does the involvement of the regional CBI ecosystem as a whole. National institutions are not considered capable enough to support cities sufficiently, and this combined with challenges in resource allocation have become a sore point in the current CBI development in Finland