Enrique Tessieri Archives - Page 31 of 245

Finland’s new immigration policy is bound to fail because it lacks paths to inclusion

Posted on June 20, 2023June 20, 2023 by Migrant Tales

An immigration policy founded on racism and suspicion is bound to fail.

The tightening of the new government’s immigration policy, which has instilled fear among non-EU migrants, asylum seekers, and disappointment from the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) for hindering to facilitation foreign labor from outside the EU, is risky for a number of reasons.

If one reads the new government’s immigration policy, it’s clear that it was drafted by politicians who see migration from outside the EU as a threat. For non-EU migrants the message is clear: leave, we don’t want you here.

Just like former Prime Minister Juho Sipilä’s government (2015-2019), the new government plans to treat Finns and foreigners unequally concerning social welfare.

Section 6 of the constitution is crystal clear: “Everyone is equal before the law.”

Thus, if you want to lower social welfare benefits to non-FInns, you just lower them for Finns as well if you want it to be in line with the constitution.

Many of the proposals by the new government are in conflict with our constitution and international law, according to Helsingin Sanomat.

The new measures are intended primarily for those who voted for the radical right Perussuoalaiset (PS)* party and the National Coalition Party.

It is ironic that the government’s new immigration policy is published during one of the worst shipwreck disasters in the Mediterranean, where hundreds of people are believed to have drowned off the coast of Greece.

If you look at other countries like Canada, the US, Argentina and others that have a long history with migrants, they are not perfect and problematic, but there is one matter that unites them: pathways to inclusion, an opportunity to become a part of society, real or imagined. In Finland, there are still no such paths.

The rise and eventual death of radical-right parties in the Nordic Region

Posted on June 8, 2023June 8, 2023 by Migrant Tales

Denmark is a good example of how radical-right parties like the Danish People’s Party (DPP) grow and eventually die off. In the 2022 election, the DPP saw its support plummet to an all-time low of 2.63%, losing 11 MPs to end up with a total of 5 MPs. In the 2015 election, the DPP had their best election result ever, winning 37 seats.

It should not come as any surprise that the radical right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* are close ideological allies of the DPP. It should not also come as a surprise that the catastrophic election result of the DPP last year sent shivers up the PS’ spine.

From left to right, three Nordic Region parties have captured the racist imagination of their voters: The Danish People’s Party, Sweden Democrats, and Perussuomalaiset.

The spectacular fall from the political grace of the DPP to the rapid rise of the Sweden Democrats and PS in the last decade rings a similar bell: rapid growth with the help of a hostile anti-immigration campaign message is easy but does not mean that voters will continue to support such parties forever.

Support for the Danish People’s Party plunged by 87.4% from 2015 to the 2022 general election. Source: Statistics Denmark

Even if anti-immigration parties may grow rapidly, Denmark proved that the most effective way of destroying them is by adopting the same radical policies as these parties. The key is to become more radical because voters will not vote for “light” xenophobic versions of a radical right party.

It’s clear that the Moderate Party in Sweden and the National Coalition Party of Finland are taking a big risk in cooperating with the Sweden Democrats and PS. For one, such support could enable their radical-right partners to eat them up unless they react.

Labor discrimination in Finland is real

Posted on June 5, 2023June 5, 2023 by Migrant Tales

In 2020, foreigners made nationally 11,465 euros less annually than Finns.

While negotiations in process on forming a new government in Finland, it’s clear from the talks led by National Coalition Party (NCP) Prime Minister-designate Petteri Orpo that labor discrimination ranks low on their list of priorities.

The negotiators have the misguided expectation that non-EU migrants: will come here in droves and work for peanuts.

And migrants do work for much less than Finns. In 2020, the average taxable income nationally was 38,111 euros for Finns and 26,646 euros for migrants, an 11,465 euro difference,, according to a report by Pasi Saukkonen. For Helsinki and Greater Helsinki, the corresponding figures are 46,701 and 28,279, respectively.

Issues facing the labor market:

Foreigners in Finland made in 2020 nationally 11,465 euros less annually than Finns.
Discrimination in the labor market has been cited by a number of studies. Having a foreign-sounding name could be an obstacle to landing a job interview.
Finnish labor markets are highly racialized and segregated.
Having a university degree is in many cases not enough to get a better-paying job.
Discrimination in the housing market is another problem facing migrants and minorities.
The situation will get worse for migrants and minorities with the new government, which has a radical-right party that is openly xenophobic agenda supported by the National Coalition Party and Christian Democrats.

The new ethnonationlist “mixed race” PS youth leader

Posted on May 30, 2023May 30, 2023 by Migrant Tales

In the logic of the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, the new youth leader of the party is genetically suspect with one of his parents being from the Philippines. Certainly, his name, Lauri Laitinen, has helped, but it proves a point: cultural and ethnic diversity does not pave the way for greater understanding.

While my point is not to mock Laitinen’s background, it does raise some questions about hypocrisy. Ethnic background does not ensure a greater “understanding” of diversity but can have the opposite effect.

Disagree? Look at the Tory government in the UK and the hardline immigration policies of Suella Braverman.

Considering that the PS is a party that believes in ethnonationalism, so does Laitinen. It’s odd, that Helsingin Sanomat did not mention anything about this far-right conspiracy theory.

Laitinen defended in a Helsingin Sanomat letter to the editor why linguistic and ethnic homogeneity is a good matter. Laitinen likes to talk about “harmful” migration as a motive for why he got into politics.

Source: Helsingin Sanomat

It is interesting that Helsingin Sanomat gives so much space to the new youth leader of the PS and forgets to mention his problematic views about migrants, which are clearly against our laws.

Sebastian Tynkkynen: diapers, hate speech with a “Hungarian” heart

Posted on May 29, 2023May 29, 2023 by Migrant Tales

The far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS) party has gained significant traction by capitalizing on anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly targeting vulnerable groups such as Muslims.

In addition to their hostility towards migrants and minorities, many PS supporters and politicians hold admiration for autocratic leaders like Donald Trump and view Viktor Orbán’s Hungary as an ideal country to emulate.

However, it would be overly simplistic to solely attribute Finland’s racism and animosity to the PS. Other parties such as the National Coalition Party, Christian Democrats, Center Party, and even the Social Democrats also face challenges regarding racism.

For migrants contemplating joining a political party, the common concern revolves around identifying the one with the least amount of racism.

When examining the PS, it becomes evident that all of them have built their political careers on propagating racism and fostering animosity towards migrants and minorities.

One example of this is MP Sebastian Tynkkynen, whose notoriety stems from promoting false information, engaging in hate speech, and receiving three ethnic agitation convictions.

(Left) Sebastian Tynkkynen trying to make a point by wearing diapers. He voices his displeasure at an editorial that criticizes his party and asks why the media is unable to remain impartial. Answer: Why should a newspaper stay impartial in an editorial? Tynkkynen’s post shows his ignorance of the media.

A recent row erupted earlier this month in government talks when Tynkkynen asked his followers which YLE content is unnecessary.

if Tynkkynen had his way, like many other PS politicians, they’d tell the media what they can write.

Sounds like a party with a “Hungarian” heart, right?

Say no to Petteri Orpo, Riikka Purra, and the new government in formation. We must fight back!

Posted on May 28, 2023May 28, 2023 by Migrant Tales

If migration policy is based on lies, suspicion and racism, it is doomed to fail.

The attacks and hostility against the migrant and minority community in Finland intensified. The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party has assured its supporters that there will be a significant tightening of immigration policies. This comes after reaching an agreement with the Swedish People’s Party (SPP) on such policies.

The PS and SPP were at loggerheads over the new government’s immigration policy. While the head of the PS, Riikka Purra, gave an ultimatum that it would pull out of the talks if the Swedish People’s Party did not accept the proposal on immigration policy.

Despite the dramatic nature of the events that unfolded on Saturday, resembling a second-rate soap opera, the PS ate its words and went through some points that the SPP had made.

Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s leading daily, reported: “The SPP made changes that the tightening of immigration policy must be carried out within the limits of the constitution [and] the right of asylum seekers not to be deported will be respected.”

Yes, you read right. The SPP is asking that any tightening of immigration policy must respect the constitution and deportation bans will also be respected.

Do you want Finnish citizenship? 40,000 euros, please!

Posted on May 27, 2023May 27, 2023 by Migrant Tales

THE STORY WAS UPDATED

According to media reports, Finland is on the verge of forming its most right-wing and anti-immigration government, which is proposing a requirement for migrants seeking Finnish citizenship to earn an annual income of 40,000 euros.

CORRECTION: The media, which reported earlier that the new government plans to place a 40,000-euro annual salary threshold to qualify for citizenship, is wrong.

The National Coalition Party (NCP), Christian Democrats, and possibly the Swedish People’s Party today will give the nod to stricter immigration policies that would force residents to earn an average salary of 40,000 euros per year.

However, it is worth noting that foreigners in Finland typically earn about 20% less than Finns, as indicated by statistical data. If this new government implements such a minimum income threshold, it would effectively exclude many foreigners in Finland from obtaining citizenship.

What do you do when you make citizenship more difficult? For one, parties such as the Perussuomalaiset,* NCP, Christian Democrats, and very likely the Swedish People’s Party are apprehensive about granting citizenship to foreigners because it would grant voting rights to these people and voters against such parties.

Many parties in Finland are misguided believing there is a mad rush to move to Finland.

Implementing these stricter regulations will only make Finland even less appealing to foreign labor. It will exacerbate the existing problem of sourcing foreign labor.

Government talks in Finland: to turn back the hands of time or not

Posted on May 25, 2023May 25, 2023 by Migrant Tales

Watching the ongoing government negotiations to give birth to Finland’s most right-wing and anti-immigration government can raise one’s blood pressure. The sticky issue National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) prime minister-designate, Petteri Orpo, hopes to resolve the sticky issue of migration and environmental policy.

In the face of a chronic labor shortage due to Finland’s graying population, the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* have made an ultimatum to Orpo: We will not form part of any government that does not tighten migration policy significantly.

One of the sticking points in the negotiations is how much a non-EU citizen makes in order to work in Finland. In the beginning, the PS stated a 3,000 euro minimum but is ready to lower it to 2,500 euros.

At a Yle A-studio talk show program Wednesday, Ilkka Oksala of the Federation of Finnish Industries (EK) said that one of the factors threatening economic growth is a labor shortage.

“The problem concerning [foreign] labor is that there is too little of it,” said Oksala, “so we should not place obstacles but contrarily place conditions that will bring labor migrants [to Finland]. We are in dire need of [more] labor.”

Technology Industries of Finland chairperson, Jaakko Eskola, who did not participate in the A-studio talk show, believes that Finland needs during a 28-year period 50,000 labor migrants annually, or 1.4 million people.

Riikka Purra threatens to walk out of government talks: The PS will not participate if migration policy isn’t tightened significantly

Posted on May 20, 2023May 20, 2023 by Migrant Tales

Watching the ongoing negotiations between the National Coalition Party, Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, Swedish People’s Party, and Christian Democrats to form Finland’s most right-wing and anti-immigration government is concerning. For one, PS head Riikka Purra’s usual vitriolic anti-immigration rhetoric reminds me of a Brexit minime bully.

Purra warned on Thursday that without “migration policy tightened significantly,” they will abandon talks.

Purra’s warnings sound like a Brexit minimi bully whom others, like National Coalition Party’s prime minister-designate Petteri Orpo, back down.

If you want to see the harm that Brexit has caused to the United Kingdom, the PS is a “mini” Brexit that will cause damage to the Finnish economy because of its hardline stance on labor migration and asylum seekers.

Xenophobic stances are costly to any society because they encourage unemployment, marginalization and crime.

The fact that Orpo, the Swedish People’s Party, and Christian Democrats are negotiating to form a government with the PS is an extraordinary example of cowardice.

Source: Helsingin Sanomat

Helsingin Sanomat published a story revealing how a new government could tighten migration policy. There’s not much apart from worsening the already-low financial help to asylum seekers, tightening again family reunification, more effective deportations, and limiting the number of times an asylum seeker can appeal, among others.

Sounds familiar?

Thank you, Sanna Marin for your words of encouragement

Posted on May 18, 2023May 18, 2023 by Migrant Tales

There are many surprising factors about Finland’s parliamentary election result in April. One of these is how a progressive government with an internationally acclaimed politician, Sanna Marin, who became the world’s youngest prime minister in 2019 at 34, shifted to a possible conservative and radical right government.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s speech upon receiving an honorary doctorate from New York University Wednesday at the legendary Yankee Stadium offers some answers.

History will expose Prime Minister-designate Petteri Orpo’s deep denial and disregard for the country’s most pressing needs like human rights, inclusion, diversity, and empathy, and his disdain for outgoing Prime Minister Marin.

Whenever there was a coup in Argentina, we used to comfort each other by saying “no evil can last a 100 years.” Even if few humans live that long, the saying can be adopted in Finland to state “no evil can last four years.”

Time will expose Orpo, and the new austerity government in formation as a vain attempt to take Finland back to simpler times where 1+1=2 arguments answered all our problems.

The present government in formation, considered the most right-wing and anti-immigration in a long time if it survives present negotiations, is revealing and concerning. It shows we still have a long way to go to create a more inclusive and fairer society.

I will highlight some of the most inspirational parts of Marin’s speech in New York.