Conclusions

Abstract

Millions of undocumented and irregular migrants live in the EU, and many more live in the countries outside of it. In Finland, the number of undocumented migrants has so far been rather small—up to a few thousand people. There are many kinds of undocumented migrants, but the common factor is that they reside in a country without the proper legal right to do so and their presence is not fully approved by that country’s authorities.This chapter presents the main findings of the research about the everyday lives of undocumented migrants in Finland, showing how these findings corresponded closely with the international academic literature and brought insight to the current discussion. The results are reflected in the broader EU context and beyond. Additionally, the chapter suggests promising research themes on the topic, as they emerged from the main findings.Research has already demonstrated that no country can expel all its undocumented migrants. The results of this study and earlier studies have also suggested the revision of immigration and asylum policies in the EU, including Finland, to create win-win situations for both undocumented migrants and the countries in which they reside.