Paper short abstract:

Based on discussions with temporary protection seekers from Ukraine in Finland, this paper analyses tensions arising from the rapid implementation of the protection scheme and the lack of long-term plans for accommodating Ukrainians fleeing war.

Paper long abstract:

This paper reflects on the impact of the Russo-Ukrainian war within Europe by examining how the arrival of tens of thousands of temporary protection seekers has been managed in Finland. Based on qualitative materials collected while working in an NGO, advising people seeking temporary protection in Helsinki from April to September 2022, the paper maps Finland’s place in the European division of labour in accommodating Ukrainian refugees of war. Ukrainians have enjoyed special benefits such as immediate access to employment, free transportation, clothing donations, free meals, and access to museums and attractions, based either on the peculiarities of the temporary protection status or the mobilisation of empathy within Finnish society. At the same time, the very temporariness of residence permits granted within the temporary protection scheme was a source of worry to many Ukrainians who wanted to make sure they would not be sent back involuntarily when the temporary protection directive ends. Regardless of their plans for returning to Ukraine, most Ukrainians appeared to wish to find a job and settle down as quickly as possible. They voiced complaints about access to childcare, opaque practices of transferring clients from transit reception centres in the capital region to reception centres elsewhere in the country, and slow access to healthcare. The paper examines these tensions arising from the quick implementation of the temporary protection directive on the one hand, and the lack of long-term plans for the legal status and integration of this group of people in Finland on the other.