Citizenship celebration held in Espoo
For the fifth time, the City of Espoo organised a celebration for Espoo residents aged 18 or older who have been granted Finnish citizenship. At the event held at Dipoli on 27 August 2023, more than 300 guests celebrated in a joyful atmosphere.
“I am proud that Espoo can offer its residents a safe hometown close to nature. At the same time, Espoo is an important growth engine not only for the capital region but also in Finland as a whole. Our city needs more international experts. It is important that people from different backgrounds feel at home in Espoo and know that they can participate in developing the city,” Mayor Jukka Mäkelä said in his speech.
The guests felt honoured to be invited and had only good things to say about Espoo. They were delighted with the atmosphere of the event, which they described as suitably ceremonial but warm and relaxed at the same time. For the first time, the invitation was for the whole family, and many children of all ages attended. The event also featured a workshop for children organised by EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art.
The citizenship celebration was part of Espoo Day, the largest annual city event in Espoo. This year, all Espoo residents aged 18 or older who were granted Finnish citizenship in 2022 were invited, together with their families.
A total of 1,384 Espoo residents became Finnish citizens in 2022. Among them, 974 were adults and 410 were under 18.
One in five Espoo residents is a foreign-language speaker
At the beginning of 2023, the number of foreign-language residents in Espoo was 66,700, which accounts for nearly 22% of the city’s population.
Espoo’s foreign-language population is growing more rapidly than the Finnish-speaking population. In 2022, Espoo gained 7,120 new foreign-language residents, which accounted for 87% of the population growth. If the city continues to grow at the same rate, foreign-language speakers will account for one third of Espoo’s population by 2030.
Espoo’s foreign-language population consists mainly of working-age people, young people and children. The most common foreign languages spoken in Espoo are Russian, Estonian, Arabic, English and Chinese.
In the city’s strategy, known as the Espoo Story, the City Council has emphasised that “Everyone living in Espoo is an Espoo resident.” One of Espoo’s goals during the current council term is to be “Finland’s top city for integration.”
“As the native Finnish population grows older, we must do all we can to fully integrate immigrants into our society, schools and universities so that they can join the workforce or become entrepreneurs. For many, getting their citizenship is an important milestone on this journey and well worth celebrating,” says Teemu Haapalehto, Director of Immigration Affairs.
The integration programme approved by the City Council highlights key developments related to integration and outlines the implementation of the city’s integration policy.
Further information
HelloEspoo.fi offers tips for moving and integration.