Social counselling for immigrants
The City of Kotka offers integration support and counselling by a social counsellor for immigrants at different stages of the immigration process. Clients are offered a wide range of support, advice and guidance in dealing with different life situations. During and after the integration period, many migrants need more effective guidance due to a lack of language skills or knowledge of client processes and service systems. Immigrants are provided with information on their rights and obligations in Finnish society.
Support is provided in everyday life and housing, as well as in child and family matters, documentation (forms and applications), guidance and counselling in livelihood and education. The social counsellor works in close cooperation with many different actors and services such as the Kymenlaakso Welfare Region (adult social work, children, youth and family services, multidisciplinary working life services, etc.), Kela, TE services, Immigration Office, police, interest monitoring, etc.
Immigrants can get advice by visiting the service point in Karhula. Appointments by appointment only. The appointment can be booked by the client or by the worker/authority. If necessary, the social counsellor will order an interpreter. The social counsellor can also accompany the client to the appointment. The social counsellor does not make any decisions about the service. The decision in the client’s situation is made by the main actor, e.g. Kela in the case of benefits.
However, the following groups of clients are served elsewhere: asylum seekers, unaccompanied minor immigrants, immigrants with refugee status during the integration period and illegal residents.
Please note! This page is machine translated. We apologise for any errors, please report any mistakes viestinta@kotka.fi.