Migrant Tales insight: Finland locks up all kinds of people in immigration removal centers in Helsinki’s Metsäaä and Joutseno like women, men, children and whole families, even asylum seekers who have married Finns.
This asylum seeker was detained by the police on February 2 and released Friday, March 23, or a total of 49 days!
And for what reason was he kept at the notorious Jourseno immigration removal center? For searching for a better life, fleeing war and strife, and marrying a Finn and waiting to become a father?
Migrant Tales published in early March a story about the plight of this man.
This story will be updated.
Finland does this because it sees immigration as a threat. This fact is the basis of the country’s oppressive immigration policy, especially towards asylum seekers.
Cases of human tragedy abound at Joutseno irrespective of sex, age, national origin, and marital status.
Below, is a picture of a minor looking out the window at the Joutseno immigration removal center.
Read the full story here.
One of these asylum seekers is an Iraqi who has been locked up since February 2.
Like many of his countrymen, he too came to Finland in 2015. Contrary to other asylum seekers at Joutseno, he is married to a Finnish woman who is expecting a child.
A view of the Joutseno immigration removal center yard from his cell. Photo by the asylum seeker.
The asylum seeker’s problems with the Finnish immigration authorities started in February 2017.* After they detained him in Pori during that month, they sent him to Turku. The police said that even if he was married to a Finn, it wouldn’t be grounds to stop the deportation.
After being detained in Turku and the Metsälä immigration removal center for 10 days later, the police detained him again in February and sent to the Joutseno immigration removal center.
“They said they had to lock me up because they suspected I’d to another country,” he said. “I asked them [the polce] where I would go. I should go to my wife who is pregnant.”
According to the asylum seeker, his Finnish wife pleaded with the authorities “crying and begging them,” but it was to no avail.
* Not July 2016 as originally reported.