Expanding asylum seekers' right to work

Key points of the debate

The debate addressed the temporary expansion of asylum seekers' right to work in seasonal agricultural and primary production jobs to alleviate labour shortages caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The government parties considered the proposal a necessary partial solution to safeguard security of supply and the harvest, while the opposition considered the act to have little effect and to be problematic in principle. Extending the right to work to persons who had received a refusal-of-entry decision proved particularly controversial.

• –Will the proposal genuinely help alleviate the shortage of seasonal labour in agriculture and primary production?
• –Should persons who have received a negative asylum decision be granted the right to work?
• –Does the proposal undermine the credibility of the asylum system and create new pull factors?

• Social DemocratsIn favour

  The Social Democrats considered the act a justified temporary measure under exceptional circumstances to ease primary production labour needs and trial employing people already in the country.

  ”tämä on siis väliaikainen ulkomaalaislain muutos, tämä koskee kausityövoimaa ja kausityövoiman tarvetta Suomessa, ja kolmanneksi tämä on rajattu koskemaan alkutuotantoa.”

• Centre PartyIn favour

  The Centre Party supported the proposal as part of the Government's measures to explore every possible means to solve labour shortages on farms and food production challenges during exceptional times.

  ”Hallituksen esityksessä tulee esille se, että tämän esityksen tavoite on hyvä ja tarpeellinen: turvata meidän ruoansaantimme.”

• GreensIn favour

  The Greens defended the legislative amendment as an essential crisis measure to support domestic food production and bring available labour in the country to farms that need workers.

  ”Tämä on siis hyvin tarkkarajainen, selkeärajainen esitys, ja tästä ei silloin voi sanoa, että tällä luotaisiin jonkinlaista vetovoimatekijää, kuten joissain puheenvuoroissa ehkä tällaista nostettiin esille.”

• Left AllianceIn favour

  The Left Alliance supported the proposal, arguing that during the coronavirus crisis it is justified to make use of all available means to secure seasonal labour and give those in the country who wish to work the opportunity to do so.

  ”Meillä on siis Suomessa tällä hetkellä ihmisiä, jotka haluaisivat tehdä työtä, ja meillä on aloja, jotka kaipaisivat työntekijöitä, mutta tällä hetkellä me kiellämme näiden asioiden yhdistämisen”

• Swedish People's PartyIn favour

  The Swedish People's Party supported the proposal as an important part of measures to safeguard the labour needed by agriculture and security of supply during the pandemic.

  ”Därför är detta lagförslag som medför slopande av karenstiden som vanligtvis gäller asylsökande också en viktig del i helheten.”

• National Coalition PartyAgainst

  The National Coalition Party opposed the proposal as inadequate and wrong in principle, taking the view that granting the right to work to persons with a refusal-of-entry decision jeopardises the rule of law and the asylum system.

  ”Tämä esitys on huoltovarmuuden ja maatalousyrittäjien kannalta lähes merkityksetön mutta turvapaikkajärjestelmän uskottavuuden kannalta erittäin haitallinen.”

• Finns PartyAgainst

  The Finns Party strictly opposed the act, considering it useless tinkering and an ideological easing of immigration that confuses asylum-related and employment-based immigration.

  ”Kyseessä on hanke, jolla halutaan helpottaa maahanmuuttoa ja heikentää maasta poistumisen kannustimia niiden ihmisten kohdalta, joilla ei ole oikeutta suojeluun.”

• Christian DemocratsIn favour with reservations

  The Christian Democrats considered removing waiting periods a commendable way to help farms, but opposed extending the right to work to those who had received a negative asylum decision.

  ”kannatamme tätä lakiesitystä muilta osin paitsi tämän työnteko-oikeuden laajentamisen osalta lainvoimaisen kielteisen päätöksen saaneitten kohdalla.”

This digest was generated by AI from 94 speeches 13 Sep 2026. Group positions are read from the speeches, not from votes; quotations were checked verbatim against the record. The longest speeches were shortened in the digest's source material.