Project organisers say their goal is to promote immigrant affairs by giving Finland's foreign community a voice. Backers of the immigrant parliament venture are calling for a vote to elect an unofficial 50-member parliament for a two-year term. Immigrants and people of immigrant background would be eligible to vote for representatives.

Russians make up Finland's largest immigrant group, with roots dating back 300 years. Their already large numbers and influence has made them sceptical towards a parliament designated for immigrant matters.

Veronika Solovian, a research manager originally from Ukraine, says staging immigrant elections carries a hefty price tag. She says it's wrong to channel taxpayer money to the project that would otherwise be used for integrating newcomers.

Iranian-born author and publisher Alexis Kouros, a backer of the unofficial project, says that the intention is to make the voices of immigrants better heard in Finnish society. Another goal is to improve the position of immigrants. If established, the parliament would also provide a forum for discussion among immigrants themselves.

The government has green-lit the venture, which aims to launch an immigrant parliament by the time the newly-elected Finnish Parliament convenes next spring.