ABSTRACT
Impacts of global migration are increasingly visible in the Arctic regions. Immigration entails a constantly changing local demographic, and questions of diversity and integration are core issues addressed by social sciences and policymakers. The steady population decline in Finnish Lapland has led to the need to rethink ways to promote the region as an attractive place, especially for young people, to stay. Hence, this chapter deals with the opportunities and challenges faced by immigrant youth in Finnish Lapland and examines different factors of well-being from the youth’s own perspectives. The importance of using anthropological research methods relating to the topic of youth immigration is highlighted. A review of Vertovec’s approach on diversity, multiculturalism, and relevant policies is included to challenge the debate on global immigration and terminology use. Recent research results suggest that opportunities for young immigrants in this area evolve around education and safety issues, and challenges are exemplified through the lack of infrastructure and concerns about interactions within their respective social groups. This chapter concludes by emphasizing the importance of incorporating young people’s own views in policy- and decision-making, as a mechanism to increase positive societal impacts in the region.
