Category: Migrant Tales
Pitajänuutiset: “Etstimme turvaa Suomesta”
Pertunmaan pakolaisnuoret huolissaan kiristyneestä turvapaikkapolitiikasta.
Pertunmaalla entisessä Nipulin koulun tiloissa toimiva vastaanottokeskus nuorille pakolaisille on ollut toiminnassa kohta vuoden.
16 alaikäistä turvapaikanhakijan ovat kiitoksia suomalaisille saamastaan turvasta, mutta he ovat myös huolissaan Suomen kiristyneestä turvapaikkapolitiikasta.
Mahdi ja Zarif haluavatkin lähettää terveisiä ulkoministeri Timo Soinille.
– Miksi meitä halutaan pois Suomesta? Ymmärrätkö, että tulimme sodan keskeltä? Haluamme opiskella ja rakentaa elämää Suomessa, parivaljakko tähdentää.
Samaa korostaa Irakin Kurdistanista kotoisin olevan Ahmed, jolle kaksi tärkeä asiaa ovat turva ja ihmisoikeudet.
Pertunmaan nuorista turvapaikanhakijoista osa on löytänyt opiskelupaikan Otavan Opistosta. Yksi heistä on Mostafa.
Continue reading “Pitajänuutiset: “Etstimme turvaa Suomesta””
ENAR: Lehdistötiedote Afrofobiasta Suomessa
Fact Sheet Briefing – Afrophobia in Finland
When racism in Finland becomes “normal”
Migrant Tales insight: As the politicians and media in Finland turn their backs on the ever-increasing racism in this country, there are a few brave people who don’t remain silent. A brave young woman in Lahti preferred not to remain silent at a bar as two black men were being harassed at a bar in a racist manner Saturday.
If we reflect on what happened, one question rises above the rest: What kind of a country are we living in if a total stranger can insult and harass two black men in public in a racist manner? Is it a country that is living deep in denial and where racism has become so widespread that people can react in such a manner because it is the most normal thing?
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“I went to a bar in Lahti on Saturday and just as I was leaving a Finnish who was accompined by two others started insulting two black men. He told them to leave Finland because noboy had asked them to come here.
The argument got more tempered and that’s when I decided to act and went in between them. I asked the Finnish man why he was yelling at the black men.
Lahti advertises on its web site that it is “an ideal place for businesses.”
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The Finnish man then told me ‘go fuck myself!’
He then continued: ‘Have you lived in some cave?! Don’t you read the news?! Don’t you know that these people come here to rape our women and children?!’
The Finnish man said he had a two-month-old baby and said he was worried she might be raped by the men. He also blamed them for paying more taxes so they could get social welfare.
‘I hope that your future child gets raped by them,’ he told me.
Then my friends came to my side and a fight erupted between them and the three Finnish men. Out of nowhere a total stranger came and punched one of my firends in the jaw.
The police came but the person that punched my friend got away.
I cried a lot that night. I couldn’t believe that people were so cruel.”
A note to asylum seekers coming here: Welcome to Finland!
Dear prospective Asylum Seeker,
We want to welcome you to Finland!
The Finnish foreign ministry and the government have launched a controversial social media campaign to deter refugees. The aim of the campaign is to tighten conditions for refugees in order to stem the influx of people seeking asylum in Finland.
The reason is simple: The Finns Party (PS), which saw it’s support dive in the recnt opinion poll, has broken every campaign promise and those that voted for the party are riling mad.
Continue reading “A note to asylum seekers coming here: Welcome to Finland!”
Facebook: Racism and the horse’s ass
Christian Thibault, an anti-racism activist, asks a good question: Will those that have a racist political agenda look like a horse’s ass in the future? Excellent question.
This Facebook posting was reprinted by Migrant Tales with permission.
Facebook: These are OUR elections!
And we get another message today from a reader…
If you have other accounts about post-election Finland and how racists are on the rampage please post them on www.facebook.com/likemigrant or [email protected].
Thank you!
Minister Carl Haglund: Sports is an underused yet vital tool for migrant inclusion
A group of 60 experts and others interested in the field of sports and social issues agreed with Minister of Sports Carl Haglund, who stated Friday in Helsinki that sports is an underused tool for social participation and action.
“It’s a shame [that sports is so underused],” said Haglund, “since it would be a very powerful tool that’s fun as well [to help migrants become a part of society].”
The minister stressed as well the importance of organizations representing migrants participating in government sports programs.
From left to right: Daryl Taylor, Nicky Verschraegen, Obiora Aniche, Carl Haglund, Peter K. Kariuki, Ayisat Success Yusuf and Yvette Ayivi.
Camilla Edström Ödemark’s White Voids art exhibition to open in Helsinki on April 2
Migrant Tales will publish a feature on Camilla Edström Ödemark’s and her White Voids art exhibition which will open on April 2 at the Third Space Gallery, Tarkk’ampujankatu 18, Helsinki.
Camilla writes:
In order to suppress you need to mask yourself as a true underdog. It must be your rights that are threatened, your words that are silenced. No-one likes a bully. When in public, you need to make sure to hide your true intentions. It is your culture that is being suppressed. They might or might not have an agenda. You are in minority. They are mocking you. Make sure people know that war is coming. In order to suppress you need to prepare.
Grand opening at 18.00-21.00 on April 2
Opening hours: 15.00-16.00, April 3-9
