The reception will take place at the Helsinki City Hall. Photo: Daderot via Wikipedia Commons
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A total of 2,629 Helsinki residents were granted Finnish citizenship in 2024. The city will mark the occasion on 11 December with a formal reception at City Hall.
The event will be led by Daniel Sazonov, Mayor of Helsinki, who will offer opening remarks. The evening will also include musical performances and speeches.
The city began hosting annual receptions for new citizens in 2017, during Finland’s centennial year. Since then, the event has become a yearly fixture in Helsinki’s calendar.
According to data from the end of 2024, around 142,000 Helsinki residents have a foreign background. That figure represents roughly 22 percent of the capital’s population. The 2,629 people naturalised last year add to this growing demographic.
Invitations to this year’s reception were sent to 2,168 individuals who recently acquired citizenship and had not opted out of direct communication from the city. Of those invited, 440 confirmed their attendance by the 23 November registration deadline.
The ceremony will begin with a collective performance of the Finnish national anthem, Maamme. Following the anthem, Daniel Sazonov will deliver a speech welcoming the new citizens.
Luciana Paltila, a language instructor who will speak on behalf of the new citizens, has been selected to address the gathering.
Musical performances will follow the speeches. The line-up includes kora player Cheick Cissokho, the folk music duo Marjo Smolander and Minttu Hellstén, and the multicultural band Nei Zigma.
The event will take place in the main ceremonial hall of City Hall. Flags will be flown in front of the building for the occasion.
Helsinki has consistently presented itself as an open and international city. The reception is intended to recognise those who have chosen to build their lives in the Finnish capital and to formally welcome them as citizens.
The City of Helsinki requires that invitees be adult residents who gained citizenship during the previous year. The event is not open to the general public.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
