Enrique Tessieri Archives - Page 49 of 245

Millions of Ukrainians are coming. How long will it take before our goodwill turns into open hostility?

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Migrant Tales

Remember 2015, when some 1.3 million million asylum seekers came to Europe from countries like Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia? Europe says welcome! Tervetuloa (welcome)! Meillä on tilaa (there is room for you)! After the initial outpouring of support and understanding for these people fleeing wars that we had started, attitudes took an abrupt turn for the worst.

New soundbites emerged: Go back to your countries! Social welfare bums! Illegal “refugees.”

Behind those sinister phrases were plans to make life as difficult as possible for these asylum seekers, who were mainly non-white and Muslims.

Today, Europe is ready to grant Ukrainians and foreigners fleeing war in Ukraine special protection status. If approved, it would give such refugees automatic residence permits, work permits, and access to social welfare for up to three years.

**In 2016, the EU was welcoming, sometimes with open arms, asylum seekers from outside the EU. Photo: Enrique Tessieri**

Other casualties of Ukraine are European far-right parties like the Perussuomalaiset of Finland

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Migrant Tales

Since the invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s Russia, we are seeing the restructuring of Europe’s security structure and political landscape. The new landscape is bad news for Europe’s far-right and populist parties like Finland’s Perussuomalaiset (PS)*.

The new situation may explain why PS chairperson, Riikka Purra, offered a new image with new glasses that makes her look more sensible and not her usual angry self? Is it why she did not mention once on the talk show her favorite pet word she likes to exploit: migrants?

Simultaneously, Finland’s staunchly anti-immigration party showed no objection to the millions of Ukrainian refugees [the media is now calling them by their proper name] who would settle in the EU and have access to a residence permit and social welfare.

PS MEP Laura Huhtasaari, a Donald Trump admirer and leading Islamophobe in Finland, tweeted: “Refugees welcome.”

The dismal performance and showing of the PS in January’s regional elections and recent opinion polls force the party to reorient itself and find a new path to voters. Understanding that anti-immigration rhetoric won’t fly in the same way as in the past, the party has asked its former leader Jussi Halla-aho to the rescue.

Halla-aho, convicted of ethnic agitation in 2012 and is the country’s most vociferous Islamophobe, was appointed as the new chair of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee after PS MP Mika Niiko’s abrupt resignation.

Ukrainians battle against the Russians but do little with the Poles to fight racism

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Migrant Tales

Shameful and racist treatment. Ukrainian train conductors push back on Africans fleeing the war while Polish border officials don’t permit Africans to enter Poland, reports The Guardian.

Just like when Poland fenced out Middle East asylum seekers in November from entering the country, which even led to the death of children from hyperthemia, Africans are facing the same obstacles at the border.

Keeping out asylum seekers was done with the full complicity of the EU.

Can you teach an old dog new tricks?

Racism is a driving source of injustice in the EU swept under the rug with double standards and hypocrisy.

Such acts and treatment of Africans and other people of color force Ukraine and the EU to lose their grip on their high moral ground they wish to have.

Selling your political soul to the highest bidder and Putin’s collateral damage to Europe’s far-right parties

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Migrant Tales

Russian strongman Vladimir Putin’s plans of breathing new life into a second take of the Soviet empire by invading Ukraine have backfired and produced the opposite effect. Far-right parties like the Perussuomnalaiset (PS)* are collateral damage in Putin’s miscalculation.

It’s been a wretched start for Putin:
– Plans to carry out a rapid invasion and victory of Ukraine have hardened and emboldened Ukrainian resistence;
– Putin’s war of aggression has mobilized the strongest international outrage since 9/11
– Hopes that the Russians would be greeted as “liberators” in Ukraine was nothing more than the wishful thinking of an autocrat;
– Aims to divide Nato and the EU have produced the opposite effect and strengthened and united these bodies;
– Intimidating Finland and Sweden not to join Nato have encouraged and brought them closer to seek membership;
– Close far-right ties with Putin by parties like Lega Nord and Front National Party of France have put them in an awkward position;
– The PS’ racist broken record against asylum seekers and refugees changed instantly when the EU decided unanimously to permit Ukrainians to move to the EU for up to three years without applying for asylum.

PS’ about-turn on Russia is reprehensible

Posted on February 27, 2022 by Migrant Tales

In the backdrop of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, some politicians, especially from the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, have changed their tune. Don’t be fooled by them, and such moves are nothing more than an opportunistic move to prop up their sinking popularity.

Their shift in opinions about the Russians is so reprehensible that it resembles Adolf Hitler rising from the grave and claiming he is a changed person who renounces anti-Semitism.

It’s not going to fly because Halla-aho lacks credibility.

Disagree? Check out the PS’ close ideological ties with former President Donald Trump. He stated that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was “genius and savvy” and that he was an intelligent person.

In the quote below, the late social commentator James Baldwin warns us not to trust politicians and parties based on their questionable record.

As everyone knows, the PS has a dirty history of racism and populism with numerous ethnic agitation convictions like Halla-aho’s in 2012.

Is the tweet below credible?

Tweets Halla-aho: “People of Russia, Russian soldiers, politicians, officials!
Stop the criminal who dishonors you and your country before humanity.
History will not only condemn him but will judge you too.” Source: Twitter

Why doesn’t he and the PS directly condemn Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine? Just say it loud and clear without wavering: We condemn Putin for his military aggression in Ukraine.

A study published in fall 2021 by the Finnish Business and Policy Forum, showed that the most favorable attitudes towards Russia were Movement Now (67%), PS (48%), and Center Party (47%).

Anything coming out of the PS is a deception.

I can’t believe them because I see what they do.

Exposing white Finnish privilege #82: Good “refugees” are white and Christian, “bad” ones are Muslims

Posted on February 26, 2022 by Migrant Tales

In light of the Russian invasion and bloodshed in Ukraine, Finland has expressed its readiness to take in “tens of thousands” of “refugees” from that country, according to Yle. Remember last year, when Poland closed its border with Belarus over mostly Iraqis seeking asylum in the EU?

Remember the calls to keep out such asylum seekers by building a fence between Finland and Russia? Remember how parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) demanded that Finland draft new laws that would temporarily exclude asylum seekers from seeking refuge?

Former Kokoomus MP and minister Kimmo Sasi said that Finland use violence to repel asylum seekers from entering Finland.

The narrative may have now changed, and it’s good news, somewhat.

A Yle news commentator said on Friday that “Finland can take in if needed tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees. Finland has the resources even if Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries.”

White Finnish privilege #82

In an opinion piece (in Finnish) by Reija Härkonen, she pointed out how the narrative has changed when those seeking asylum are white and Christian.

“Now, the situation is better since Ukraine is in distress, as sad as this may be. Conservative politicians, including Petteri Orpo, speaking before parliament on behalf of Ukraine, [are now] crying and showing an outpouring of sympathy. I have never heard, for example, such understanding for Iraqi and Syrian children.”

Here’s the question with an obvious answer: Why isn’t anyone speaking about building fences and even using violence against Ukrainian refugees? Why are refugees from outside the EU, mainly Muslims and Africans, called illegal immigrants?

The answer is clear. Where you are from and your religious background are crucial whether you will be accepted or scorned publicly.

Sad but true, but a lot of hypocrisy stains our present-day politics.

See also:

Donald Trump called Vladimir Putin’s invasion “genius and savvy.” Why are the Perussuomalaiset hiding their faces in shame?

Posted on February 26, 2022 by Migrant Tales

While the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* are scrambling to prop up their dismal poll numbers, they are also changing their tune on Vladimir Putin and Russia. One of the best ways to understand the PS’ admiration of Putin and the tragedy in Ukraine is through former President Donald Trump.

We can cite Jussi Halla-aho’s praise of Trump in a tweet, where he claims that the former president is the best thing that happened to the United States and the Western world, to Veikko “Tramperen Trump” Vallin posing with Vilhelm Junnila with MAGA caps on May Day.

And how could we forget former parliamentary foreign affairs committee chairperson Mika Niikko, who suggested that a Western leader should assure Putin that Ukraine will not join Nato?

Writes historian Ahti Tolvanen, who sits on the Migrant Tales editorial board: “It is interesting to note that when Niikko presented an idea for a compromise in the Ukraine conflict, there was a vast outcry demanding his resignation right away. When his replacement Halla-aho suggested Finland should send arms to the Ukrainian military and scrap Finland´s traditional role as peacemaker and non-aligned country- there were no calls for his resignation. Since the last war, Finland’s keystone political position was denounced by the new foreign affairs chairman in parliament, and even President Niinistö has said nothing so far!”

There is a long list of other PS politicians that have been more direct about their admiration of Putin, like PS MEP Laura Huhtasaari.

**Matteo Salvini is one of many far-right politicians who praise Vladimir Putin. On the right, Salvini and Huhtasaari.**

Apart from all the expressions of admiration and support of Trump, who is under multiple investigations for attempting a coup, the PS are members of the far-right EU group Identity and Democracy, where they are in “good” Putin buddy company with leaders like Marine Le Pen.

Helsinki court of appeal increases involuntary manslaughter sentence to nine years for stabbing Somali-Finnish youth

Posted on February 24, 2022 by Migrant Tales

THIS STORY WAS UPDATED

The Helsinki court of appeal* has increased Miro Pesonen’s involuntary manslaughter conviction to a nine-year prison term from five years previously and pay to the parents 10,000 euros for their suffering, according to Yle. Pesonen is a white Finn who stabbed Keyse Abdifatah Maalesh at Kannelmäki Helsinki railway station in April 2020.

The mother of the victim told Migrant Tales in December that she was not happy with Pesonen’s five-year prison sentence and that she had appealed the sentence.

**Keyse Abdifatah Maalesh was stabbed and killed on April 26, 2020 at the Kanneläki train station of Helsinki. The police did not consider the death a hate crime. Source: Facebook**

Two important questions remain unanswered from the case: Why the district court had sentenced Pesonen to five years, and what role did the police have in this.
Was it a hate crime?

The victim’s mother said that her son’s killer was intimidated by his dark skin and because he was tall physically.

“If a foreigner did something small [crime] at an R-Kiosk, a big commotion would emerge,” she said in December. “If a foreigner would have done what happened to my son, he’d receive a tough sentence and be deported from the country.

*Correction in the original story should read court of appeal, not district court. Thank you Ambrosius Wollstén.

Cultural diversity is still a challenge in the Finnish education system

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Migrant Tales

An article in Yle News brings us back again to one of the biggest challenges for multilingual children at Finnish schools: How the Finnish education system treats cultural diversity.

Language and cultural interpreter and early childhood educator Nadezda Kärmeniemi admitted that multilingual children are caught between differing attitudes at schools.

She is saying that there is no uniform system on how Finnish children, who speak more than one language, are treated at schools.

“Unfortunately, there are instance in our society where speaking oner’s mother tongue is not allowed,” she said. “When a child goes to school, the multilingual ‘coat’ may be left at home, with only Finnish used at school, as there is a sense that the language used at home does not belong there.”

Cultural diversity means for me two-way adaption. All cultural and ethnic groups in society have space to express and be themselves. The glue that holds them together with other groups is building respect through learning from each other.

This picture was taken from the former Urpola School of Mikkeli. It tells multilingual children that they should speak Finnish and that they are *mamus*, a derogatory term no longer used to mean migrants. Photo: Enrique Tessieri

Having taught and worked at a folk high school with multicultural backgrounds for thirteen years, I have noticed the following challenges:

Ykkösaamu interview highlighted Halla-aho’s contempt for Human Rights

Posted on February 19, 2022 by Migrant Tales

Yle’s Ykkösamu talk show exposed to a tee what the parliament’s new foreign affairs committee chairperson thinks of Human Rights. The first question by the host forced Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Jussi Halla-aho, who was convicted in 2012 for ethnic agitation and breaching the sanctity of religion, to reinforce his contempt of Human Rights.

The interview was done after Halla-aho began his mandate as chairperson of parliament’s foreign affairs committee.

“The Perussuomalaisets’ view [on human rights] is that the right to move to Finland and remain here is not a human right but a privilege,” he told the host, adding that Finns’ human rights, like the right to security and wellbeing, should be taken into account.

We have only to visit his past statements and the aim of the PS to end all asylum seekers from coming to Finland, especially from Africa and Muslim-majority countries.

In plain English, Halla-aho loathes asylum seekers.

Let’s give Halla-aho a few pointers on Human Rights and cut through the chase.

Yes, there is another point that Halla-aho made about the human rights of Finns. He states this with a poker face even if his past writings have encouraged foreigners to rape politicians like Eva Biaudet and Tarja Filatov.