Lieksa has already received 130 immigrants in just over a year. This has meant the town has been able to hire two formally unemployed local residents to work in its immigrant advice centre.

Most of the new arrivals are refugees from Iraq and Somalia – all of whom have made a personal choice to start a new life in Lieksa. Despite the town being one of the most picturesque in the area, one of its main attractions for immigrants has been rental accommodation. For letting agents, who only two years ago had more than 100 empty apartments, immigrants have been a real saviour.

Many local people think it does not matter where the town gets its income. But some of the town’s 13 000 residents do not agree. As an example, the town council has received a new initiative where local people demand immigrant expenses to be made public. This, they say, is so that taxpayers know where their money is going.

According to the social services in the town, Lieksa paid some 1.5 million euros in expenses for its immigrants last year. However, as the state will pay these expenses for the first three years, Lieksa has already made a 200,000-euro profit from welcoming immigrants so far. The town expects to make a similar profit this year.