Motivations and expectations of potential ethnic return migrants from Western countries to Finland

Abstrakti

While other research has been completed on ethnic return migration to Finland, particularly on Ingrian Finns, very little attention has been paid to the remigration of ethnic Finns born and raised abroad in Western countries, such as the United States, Canada, and other European states. This article takes an exploratory approach and seeks to shed light on why people with Finnish roots born and raised in other Western countries seek to (re)migrate, as well as what they hope and expect of life in Finland. Results from focus group data collected at a Finnish language and culture course suggest that these individuals view their ethnic homeland very positively prior to migration, and consider the (re)migration process as natural or inevitable as a result of having Finnish roots. Participants expected to adapt to life in Finland with ease and discussed the benefi ts of having Finnish roots as a newcomer in the country.