The Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland
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The Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland
21.10.2026
The proposed closure of the Migri service point in Kuopio would place an additional and disproportionate burden on all international students in Eastern Finland, impacting particularly those already at a disadvantage. The removal of local Migri services would require students and recent graduates to travel to other cities for mandatory appointments, creating additional transportation, accommodation, and lost-income costs. These expenses would be especially burdensome for individuals already experiencing financial insecurity following graduation and while searching for employment.
Beyond the financial impact, the closure would add to the administrative and psychological strain at a particularly vulnerable stage of a graduate's life. International graduates must balance job applications, interviews, networking and compliance with immigration procedures, often under strict time constraints. Requiring travel outside the region, for example to Lappeenranta or Tampere after the closure, for immigration-related appointments complicates an already challenging process, increasing stress, uncertainty and anxiety regarding their future in Finland.
The consequences of such a closure would not be distributed equally. International students already face disadvantage due to a lack of family and other support networks locally. This disproportionate lack of access to support carries over to all areas of a student’s life. Local Migri facility closures will exacerbate challenges faced by those already facing hardship.
The closure also sends a contradictory message about a city and a local area that are attracting international talent. The mayors of Kuopio and Joensuu, the rectors of the University of Eastern Finland, Savonia and Karelia Universities of Applied Sciences, and the CEOs of the Kuopio Region and North Karelia Chambers of Commerce have jointly opposed the closure in a shared statement. Nationally too, we need international students to stay and work here after graduation. The closure of local Migri facilities stands in stark opposition to the attainment of these goals.
This closure would compound the already bureaucratically heavy internal process that Migri forces people to go through in order to attain prolongations to their right to stay in the country after their studies. The process takes years in some cases, complicating recent graduates’ lives disproportionately. To compound the already heavy process by way of closing local Migri facilities is not acceptable.
This is also a question of equity. We should make every effort to protect those who are most affected by structural barriers and by recurring discrimination in daily life. We must practice equity in all our actions. This closure represents a complication to students’ lives that stands in direct opposition to principles of inclusion and equity.
Alongside keeping the service point open, Migri’s online service needs real investment. Many students would gladly avoid an in-person visit if the digital process worked smoothly and clearly enough to handle their cases. Improving it would cut down on unnecessary trips and shorten the long queues that frustrate everyone, including Migri’s own staff. But a better online service can only complement local presence, not replace it, because some matters, such as biometric identification and fingerprints, can only be handled face to face.
We oppose this closure as a student union adjacent to a University and a city that pride themselves on inclusion, internationalisation and internationality. We cannot let international student support be an empty facade and empty words in the wider extent of the campuses and cities that we study in. International student support must include concrete actions that will make students’ lives tangibly easier. This closure does not represent such actions. It is regrettable and it should be forcefully opposed by all parties, not just those directly affected.
Emilia Kivikoski, Chairperson of the Executive Board, The Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY), puheenjohtaja(at)isyy.fi, tel. +358 44 576 8400
Hannele Mirola, Secretary General, The Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY), paasihteeri(at)isyy.fi, tel. +358 44 576 8417