Ari Koponen, a member of Parliament from the Finns Party, has introduced a motion to abolish national and guaranteed pensions for immigrants. The proposal aims to enhance the sustainability of Finland’s pension system and reduce incentives for immigration based on social security benefits.

“The central idea of the Finnish pension system is that pensions are accrued on the basis of work done. The national pension and guaranteed pension systems should not constitute an incentive for foreigners to move to Finland. National pensions and guaranteed pensions should be reserved for Finnish citizens,” Koponen noted in a statement on Tuesday evening.

Under existing laws, individuals become eligible for a national pension and a guaranteed pension after residing in Finland for three years. The full guaranteed pension amounts to about €990 per month.

Kela statistics, according to Koponen, indicate that the share of foreign-born recipients of guaranteed pensions has increased notably in recent years, with approximately €110 million paid out to them last year, representing over one-third of all guaranteed pensions distributed.

“This would result in clear savings without cutting benefits for Finnish citizens. The idea for the initiative came when Suvi-Anne Siimes, outgoing CEO of Kela and the former chair of the Left Alliance, raised the issue in an interview with HS (a Finnish daily).

Koponen thanks her “for bringing the issue to light.”