Transnationalism and Diasporas

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While migration has traditionally been divided into categories of emigration, immigration, and internal migration, the research of the Migration Institute of Finland frames migration as a transnational and multidirectional phenomenon that can impact individuals and societies over generations.  

We have longstanding expertise in researching and working with diasporic communities, including those currently in Finland, as well as those who have left Finland to settle elsewhere. We seek to understand transnational flows of people and information. This includes the study of diasporic media and social media. Our research highlights the enduring connections that migrants and their descendants maintain between countries, contributing to international debates on transnationalism, belonging, and social change. 

Since its inception in 1974, the Migration Institute of Finland has also had a special mandate to research Finns abroad, including histories of emigration and Finnish migrant communities, as well as the current needs and experiences of Finnish citizens and their descendants living internationally. We furthermore actively convey our research results on Finns abroad to decision makers and thus seek to inform policy making. As Finland’s leading center for research on Finns abroad and Finnish migration histories, we provide unparalleled expertise on the global Finnish diaspora and its relationship with Finland. 

Keywords: diasporic communities, digital diaspora, transnational families, Finns abroad, history of Finnish migration, forced migration, onward migration, media 

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