Migration and population

The Baltic Sea unites the Nordic countries and the Baltic States (referred to as the NB8) as a single geographical region. But through joint efforts, the region should become an even more attractive place in a globalising world for companies, financiers and researchers – and a better place to live for everyone. It should also be a place where the impact of human activity on the environment is taken into consideration.

The governments of the Nordic countries have been harmonising their policies and actions through the Nordic Council of Ministers since 1971, while cooperation with the Baltic States has been pursued through its Tallinn, Rīga and Vilnius offices since 1991.

The Nordic countries, the Baltic States and the other countries on the Baltic Sea support the European Union’s Baltic Sea Strategy and the key areas it focuses on:

protection of the environment;
boosting welfare and prosperity – removing market obstacles; the ‘fifth freedom’ i.e. free movement of knowledge; and reinforcing knowledge and competitive ability through the Top-Level Research Initiative;
boosting access and attractiveness – developing an open, transparent and effective electricity market; energy efficiency; and renewable energy; and
security – ensuring a more rapid response to health threats; and combating human trafficking and major cross-border crime.

In order for a more unified region to rise up around the Baltic Sea, we work closely with experts from Estonian departments and others in their fields, get them together with their colleagues from the Nordic countries and help to produce synergy.

Find out more about the Nordic countries’ cooperation on freedom of movement.

More about migration and population

Improved data and knowledge exchange on human development needed in Nordic-Baltic Region

Held events

Nordic-Baltic project 2021-2023 FOR-IN

Nordic-Baltic project 2021-2023 FOR-IN aims at fostering refugee and immigrant integration at the local level by creating country-specific intersectional cooperation models and regional networks of practitioners in the Nordic-Baltic Region.

Conference “Integration through education and engagement of local actors”

Nordic Council of Ministers’ Offices in Estonia in collaboration with the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, the University of Tartu, Tartu Welcome Centre, the UNHCR Representation for the Nordic and Baltic Countries and the Swedish Embassy in Tallinn arranged an international conference “Integration through education and engagement of local actors” 24th of October 2023 at the KUMU Art Museum of Estonia in Tallinn.

Nordic-Baltic migration Conference: Cross-border Mobility in the Nordic-Baltic Region

The Nordic-Baltic Migration Conference “Cross-border Mobility in the Nordic-Baltic Region” took place on September 18th 2020 at 10.00-13.00

Nordic Council of Ministers’ publications on:

Presentations from events

FOR-IN migration conference 2022

Tiit Tammaru, Professor of Urban and Population Geography at the University of Tartu, Member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences: Where do refugees live and work in Sweden, how has it changed in time (trajectories of spatial assimilation)
Christopher Jamil de Montgomery, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen. Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health. NordForsk Project: Coming of Age in Exile (CAGE): How do we ensure the best possible health and welfare for Ukrainian refugee children and young people seeking a safe place in the Nordic countries?

I PANEL

II PANEL

Migration conference 2020

Jussi Jauhiainen, Professor of University of Turku, Cross-Border Cooperation Between Estonia and Finland
Jonas Wendel, Chief of Staff at Nordic Council of Ministers´, Secretary General’s Office, Cross-border Mobility: A Regional Matter of National Importance
Zaiga Krisjane, Professor of the University of Latvia, Department of Human Geography, Overview of the Mobility Trends: Experience From Latvia
Donatas Burneika, Professor of the Vilnius University, Head of the Institute of Human Geography and Demography, Trends of Migrations in Lithuania 2000 – 2019
Tiit Tammaru, Professor of Urban and Population Geography at the University of Tartu, Academician, Changing Mobility Between Estonia and Finland
The Ministry of the Interior and the European Migration Network Estonian Contact Point, Overview of Migration Statistics 2015-2019

Migration conference 2019

Aune Valk, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, University of Tartu: Higher Education in English at National University: for Whom and for What?
Tuomas Martikainen, Director of the Migration Institute of Finland: Future Global Migration Trends
Irma Garam, Senior Adviser, Finnish National Agency for Education. Information and Analysis: Trends in International Student Migration and Integration in Finland
Norma Rose, consultant, European Migration Network Service Provider (ICF): Challenges and Best Practices in Retention from the EMN 2018 Study on Attracting and Retaining Third Country National Students
Theda Minthe, Head of Science City Hannover, City of Hannover, Lord Mayors’s Office, Germany: How to establish long-term cooperation of science, economy and politics: Welcome Service for international students and Hannover Skilled Workers’ Alliance
Piret Hartman, Estonian Ministry of Culture, Undersecretary for Cultural Diversity: The Role of Education in Integration Processes
Margus Pedaste, Professor of the University of Tartu, Head of the Pedagogicum and Centre for Educational Technology & Laura Kirss, University of Tartu, Centre for Teacher Education and Higher Education, RITA project: Integrated Estonian School and Related Expectations for Teacher Education

Migration conference 2018

Kenneth Broman’s opening remarks
Replay of Migration conference 2018 live stream
Raul Eamets, Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tartu: Smart Migration Policy
Olof Åslund, Director-General, Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy (IFAU): Labour Market Entry of Non-Labour Migrants
Ruth Annus, Head of Citizenship and Migration Policy Department, Ministry of the Interior of Estonia: Developments in Estonian Migration Policy
Matti Sarvimäki, Associate Research Professor, VATT Institute for Economic Research in Finland: Integration of Immigrants into the Finnish Labor Markets
Martin Ehala, Professor, University of Tartu: Managing Cultural Diversity in the Migratory Era
Silver Stõun, Migration Expert, European Migration Network: Illegal Employment of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union and the Nordic-Baltic Region
Hjördís Rut Sigurjónsdóttir, Research Fellow, Nordregio: Policies and Measures for Speeding up Labour Market Integration of Refugees in the Nordic Region
Piret Hartman, Undersecretary of Cultural Diversity, Ministry of Culture: Challenges Facing the Estonian Integration Policy
Henrik Emilsson, Researcher, Malmö University, Institute for Studies of Migration, Diversity and Welfare (MIM): How to Measure the Effectiveness of Integration, Indicators of Integration

Migration conference 2017

Summary of the Nordic-Baltic migration conference 2017
Watch full conference video online at Postimees opinion portal
Marju Lauristin, Member of the European Parliament, Professor of University of Tartu: How to conceptualize nation states at the age of migration: migration and integration of new arrivals
Anders Danielsson, General Secretary of the Red Cross in Sweden: Lessons learned – how Swedish society managed to help 136 000 refugees in six months
Klára Fóti, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Research Manager, Social Policies: Labour market integration of refugees and asylum seekers: different approaches in Europe after crisis
Eero Janson, Chairman of the Board of the Estonian Refugee Council: Estonia and the quota system: one year later
Catrine Bangum, Senior Adviser, Nordic Council of Ministers: The Initiatives of the Nordic Council of Ministers in answering the challenges of immigration and integration of newly arrived immigrants
Tuomas Martikainen, Director of the Migration Institute of Finland: What happened to the asylum seekers in 2015 in Finland?
Maarja Saar, Postgraduate Researcher in Sociology at Södertörn University, TRANSWEL research project: Mobility and welfare management between Estonia and Sweden
Triin Vihalemm, Professor of the University of Tartu: Media and mobility in Estonian society
Marta Bivand Erdal, Senior Researcher of the Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO): Recent migration to Norway: integration, diversity and implications for nation and state
Tiit Tammaru, Raul Eamets, Professors of the University of Tartu: Estonia in the era of migration

Migration conference 2016

Video: All presentations on 31 March
Video: All presentations on 1 April
Dr. Tuomas Martikainen, Director of the Institute of Migration in Turku, Finland: The Experiences of Recent Immigration Flows: Comparison of the Nordic Countries
Liana Roosmaa, Adviser of the Ministry of the Interior, Estonia: The Integration of Newly Arrived Migrants, Example of Estonia
Tiit Tammaru, Professor of Urban and Population Geography of the University of Tartu, Estonia: The Integration of Newly Arrived Immigrants Across Multiple Life Domains: Evidence from Sweden
Mari Vaattovaara, Professor in Urban Geography and Vice Dean Faculty of Science of the University of Helsinki, Finland: Socio-Economic Segregation in Nordic Cities
Leen Rahnu, Researcher of the Tallinn University, Estonian Institute for Population Studies: Formation of Ethnically Mixed Partnerships: Estonia in Single-country and Comparative Perspective
Eskil Wadensjö, Professor of the Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University: Integration of Unaccompanied Refugee Children in the Swedish Labour Market
Sheila Maas, European Migration Network/ ICF International: Integration of Beneficiaries of International Protection to the Labour Market – Policies and Good Practices from the Nordic-Baltic Region
Pieter Bevelander, Professor of the Malmö Institute for Studies of Migration, Diversity and Welfare, Sweden: Refugee Labour Market Integration, Comparing Two Cool Countries, Canada and Sweden
Eva-Maria Asari, Migration Expert of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences: The Role of State and Local Governments in Receiving the Beneficiaries of International Protection
Maria Golubeva, Head of Migration Policy Programme of the Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS, Latvia: Policy Challenges for the Integration of Migrants in Latvia: Labour Market, Education, Participation
Katja Vänskä-Rajala, Project Manager of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Finland: Policies and Practices of Resettlement of Refugees in Finland
Christoffer Melson, Chairman of Committee of Labour Market of the Vejle Municipality, Denmark: Experience of the “Work-First” Approach to Refugee Integration in Vejle Kommune
Triin Raag, Head on International Protection Policy of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Estonia: The Readiness of the State and Local Governments in Receiving Applicants and Beneficiaries of International Protection
Vladimir Šokman, Chairman of the City Council of Tartu, Estonia: The First Experiences of the Estonian Local Governments in Receiving the Beneficiaries of International Protection
Eero Janson, Director of the NGO Estonian Refugee Council: Civil Society Role and Experiences in the Reception of Refugees
Tiit Tammaru, Professor of Urban and Population Geography of the University of Tartu, Estonia: Conclusions of the Second Day of the Conference

Labour migration conference 2015

Christer Haglund, Director of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia: Opening speech
Marju Lauristin, MEP, Professor of Tartu University: Diversity of Our Societies and the Intra-EU Labour Migration
Rasmus Ole Rasmussen, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio: Comparative Analysis of Immigration in the Nordic and Baltic Countries
Mihails Hazans, Professor, Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Latvia: Return Migration Intentions to Latvia, Based on Recent Survey of Emigrants
Annika Forsander, Head of the Centre of Expertise, Ministry of Empoyment and the Economy, Finland: The Nordic Welfare State and Immigration, Experiences of Finland
Pieter Bevelander, Professor, Malmö Institute for Studies of Migration, Diversity and Welfare (MIM), Malmö University, Sweden: The World’s Most Open Country: Labour Migration to Sweden after the 2008 Law
Niels Jul Nielsen, Associate Professor, European Ethnology, Saxo Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark: Two cases of labour migrants in Denmark on ‘orderly’ conditions – a success story?

Labour migration and transnationalism conference 2014

Berth Sundström, Director of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia: Opening speech
Taavi Rõivas, Minister of Social Affairs of Estonia: Opening speech
László Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission: Labour Mobility: A European Perspective
Ken-Marti Vaher, Minister of the Interior of Estonia: Estonian Migration Policy
Eskil Wadensjö, Professor of Labour Economics, the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI), Stockholm University: Central and Eastern European migrants and the Swedish Labour Market
Häli Tarum, Labour Market Analyst, Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia: Migration Potential of Working-age Population in Estonia in 2013 (in Estonian)
Dr Frida Thorarins, Chair of the MIRRA/CIRRA /Center for Immigration Research Reykjavik Academy, Iceland: Labour Migrants from Central and Eastern Europe in the Nordic Countries – Patterns of Migration, Working Conditions and Recruitment Practices
Mihails Hazans, Professor, University of Latvia: Emigration Intentions and Fertility Potential in Latvia
Tiit Tammaru, Professor, University of Tartu, Estonia: Transnationalism in the Nordic-Baltic Region
Trine Lund Thomsen, Associate Professor, Aalborg University, Denmark: Skilled Immigrant Labour Market Integration in Denmark
Laura Kirss, Head of Education Policy Programme, Praxis Center for Policy Studies, Estonia: Talent Policy in Estonia: From Pieces to the Bigger Picture
Kristjan Kaldur, Analyst, Institute of Baltic Studies, Estonia: Experiences of Integration of Skilled Professionals from Other Countries (in Estonian)
Ott Toomet, Research Fellow, University of Tartu, Estonia: Leaving Your ‘Fatherland’? Ethnic Differences in Migration Intentions
Eva-Maria Asari, Project Manager, Centre for Migration Studies, Estonian Academy of Security Sciences: EU Blue Card in the Nordic-Baltic Region
Enel Pungas, Head of Department, Population Department, Estonian Ministry of the Interior: Factors Influencing Intentions to Study Abroad (in Estonian)