Category: Enrique Tessieri

MP Heikki Vestman and the government replace human rights and the rule of law with bravado and hubris

Posted on by Migrant Tales

National Coaaliton Party MP and chairperson of the constitutional committee, Heikki Vestman, has made a name for himself for his xenophobic statements and for flaunting human rights and the rule of law. His parliamentary committee has given the green light to the  Draft Act on Temporary Measures to Combat Instrumentalised Migration, or the so-called pushback law that will be introduced to parliament next week.

Vestman likes to spread macho bravado by portraying himself as a true “patriot” by throwing human rights and the rule of law under the bus, and bullying vulnerable groups like asylum seekers.

Rarely, if ever, will he and the media tell you what his behind the pushback law.

“As a Finnish Member of Parliament, I believe Finland and the Finns must be able to safeguard their security in every situation. It is a core task of the state.” said MP Vestman. What you are saying if we cut through your nationalistic bravado is: legalizing illegality.

Some ask why are the hundreds of people seeking asylum such a threat to national security if 32,360 asylum seekers came to Finland in 2015 and now tens of thousands fleeing war from Ukraine?

Continue reading “MP Heikki Vestman and the government replace human rights and the rule of law with bravado and hubris”

Finnish government to move ahead with pushback law

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Prime Minister Orpo announced today that it will give next week to parliament the Draft Act on Temporary Measures to Combat Instrumentalised Migration, or the so-called pushback law. In our opinion, the new law will not solve the problem at the border but will worsen it.

Disagree? Just take a look at other EU borders, and you will come to a startling reality: suffering and death.

Milka Sormunen called in her comprehensive piece on the draft law appropriately “Legalizing illegality.”

Prime Minister Orpo and his National Coalition Party, who have given the radical-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* a free hand on migration issues, did not mention a word about the four crucial factors undermining the draft law: breaching international agreements, the Constitution, Human Rights, and in general the rule of law.

Said Orpo: “I think that this law is drafted in such a way that it fulfills all the essentials [issues] simultaneously: First, the law works in such a way that we are not subject to instrumentalization [by Russia]. Secondly, it is written in such a way that it can be approved [by parliament].”

Source: Yle

Orpo said that the above two factors, which do not mention breaching Human Rights, the constitution, and international agreements, have a good chance of passing in parliament.

Some say that the PS’ policy of “zero asylum seekers” is one factor why the government, especially the PS, wants to close the Finnih-Russian border and deny asylum. Is it a coincidence that the majority of asylum seekers at the Finnish-Russian border come from Muslim-majority countries?

After this draft law gets approved, what other steps will the government take to undermine Human Rights and the rule of law?

The whole Fnnsh-Russian border conflict has a bitter taste of politics.

Suomen hallituksen uudella kansalaisuuslailla ei ole mitään tekemistä kotouttamisen kanssa

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Suunnitelmat kansalaisuuslain tiukentamiseksi paljastavat pääministeri Petteri Orpon hallituksen huomattavan historiallisen muistinmenetyksen. Tiesittekö, että Suomi kielsi naisilta, joiden ylpeästi väitetään saaneen ensimmäisenä Euroopassa äänioikeuden, oikeuden antaa kansalaisuus lapsilleen? Vain miehellä oli tällainen oikeus ja etuoikeus.

Vuonna 1984, noin 66 vuotta itsenäistymisen jälkeen, naiset saivat vihdoin oikeuden antaa kansalaisuuden lapsilleen jus sanguinis -periaatteen mukaisesti.

Lähde: Valtionuevosto

Lain muuttaminen kesti noin 66 vuotta, eikä vieläkään, 40 vuotta myöhemmin, ole pyydetty anteeksi sitä, että se mullisti monien ihmisten elämän. Sen sijaan hallitus haluaa vaikeuttaa kansalaisuutta.

Voit kysyä, miten vanha laki, joka ei sallinut naisten siirtää kansalaisuutta lapsilleen, muutti tällaisten ihmisten elämää. Suomen valtion pitäisi pyytää anteeksi tällaista epäoikeudenmukaista ja seksististä lakia.

Continue reading “Suomen hallituksen uudella kansalaisuuslailla ei ole mitään tekemistä kotouttamisen kanssa”

MP Heikki Vestman is one of the main anti-immigration ideologues of the National Coalition Party of Finland

Posted on by Migrant Tales

National Coalition Party (NCP) MP and chairperson of the constitutional committee, Heikki Vestman, is making a name for himself by promoting xenophobia. In a previous post, Migrant Tales published how Vestman was using Islamophobia and bullying tactics to gain attention and power.

His rhetoric has turned him into one of the main anti-immigration ideologues of the NCP. He is in the same shameless league as his NCP partner, Atte Kaleva.

MP Heikki Vestman is one of the leading anti-immigration ideologues of the NCP. Read the full story here.

Vestman, who also chaired the immigration committee in the government’s program negotiations, washes his hand by stating that the tightening of immigration policy is to bring our laws in line with other Nordic countries.

That assertion is debatable. Migration Institute researcher Erna Bodström compares the changes to East Europe rather than other Nordic countries.

In his usual anti-immigration style, where Vestman sees himself as a savior of our Nordic way of life, he believes that the tightening of the citizenship act will help “integrate” people.

“The citizenship act encourages people to settle in Finland, learn the language, acquire basic knowledge of society measured by a citizenship test, follow the rules of the country, and work for their livelihood.”

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The pushback law of the Finnish government will fail and be a farce

Posted on by Migrant Tales

A question to Interior Minister Mari Rantanen and Prime Minister Petteri Orpo: Is the main motivation of the pushback law to strengthen the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* policy of zero asylum seekers? Why are asylum seekers coming from Russia such a threat to Finland’s internal security?

The fact that a total of 1,271 asylum seekers have come to the country via the eastern border from August 2023 to January 2024, raises some questions that the media skips. Knowing the PS’ and Ntional. Coalition Party’s negative attitude towards Muslims and other non-European asylum seekers, is the main reason to keep asylum seekers from Muslm-majority countries from coming here?

The last thing that the new law will do is solve Finland’s asylum issues at the Finnish-Russian border. Source: Yle

The grand majority (80.88%) of asylum seekers at the Finnish-Russian border come from Muslim-majority countries. During August 2023-January 29, 2024, of the total 1,271 asylum seekers, 1,028 (80.88%) were Syrian (491 people), Somalian (360), Yemeni (120), and Iraqi (57) nationals, according to Yle News.

Did over 32,000 asylum seekers in 2015, mainly from Iraq and Afghanistan, pose a threat to internal security? What about the tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees who have come to Finland?

Another factor that is a blow to Rantanen’s pushback law is her credibility and her long political career of posting racist comments about asylum seekers.

For the above reasons, the government’s pushback law is a farce that will do more harm than good.

Does Rantanen believe that a law will stop people from crossing the border?

That is wishful thinking and just another example of what such borders do in the EU: they bring suffering and death.

Facebook (Timo Vornanen, the Finnish MP who shot his gun in public): Oops!

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Finland lives in collective amnesia about its ultranationalistic, xenophobic disposition. The post earlier this month shows Vornanen’s loathing of the Greens and of migrants.

Rosa Meriläinen is a Green politician and writer.

For obvious reasons, the former policeman is on sick leave for two weeks.

The shooting incident not only exposes the lies of the government program, “a strong and committed Finland,” it exposes its outright lies.

Is this the Finland I want to live in?

No, thanks, I’ll pass.

“All kinds of candidates for the European[parliamentary] elections. This comes from the GREENS.
For Rosa’s information, climate change will not be stopped by standing up to the police and breaking the law. I understand that you think breaking the law is “all OK and fun;” as long as it is not directed at your own people.
Or do you Rosa think that the world will be a better place if someone gives you a good beating?
The only effect such an act would have is to overwork the police and the courts; they would have just one more case to deal with and this would make you feel bad. Breaking the law will not have any effect on climate change.
Breaking the law will not save the world.
I think your actions as a parent are very irresponsible.
And as far as the immigration that Rosa mentioned is concerned, we do not need any more foreign “specialists” living on social benefits and other income transfers here in Europe and Finland.
We simply cannot afford it.
A skilled workforce that comes here to work and pay their taxes is welcome.”

Like a toxic addiction, Finland’s Interior Minister Rantanen cannot kick the habit of her conspiracy theories

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The “great replacement” theory, in simple terms, states that welcoming immigration policies —
particularly those impacting non-white immigrants — are part of a plot designed to undermine or
“replace” the political power and culture of white people living in Western countries.

National Immigration Forum

One long-range plan of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party has had is to keep out all asylum seekers from coming to Finland. PS Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho has spoken about such a goal for eons and only on Wednesday in A-studio, Interior Minister Mari Rantanen revealed that she’s still a staunch believer of the great replacement theory.

Mnister Mari Rantanen and Maria Ohisalo. Source: Yle

Debating with former Green League Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo (2019-2021), Rantanen explained why Europe must copy Britain’s Rwanda Plan. The PS and the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo back such a solution.

A-studio host Rosa Kettumäki was not up to par. She labelled asylum seekers “illegal migrants.” Whenever journalists refer to asylum seekers in such a lowly manner, they become a rubber stamp of the xenophobes. Photo: Yle.

Rantanen showed her dark colors on A-studio on why we must keep Muslims and other non-whites out:

“…it also impacts European culture, lifestyle, security, and so many other things,” said Rantanen. “I think the winds are changing in Europe, and we are now looking for other things than just opportunities to push as many as people as possible from foreign countries into Europe.”

Ohisalo, a former interior minister, reminded Rantanen that her comment was based on the great replacement theory. Rantnan was notably upset by Ohisalo’s observation.

Continue reading “Like a toxic addiction, Finland’s Interior Minister Rantanen cannot kick the habit of her conspiracy theories”

PS MP and policeman suspected of aggravated assault and firing a gun in Helsinki

Posted on by Migrant Tales

A Perussuomalaset (PS)* MPS “was involved in an incident in Helsinki Friday night”, reports Helsingin Sanomat. PS MP Timo Vornanen is suspected of aggravated assault and carrying a firearm, according to Seiska.

Vornanen was partying with some PS MPs who have not been named except for MP Sanna Attikainen.

Vornanen is a former policeman.

The news comes at a very bad time for the PS. One of the arguments that the party has been internal security, which is a pretext to tighten immigration policy is security. The party isn’t very convincing if one of its MPs goes on the rampage in the city center of Helsinki. Finland just suffered a shooting three weeks ago at a Vantaa school when a twelve-year-old killed one of his classmates and injured two.

The PS justifies their harsh migration policy on national security. What happens when a PS MP goes on the rampage in Helsinki and first shots? Read the full story (in Finnish) here.

A nail in the coffin of the Finnish government’s anti-racism statement. Surprised? Not.

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Justice Minister Leena Meri’s decision to disband a ministerial committee on racism, hate crime, and hate speech exposed and killed the government’s anti-racism statement for what it was: a piece of paper. It’s clear that the government wasn’t and isn’t serious about doing anything to tackle the social ll.

The elephant in the room is the PS, which has built its political success on xenophobia, would never take steps to shot itself in the leg. Villifying migrants, especially non-EU citizens and Muslims, is an integral part of the PS’ DNA.

Reaction has been swift. Alluding to what has happened in Viktor Orbán’s Hungary, Judge association Tuomariliitto considered Meri’s actions as “deeply concerning the development of the rule of law [in Finland].” An Helsingin Sanomat editorial also raised concern about Meri’s actions and that we should not take the rule of law lightly.

Some of these important recommendations made by the European Commission include:

  • Grant the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman the right to take up discriminatory cases in employment;
  • The Non-Discrimination Ombudsman would have the right to take such cases to the courts;
  • Increase the capacity of the ombudsman’s staff;
  • Empower the National Non-Discrimination and Equality Tribunal to deal with complaints concerning discrimination in employment;
  • Collection of hate crime and hate speech data;
  • Data would include a system that would be collected on ethnic, religious, gender, and citizenship origin;
  • Offer more training to public staff;
  • Establish a body that will look at police discrimination, racism, and misconduct.

Meri’s action is only one example of how radical right parties throughout Europe like the PS are undermining the rule of law to suit their populist anti-immigration policies and worldview.

It is a good matter that there has been a reaction in Finland, but is it enough if Prime Minister Petteri Orpo acts as if nothing is happening?

The government does not have a credible anti-racism plan because it doesn’t want to

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The recommendations made by the EU Commission in 2019 to the Finnish government to tackle hate crime and racism are facing an uphill battle. Justice Minister Leena Meri of the Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* disbanded a ministerial committee in February based on 20 European  Commission recommendations given to Finland to tackle racism and intolerance, according to tabloid Iltalehti.

Some see Minister Meri’s, the PS’ and the government’s anti-racism plan as the three monkeys above.

Minister Meri is another PS politician that is multiculturally challenged and who believes in conspiracy theories like the great replacement. Source: Iltalehti

One of the biggest differences between the present government and the European Commission is on present ethnic agitation laws. The PS’ Criminal Policy Program 2022 is a clear example and states that the penal code concerning ethnic agitation must be changed to ensure free speech and the possibility to criticize Islam.

Tweet: “Shall we talk about immigration? Parliament is currently debating a major package that would significantly tighten immigration policy. And what’s more, this is just the beginning.

Finland is gradually moving towards a tighter policy which is the new normal.

Hopefully, it is not moving too slowly and isn’t too late.”

Reading the most recent xenophobic tweet by the head of the PS, Riikka Purra, it’s clear that the government will do everything possible to not reform the penal code and grant migrants and minorities better legal protection against racism and discrimination.

Some of these important recommendations made by the European Commission include:

  • Grant the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman the right to take up discriminatory cases in employment;
  • The Non-Discrimination Ombudsman would have the right to take such cases to the courts;
  • Increase the capacity of the ombudsman’s staff;
  • Empower the National Non-Discrimination and Equality Tribunal to deal with complaints concerning discrimination in employment;
  • Collection of hate crime and hate speech data;
  • Data would include a system that would be collected on ethnic, religious, gender, and citizenship origin;
  • Offer more training to public staff;
  • Establish a body that will look at police discrimination, racism, and misconduct.