My name is Alejandro Díaz Ortiz, I am a Puerto Rican artist, musician, songwriter, graphic designer, and filmmaker who has lived in Finland for the past 9 years. I have been creating art and composing music here ever since I first arrived. Therefore, many know me for my performances in public spaces, gigs, concerts, and other cultural/community events I have participated in over the last years. 2020 has been particularly exceptional because I just released my first single, “Say No” this year.
I am writing this article because I am currently facing deportation after a mentally devastating 4 years waiting process, and for reasons that I considered to be unfair and unjustifiable. Everything has been very well documented since I started my legal fight with Migri back in 2016.
Besides my artistic practice, I have been working as a restaurant chef for several years, which means that I have had constant income sources. I have learned the language, my networks and friends are here, so Finland has become my home for almost a decade.
The notice of deportation states that I have not provided credible evidence of my income and that they have denied me a residence before. Firstly, it is a false statement because I have sent Migri copies of my working contracts and payslips (previously provided by my attorney), proving that my monthly income is more than the minimum of 1,198€ net salary required them. For instance, my last contract is from January of this year, where I am still working in a permanent position. However, later I found out through the help of a new lawyer and one Finnish activist that my application was being handled as a “visa through family ties” even though I was specifying to my lawyers that I am applying for work, not family. Therefore, that limit requirement of 1198e a month was not for my case as the amount is higher for those applying through work. They used this against me. This fact had never been pointed out to me by either Migri or my former lawyers. Still, I was making an average of 1,600 euros a month, which should have been enough either way.
Continue reading “Alejandro Díaz Ortiz: Odyssey in the Finnish Immigration System”Secondly, the first time Migri denied me a residence permit, it happened based on a false accusation for a crime that I didn’t commit to which I appealed at court and eventually won. The court absolved me from all charges. Still, Migri considered the previous case as one of the reasons given for the second negative decision. All of this happened before I applied for a permanent visa, which I did later shortly after the Court of Appeal decision. It seems the court did not get the memo and still used it to reject my application.