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How to lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman for Minorities

When reporting cases of discrimination to the Ombudsman for Minorities, you will speed up the processing of your case if you take account of the following points:

Complaints should preferably be made in writing. They can be sent by post, e-mail or left at the reception of the office. The working languages of the office are Finnish, Swedish and English. If you do not know any of these languages, you can write a letter in your native language. The office will then have your letter translated. This will not cost you anything. We kindly ask you to keep your letter to a maximum of two pages.

In the complaint you should state

-         whose actions you are criticising
-         when the incident took place
-         what incident, procedure or decision you consider discriminating on ethnic grounds or otherwise wrong
-         why you consider it ethnically discriminating or otherwise wrong
-         whether it is possible to obtain concrete evidence of the incident (e.g. discriminating decision)
-         whether the case is pending somewhere else
-         whether you have an assistant such as a lawyer
-         your contact details.

It is advisable to attach copies of the relevant decisions and other relevant documents to the complaint.

The complaint can be sent

-         by post to:

Ombudsman for Minorities
PO Box 26
FI-00023 GOVERNMENT, FINLAND

-         by e-mail to:

ofm (at) ofm.fi

 You can also leave your complaint at reception at

Mikonkatu 25, Helsinki.

 Please note that you must always make an appointment with one of our officials beforehand.

 You can also call our customer service for advice on weekdays at 10.00-12.00. The number is

071 878 8666

The services provided by the Office of the Ombudsman for Minorities are free of charge.