Migration Institute of Finland has renewed its digital Emigrant Register. The use of the register has been brought to 2021 standards and has been made even easier to use, although the familiar appearance has been retained. With the change, it is possible to search from several different databases with a single search, which was not possible before.
The Emigration Collections archive contains cultural heritage and research material relating mainly to emigration and expatriate Finnishness. The materials in the collections include letters, diaries, pictures and postcards as well as interviews, videos and various artefacts. As a specialty, the digital Emigrant Register also contains passport and passenger lists that cannot be found elsewhere in digital form.
The name information found in the Emigrant Register are available free of charge to anyone interested, and for an annual fee of EUR 30 all the information in the register can be searched in full. The material of the Register is suitable for everyone interested in migration. The material can also be used, for example, in scientific research.
The purpose of the registry reform is to better serve its customers. With the reform, the service will be even more user-friendly and efficient. A good example of the changes in the service is the improvement of the search feature: previously the desired information had to be retrieved from each different database individually, but with the reform, one search gives access to all the databases in the migrant register. In addition, a completely new database, regarding people immigrating to Finland, has been added.
However, the development of the register does not end there. The development work is to be an ongoing process, thus guaranteeing a functional and meaningful user experience.
Link to the Emigrant Register: https://siirtolaisrekisteri.siirtolaisuusinstituutti.fi/