Immigration
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 4th sitting, information briefing
Date: 2024-10-09 16:48
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 7
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 7m
AI Summaries: 7/7 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The tenth question of the information session addressed immigration and the tripling of its quota. Riigikogu member Anti Poolamets sharply criticized the prime minister, calling the government's approach irresponsible and comparing the current immigration to Soviet-era mass Russification ("Stop Lasnamäe!"). Poolamets expressed concern that Estonians would become a minority in the capital, and accused the government of failing to integrate existing Ukrainian refugees (language learning, jobs). He asked which groups of employers pressured for the increase in the immigration quota.
The prime minister refuted Poolamets’ claims with both historical data and fresh statistics. He noted that the proportion of Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians in Estonia has significantly decreased since 1989 (from 34.94% to 27%). The prime minister also emphasized that Poolamets' statement about "the largest mass immigration ever" was untrue, pointing out that immigration actually decreased in 2023 compared to 2022. The government representative explained that the purpose of raising the quota is to bring highly qualified skilled workers (e.g., mechatronics engineers, food technologists) to Estonia, as indicated by a study from the Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts OSKA, who earn above-average salaries. The goal is to increase the added value and export capacity of Estonian companies, not to bring cheap labor into the country. The proposal to change the quota came from the business sector.
Decisions Made 1
Decisions were not made.
Most Active Speaker
Anti Poolamets, who delivered two detailed and emotional speeches criticizing the government's immigration policy and employing strong historical parallels, represents a right-wing position.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar is presenting the tenth question to the Prime Minister. The question is posed by Riigikogu member Anti Poolamets, and the topic is immigration.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets criticizes the tripling of the immigration quota, calling it an impermissible step that undermines responsibility and could lead to Estonians becoming a minority in Tallinn. He further accuses the Reform Party coalition of failing to provide adequate language training or jobs for those who arrived from Ukraine, and questions whose pressure led to this decision being made.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that the proportion of Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians in Estonia was about 35% in 1989, and 27% as of January 1, 2023. He added that the number of legal migration has significantly decreased in recent years (2022: 49,414; 2023: 26,399), and that current immigration levels are not the highest ever recorded.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanks [the previous speaker] and asks Anti Poolamets to pose a clarifying question.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets asserts that official figures and the interpretation of history don't add up, claiming Estonia is deeply Russified and occupied. He further accuses the government and Kaja Kallas of encouraging the settlement of Ukrainian refugees and increasing overall immigration, even as Tallinn struggles with illegal labor and the widespread lack of the Estonian language (citing Bolt and Wolt as examples), a problem that urgently needs solving.
Peaminister Kristen Michal
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that Estonian industry is experiencing a major shortage of qualified labor in various fields, and that this will not be solved by bringing in cheap labor, but rather by involving the necessary specialists—for example, in the fields of mechatronics, metal products, textile, and food industries—in order to increase added value and export capacity and grow people's prosperity, noting that solutions must be found in entrepreneurship and that long-term labor migration often comes from outside the border.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar concluded the information hour, noting that they had narrowly missed the dream of having all 12 questions answered and allowing Vladimir Svet to respond. However, he praised the substantive and respectful discussion, announcing that the information hour was over and the Riigikogu plenary session would begin at two o’clock.