Access to Justice: An Empirical Study on the Lived Experiences of Older Immigrants in Finland

Abstract

Older immigrants can experience access-to-justice barriers due to factors related to their language, health, and ethnicity. This socio-legal study examines older immigrants’ barriers and facilitators of access to justice by exploring the lived experiences of 26 older immigrants living in Finland. The results show that living in a foreign country creates unique vulnerabilities for older immigrants that may restrict their access to justice. Inconsistencies in the provision of information about rights and available services can create a unique vulnerability for older immigrants, resulting in difficulties navigating an unfamiliar digital services system. Older immigrants from Middle Eastern backgrounds may be disadvantaged in terms of access to employment due to structural discrimination surrounding foreign names, education and skills. Stringent citizenship requirements can exacerbate older immigrants’ vulnerabilities by limiting their freedom of movement and curbing their access to employment. Help provided by specialised interpreters and social workers can mitigate the effects of older immigrants’ vulnerabilities on their access to social and healthcare services. Social institutions that equip older immigrants with necessary capacities to combat their vulnerabilities can reinforce their access to justice