Ulkomaalaisilla

Ulkomaalaisilla is a Finnish term that functions as the adessive plural form of ulkomaalainen, meaning foreigners or non-Finnish nationals. It is used to refer to people who are not Finnish citizens or who originate from outside Finland. In everyday language the word can denote a foreign background in a broad sense, including people living in Finland with non-Finnish citizenship or those born abroad.

In official and administrative contexts the form is common in discussions about population groups, immigration, and public policy. However, ulkomaalainen/ulkomaalaiset is not a precise legal category; different contexts may distinguish between citizens, permanent residents, and people with foreign backgrounds. For this reason, more specific terms such as maahanmuuttaja (immigrant) or descriptions of background (for example, henkilöt, joilla on ulkomaalainen tausta) are sometimes used to avoid ambiguity.

Connotations of the term depend on context and tone. When used neutrally, it simply describes a demographic group. In some discussions, critics argue that labeling people as ulkomaalaiset can risk homogenizing diverse individuals or obscuring differences in citizenship status, language, or integration. Alternatives that emphasize background or origin, rather than a binary foreign/Finnish distinction, are increasingly offered in public discourse and statistical reporting.

Grammatical note: Ulkomaalaisilla is the adessive plural form, used for phrases such as “Ulkomaalaisilla on oikeus…” (foreigners have the right…). The nominative plural is ulkomaalaiset, and the genitive is ulkomaalaisten.