Author: Migrant Tales

Finland must get off its whining horse and seek proactive solutions to the asylum seeker situation

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Like many anti-immigration politicians, even former National Police Commissioner Mikko Paatero believes that there is some magic number that we shouldn’t cross concerning the number of asylum seekers that arrive to our country. In 2015, a record 32,000 asylum seekers came to Finland.  How many arrive this year is an open question. 

“I don’t believe that Finland could take in as many [asylum seekers] as last year,” Paatero was quoted as saying in Uusi Suomi. “I’m worried if this year 30,000 asylum seekers [arrive in Finland] and [even if] half of them get residence permits.”

Everyone will agree that Finland is a more affluent and developed country today than it was in 1944 when some 420,000 Karelian refugees were resettled after the war in Finland.  Why didn’t such a large number of refugees destroy Finland back then?

The answer to the question is simple: If there is a will there is a way. Today there is no will for asylum seekers and, therefore, no way or solution except for near-continuous whining.

The impact of the Winter War (1939-40), Continuation War (1941-44) and Lapland War (1944-45), tens of thousands of Finnish deaths and the deep traumas left by war weren’t insurmountable obstacles in finding a solution to hundreds of thousands of Karelian refugees. Why are we then whining about a 32,000 asylum seekers today?

The question exposes the problem: We are an island in Europe where myths and fears like “the Russians are coming” have fed our mistaken nationalism for decades. Too many politicians and Finns don’t see it but our negative attitude towards everything that isn’t “Finnish” is hurting us as a society. We are paying a steep price for our xenophobia in the way of economic, social and political development. 

We don’t need to look too far to understand the latter. Since 2011 we have seen the rise of a populist anti-immigration party like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* whose only attribute is whining about migration and scapegoating such people. Considering that we are an island in Europe, should we be surprised that such a party has caught our imagination and attention?

Considering that we are an island in Europe, should we be surprised that such a party has caught our imagination and attention?

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Defining white Finnish privilege #26: Are you an ethnic Finn?

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Have you ever thought why the term kantasuomalainen, or “ethnic Finn,” has become a common word among white Finns. Why is this term used today and why wasn’t it used before?

What those the word “ethnic Finn” relay to those who are migrants and minorities?

If the term “ethnic Finn” has become more common why are migrants and minorities still referred to by ethnic Finns as “person with foreign background?” Moreover, we should ask if the term “ethnic Finn” pitted against “person with foreign background” promotes social equality.

In my opinion, it does just the opposite. The term, which shows that the majority needs a term that distinguishes them from Others, emphasizes “us” and “them” in Finland.

Definition #26

The term ethnic Finn is a good example of how white Finnish privilege exists and manifests itself in this country.

Continue reading “Defining white Finnish privilege #26: Are you an ethnic Finn?”

Finnish police service claims that sexual harassment is new in Finland’s sexual crime history

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Finnish deputy chief of police of Helsinki, Ilkka Koskimäki, is the latest representative of the police service whose statements have left people scratching their heads. He’s quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph: “This phenomenon [sexual harassment] is new in Finnish sexual crime history. We have never before had this kind of sexual harassment happening at New Year’s Eve.”

Really? Finnish women have never before been harassed sexually by Finnish men?

If Koskimäki is in the dark about the long and ugly history of sexual harassment of women in Finland, he should go out and interview some of the victims. And there are many of them.

Sexual harassment became illegal in 2014 but it doesn’t mean, like Koskimäki claims, that it is a “new” phenomenon even if the law is. What he said is misleading and serves to label all asylum seekers in a negative manner in Finland.

Koskimäki isn’t the only police service representative that has left people awed. Earilier this month we read about East Uusimaa Detective Chief Inspector Markku Tuominen’s advice that Finns should leave rapidly if a foreigner wants to make contact with them.

That’s not all. There’s been some statements by National Police Commissioner Seppo Kolehmainen and Justice Minister Jari Lindström who are in favor of street patrol gangs while Interior Minister Petteri Orpo  has said that they are not necessary because they fuel insecurity.

Read full story here.

The recent statement by Koskimäki shows that the Finnish police service has a lot to learn about policing and serving a culturally diverse society.

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The Perussuomalaiset decade (2011-19): Finland’s rendezvous with xenophobia and nationalism

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Here’s the question we all know the answer to concerning the rise and fall of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party during this decade: We accomplished nothing, absolutely nothing, polarized society, scapegoated migrants and Muslims and lied through our teeth with poker faces.

Our decade-long rendezvous with right-wing populism and xenophobia has had a negative political and economic impact on this country in many ways.

If there are two words that describe in this adverse political and social environment the actions of the police service, government and public the terms are lost and mixed.

A good example of how lost our police service is when it comes to cultural diversity is to read the string of mixed statements about street patrol gangs. First they say it’s ok but later on retrack.

Why does the police service, when it gives the green light to far-right white supremicist groups like the Soldiers of Odin, conveniently forget that such gangs are a direct threat to migrants, asylum seekers, minorities and to local residents?

Why did Prime Minister Juha Sipilä first offer his home to refugees but then claims that asylum seekers in Finland are a bigger threat than the economy?

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Roble Bashir: Do we need vigilante gangs in Finland?

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THIS STORY WAS UPDATED

When I read the news about the vigilante gangs whose aim is to “protect” civilians from asylum seekers, I was naturally shocked. What surprised me, even more, was that the police hasn’t done much to discourage these types of street patrols.

These streets patrols by groups like the Soldiers of Odin do more harm than good because they are dangerous and the real culprits.

Their presence in public and the media is an act of violence, especially if you’re not a white Finn. Whatever their name may be, Soldiers of Odin or Asikkala-Turva, what they are promoting is white supremacist crimes never mind hindering the police in offering security.

Apart from the potential of harassing asylum seekers and migrants in Finland, they are a risk to people like myself and are a threat. 

The other matter that surprised me was how the rise of racism in Finland has provoked attacks against asylum seekers and migrants. I wouldn’t be surprised if these types of groups would be behind some of recent and future arson attacks against asylum reception centers.

Discrimination and prejudice will not go away but worsen in Finland as long as these groups are allowed to roam our streets freely and take, even if they claim not to, the law in their hands.

Apart from fuelling more insecurity, there is no security crisis in Finland or the need for such vigilante gangs.

Vigilante gangs, the Finnish police service and our denial of racism

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THIS STORY WAS UPDATED

The big news story in Finland today is vigilante gangs by xenophobic, far-right and neo-Nazi groups. That’s not all. Some of the members of these vigilante gangs have criminal records.

Should we be surprised?

Not really. The political and xenophobic atmosphere in Finland is ideal for the growth of such vigilante gangs.

Na?ytto?kuva 2016-1-6 kello 8.16.12
Neo-Nazi gangs with criminal records patrol the streets of Finnish towns and cities.

I use the term “gang” to describe these groups because for non-white Finns they don’t offer any sense of security but severely undermine it. Such vigilante gangs are a nasty reminder of Finland’s racism problem and how it is has come to back haunt us from the 1990s.

These vigilante gangs are as well a good example of how something racist in Finland gets national attention and becomes mainstream and a household word.

The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* are the best example of how racism and hostility against migrants, minorities, and cultural diversity become mainstream and acceptable by the political establishment, media, and public. While our attention is on groups like the Soldiers of Odin the real culprits are the PS and us, who give them the benefit of the doubt and a platform for their racist views.

As long as the PS are in power and as long as the Center Party and National Coalition Party need their support in government to trim the welfare state, matters will get worse in Finland for migrants, minorities and our culturally diverse community.

How did racism become an instant political hit in Finland? The answer is that there was little to no opposition to it. The reason why there is too little opposition to such a social ill reveals our denial and how we play down the problem collectively. Racism doesn’t affect white Finns directly so there’s no reason to be too worried about the issue.

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Finnish police service of Häme give the green light to vigilante gangs in Asikkala

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THIS POST WAS UPDATED

If the comments and actions of politicians and the police service in 2015 are any indication of what we’ll expect this year, then asylum seekers, migrants, and minorities will see another shameful year of  hostility and violence. On Saturday, a detective chief  inspector of southern Finland, Markku Tuominen, was quoted as saying that Finns should avoid contact with foreigners and today the police service of Häme welcomed street patrols in the town of Asikkala, according to Hämeen Kaiku. 

Isn’t it the job of the police service to provide security to everyone? Aren’t they the ones that have to patrol our streets? Why did the police service of Häme give the green light to Asikkalan-Turva, an association, to patrol the streets of the town located 133km north of Helsinki and near the city of Lahti?

The street patrols by Asikkalan-Turva are being carried out in a town where an asylum reception center was already the target of an unsuccessful arson attack in December.

Considering the number of reception centers that have been attacked since September it’s odd that the police of Häme don’t show too much concern for the security of the asylum seekers.

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Facebook: Tämä on avunhuuto, koska voimani hiipuvat vähä vähältä

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Toinen tärkeä mutta huolestuttava kirjoitus Adam Al-Sawadista.

“Lyhyesti sanottuna arkielämästäni on tullut sellaista, että minusta tuntuu että yhteiskunta työntää minua koko ajan poispäin. Että en kuulu tänne, että yhteiskunta hylkii minua, että minulta yritetään viedä kotimaani ja turvani,” hän kirjoittaa Facebook seinälle.

Lukekaa.

 

Na?ytto?kuva 2015-12-28 kello 14.33.33

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Twitter: White Finnish rapist or arsonist = lone wolf, drunk

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In Finland, we have had a number of arson attacks against asylum reception centers. We even have one substitute MP of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party who wrote that “god had answered his prayers” when a building, which was supposed to house asylum seekers, was razed to the ground earlier this month. 

Does Finland play down crimes carried by their nationals but magnifies those committed by asylum seekers, migrants, and minorities?

Green League chairman Ville Niinistö said during the weekend that the police doesn’t take attacks against reception centers seriously enough. If such attacks were carried out against senior homes or day care centers the reaction of the police service would be different, according to him.

Why don’t the police and politicians brand arsonists who attack asylum reception centers as terrorists? I wouldn’t even want to think what our reaction would be if an asylum seeker carried out similar acts. Why does the prime minister call an emergency crisis meeting because of a suspected rape case when there are thousands of shameful rape cases that go unreported and are committed daily by suspected white Finns?

The post on Samuel Turtianen’s Facebook wall offers us more hypocracy. The posting was published on PS MEP Jussi Halla-aho’s, MPs Olli Immonen’s, Teuvo Hakkarainen,’s and Laura Huhtasaari’s wall, all of whom are well-known Islamophobes.

The PS is a government party that shares power with the Center Party and National Coalition Party.

Turtiainen appears to be a supporter of the PS.

He writes:

“Dear Citizens, those of you who have taken to some extent personal risks in acting and eliminating already functioniong and planned asylum reception centers. Your work is and has been in many respects important to our independence and defending our security. The hands of the police are politically tied, which means that the people have to act on their own. These acts have thanks to the media became widely known to all of us and we know what’s the question. Is the time right to expand our actions to the enemy’s main centers, where this [asylum reception center policy] is managed. In the shared article it become clear that our worst enemy [Finnish Red Cross] cheers [a person down] when a cirtizen expersses her personal fears.”

The “article,” or opinion piece by Tiina Palovuori, a PS member, was about her recent visit to an asylum reception center in Tampere. She asked if she had to take precautions because she feared being raped.

Na?ytto?kuva 2015-12-28 kello 13.18.16

 

When we label Others terrorists and criminals we permit scapegoating to live anther day and justify our exclusiveness, entitlement or white Finnish privilege. It makes us feel like saints.

The mixed response of the police, politicians, and the general public in the face of ever-growing xenophobia in this country reveals the extent of our own moral problem.

 

Na?ytto?kuva 2015-12-28 kello 11.35.07

In the Finnish language, it would read something like the following below:

Na?ytto?kuva 2015-12-28 kello 11.32.35

* The Finnish name for the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The English names of the party adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We, therefore, prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings.