Category: Enrique

Sweden riots: People cannot live off football, crumbs and destitute pity

Posted on by Migrant Tales

In the face of the riots in Huusby, Sweden, which have now spread outside the northern Stockholm suburb, there’s one culprit we should pay close attention to especially here in Finland: The erosion of Sweden’s comprehensive welfare state system. 

Faced with a seven-billion-euro budget deficit, it isn’t surprising that few if any politicians in this country want to dwell too much on the backlash the downsizing of our social welfare state could have on Finland. It’s not only easy but politically convenient to blame immigrants and their Swedish children, grandchildren and great grandchildren for the rioting.

National Coalition Party MP Arto Satonen is one Finnish politician that caught my attention concerning what he said about the riots in Sweden. The MP, who is chairman of National Coaliation Party’s parliamentary group, gave the following solutions:

  • Keep the number of asylum seekers under control;
  • Greater effort must be made to integrate immigrants;
  • Ghettoization (he calls it segregation) must be avoided.

Why does Satonen talk about “keeping the number of asylum seekers under control?” Is he suggesting that asylum seekers are more prone to rioting and being marginalized than labor immigrants? Asylum seekers are the last group that would be rioting in Husby or in other parts of Stockholm and Sweden.

The same opinion was expressed by National Coalition Party Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen, who said that the number of asylum seekers must be kept in check, according to YLE. His comment was criticized by Left Alliance Minister of Culture Paavo Arhimäki.

I agree with Satonen’s second point but it’s unclear how we are going about this in Finland. High immigrant unemployment and youth marginalization, job discrimination, and the rise of a populist anti-immigration party that won 19.1% of the votes in 2011 make integration a greater challenge.

I am always a bit surprised when Finnish politicians speak of the danger of ghettoization. On the one hand, Finland officially praises multiculturalism but on the other hand dreads when too many visible immigrants live in the same neighborhood.

The same concern was expressed by teachers in a survey in 2011, which showed that 41% of teachers would like to place limits on third-culture children in the classroom. One third of those polled would not place any such limits.

Satonen said that football was a great integrator. Agreed. However, people can’t live off sports.

They need opportunities, jobs and Nordic social equality.

Suurin uhka Euroopalle ovat he, jotka haluavat puolustaa meitä toisilta

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Minua ei pelota kulttuurinen moninaisuus puhumattakaan terrorismi. Toisten kulttuurien olemisen kieltäminen globalisoituneessa maailmassa on sama kuin yrittäisi kieltää seksin. Kulttuurinen moninaisuus ja seksi ovat osa ihmisyyttä. On turhaa kieltää jotain niinkin luonnollista.

Toki on paljon uhkia. Yksi niistä on  äärioikeistolaiset, populistiset sekä maahanmuuttovastaiset ideologiat, jotka ovat hyvin yleisiä tämänpäiväsissä Euroopassa. Jos emme haasta näitä ilmiöitä on samaa  kuin asettaisimme hirttosilmukan kansalaisoikeutemme kaulaan.

Terrorismin laajentuminen tai sen pelko voi johtaa meidät vaaralliselle totalitarismin polulle, koska yrittäisimme suojata itsemme kaikin mahdollisin tavoin.  Löytäisimme paljon syntipukkeja, mutta emme lopulta ratkaisuja eikä rauhaa.

En pelkää kulttuurien moninaisuutta, terrorismi tai Husbyn kaltaiset mellakat Suomessa. Haluan, että populistiset poliitikot erityisesti perussuomalaisesta puolueesta lopettamaan pelkäämisen minun puolestani.

Älä käytä Ruotsissa tapahtuneita mellakoita tekosyynä hyökätä sitä vastaan kuka olen tai kieltää oikeuteni olla erilainen tässä maassa.

Hyväksy se tosiasia, ettei yksikään nykyinen tai tuleva laki estä Suomen moninaisuutta tai sitä, että se pitäisi meidät turvassa terrorismilta. Suomi pyrki vuosina 1939 ja 1995 rajoittamaan ankarasti maahanmuuttoa ja ulkomaalaisten muuttoa tänne epäonnistuen.

Useasti maahanmuuttovastaiset rinnastavat maahanmuuton terrorismiin vaikka se on edelleen erittäin harvinaista Euroopassa, EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report 2012 mukaan. Sinulla on Euroopassa suurempi vaara kuolla auto-onnettomuudessa, lääkärin virheestä tai poliisin luodista kuin terroristi-iskusta tai kulttuurien moninaisuudesta.

Britanniassa traagisesti murhatun armeijan sotilaan tapaus torstaina osoitti sen, kuinka Britannian reagoi ja miksi suvaitsemattomuus on  suurin vaara Euroopassa. Islamin terrorismi on yksi vaara mutta vielä suurempi uhka ovat ne ryhmät, jotka väittävät puolustavansa meitä siltä uhalta.

Sinä olet vaarallinen. Kyllä, sanoin sinä, joka pelkäät minun puolestani ja olet valmis laittamaan kansalaisoikeutemme kylmävarastoon.

The biggest threat to Europe are those who claim to be afraid on our behalf

Posted on by Migrant Tales

I’m neither afraid of cultural diversity nor terrorism. Being against different cultures in a globalized world is like being against sex. Cultural diversity, interculturalism and sex are part of the human condition. You cannot make them illegal in any way, shape or form.   

If we’d embrace far right and mainstream anti-immigration ideologies so common in today’s Europe, it would be like placing a noose around the neck of our civil rights. Terrorism and our fear of terrorism would not diminish but grow as a result. Remember what happened in Germany in 1933?

More terrorism would lead us on a perilous path of totalitarianism, where we’d not only do everything possible to undermine and deny cultural diversity but use it as a scapegoat for all our problems and unhappiness.

I’m not afraid of cultural diversity. I want populist politicians especially of the Perussuomalasiet (PS) party  to stop being afraid on my behalf.

Don’t use the riots in Husby, Sweden, as an excuse to attack who I am or deny my right to be different from you in my country.

Accept the fact that NONE of your present or future laws will prevent Finland from being culturally diverse or keep it safe from terrorism. Finland tried between 1939 and 1995 to severely limit immigrants and foreign investment from coming here and failed. I doubt that any sensible person would want to return to the days of cold war Finland.

Since anti-immigration Islamophobists like to equate immigration with terrorism, terrorism remains extremely rare in Europe never mind in Finland, according to the EU Terrorism and Situation Report 2012.  Despite the tragic murder of a member of the British armed forced this week, reaction to it in the UK reveals that the greatest threat to Europe isn’t Islamic terrorism but from groups that claim to defend us from it.

Stop spreading fear and absolutely stop being afraid on my behalf! You’re most likely in Europe to be killed by a policeman, medical error or car accident than terrorism never mind cultural diversity.

The biggest threat to our society is you. Yes you, the one that is being afraid on my behalf and ready to put my civil rights in cold storage.

The Stockholm riots reveal in the raw our prejudices and loathing for cultural diversity

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Apart from being a wake-up call to ever-growing social exclusion, discrimination and outright intolerance that is alive and kicking in Sweden, the riots in the northern suburb of Stockholm have revealed in Finland our prejudices and loathing for cultural diversity. 

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The Local writes: “Stockholm is not on fire. Let’s get that clear immediately.” Read full story here.

The riots in Husby even encouraged anti-immigration commentators on Migrant Tales to radicalize and step up their attacks on those who defend the good name of this blog.

Since riots are a desperate call for attention, reaction to such turmoil can reveal our deepest fears, prejudices and shameless doses of political opportunism as we have seen by Perussuomalaiset party politicians.

For me, the riots in Sweden are a sad reminder that a part of our society is still incapable of coming to terms with cultural diversity. Their response is defensive instead of proactive.

What does all of this reveal to us? That the lives of certain immigrant groups in this country are going to get far worse in the future.

By ”far worse” I mean greater social exclusion, prejudice and discrimination.  Instead of finding proactive solutions, our prejudices will continue to cripple and impair our good judgement.

Another unsettling fact emerges from the Stockholm riots: Finland has serious issues of its own in accepting its ever-growing cultural diversity.

What will all of this lead to?  The answer is simple: Similar riots in Finland in the future as in Sweden.

If the riots in Husby show that that a model Nordic welfare state like Sweden has issues concerning cultural diversity, it suggests that matters in Finland are in far worse shape.

It’s not too late, however. A lot can be done to avoid the mistakes of  Sweden on the integration of immigrants front.

The most important of these is to live up to the spirit of our laws, which promotion of acceptance, opportunities and social equality for all.

The riots in Stockholm could happen in Finland sooner rather than later

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Center Party municipal politician Abdirahim “Husu” Hussein told the Finnish media that the riots we are seeing in the Stockholm suburb of Husby could well happen in Finland in 10-15 years if we commit the same mistakes. The ugly face of intolerance, which is raising its head in Finland conspicuously, reinforces Hussein’s claim. 

By “mistakes” I mean lack of opportunities, little acceptance, intolerance and social exclusion.

A good example that the riots in Husby will happen in Finland is Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Vesa-Matti Saarakkala, who suggested that immigrants with “behavior disorders” should be interned for a half a year at a camp to learn how to behave in our society.

PS chairman Timo Soini’s constant denials that intolerance isn’t an issue in our society and especially in his anti-immigration party together with the silent acceptance of such outrageous claims by other politicians, assure us as well that the future will be here sooner than we expect.

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In Saarakkala’s black-and-white racist world, he would be more than happy that immigrants would act in the way that he insults them. It would offer proof that his outrageous claims are true and assure him a steady stream of voters who are as well multiculturally challenged.

Instead of speaking about sending immigrants to camps, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for a number of Finnish politicians like Saarakkala to be sent to a camp on how to “behave” in a culturally diverse society. They need guidance on this front.

When reading about the riots in neighboring Sweden we should pay close attention to how the problem is being reported by the media and what politicians are saying.

In Finland, it shouldn’t surprise us that openly anti-immigration politicians are trying to get the most political mileage from what is happening there.

Since a riot and burning cars are considered anti-social behavior, only immigrants, or those “with immigrant backgrounds,” are the troublemakers.

We’re missing the point: The issue in Sweden is inclusion and equal opportunities.

The riots there show us that this model society has issues with intolerance as well.

 

Fighting racism in Finland the Ricky Ghansah way

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Ricky Ghansah is a young African who was being harassed by a “super racist”at a Helsinki bus stop. On entering the bus, Ghansah noticed that the man had forgotten at home his wallet and bus pass. He went to the bus driver and paid the man’s ticket. 

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Read Facebook thread here.

The man, who had called Ghansah racist names, came up to him and thanked him for buying the ticket. He told the  man that his show of gratitude doesn’t mean much to him but if he apologized that would.

The man then apologized for his behavior. Ghansah asked if he could apologize a little louder so the whole bus could hear him. He did and the bus passengers clapped their hands in approval at what had happened.

It was a very effective way to handle such a horrible situation. A woman passenger who sat next to Ghansah said that he had handled the situation very well.

Possibly the man who insulted Ghansah is a racist manner will think twice the next time he opens his mouth.

Calling Timo Soini’s bluff

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The Perussuomalaiset (PS) is a desperate party and Timo Soini’s claim over the weekend, that the Social Democrats had abandoned working-class men, is another example of how this populist anti-immigration party bluffs at the political poker table. The type of attack by Soini on the Social Democratic Party is in line with how the party has victimized and labelled immigrants and visible minorities. 

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Soini made his chauvinistic  claim after the SDP replaced two of its ministers on Friday, Jukka Gustafsson and Maria Guzenina-Richardson, with Susana Huovinen and Pia Virtanen.

He was quoted as saying on YLE in English: ”Working men don’t interest the left. The collapse in support for the left stems from the fact that those who bake the cake, workers and small businsspeople, are not defended enough.”

And Soini’s rambunctious party, which will scare away skilled workers and investment from this country, is going to defend the working man? That claim by Soini is a good example of the PS’ political chicanery and desperation to win the EU parliament and parliamentary elections in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

If there is little doubt that the PS is an anti-EU, anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam party, it is as well an anti-women’s rights party. Should we be surprised by Soini’s claim? Not at all. How can a party promote gender equality if it’s intolerant of immigrants and visible minorities?

Sensible people understand that if the PS ever got into government or if Soini become prime minister, the damage the party would inflict on Finland would be immense. 

You would not only see a populist party promoting its far right and conservative views on the country, but one that will promote racism, prejudice, sexism and intolerance in general.

Migrant Tales has written on numerous occasions that sucking up to PS populism has been a costly mistake for Finnish mainstream parties.

Politicians must lead. Offering leadership during trying times means standing up for your convictions even if it may cost you votes.

A good example that Finnish politicians should emulate is US President Barak Obama, who was one of the few politicians in 2003 who was against the invasion of Iraq. Even if he was in the minority that opposed the war, his leadership on this front was one factor that allowed him to become the first black president of the US in 2008.

 

Dominic-Savior Chukwu: How to avoid migrant exploitation in the Finnish labor market

Posted on by Migrant Tales

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Dominic-Savior Chukwu’s BA thesis addresses some of the challenges that immigrants face when employed at a Finnish company. Apart from practical problems like understanding  the work contract that he or she will sign, some immigrants are apprehensive about demanding their rights. 

Chukwu’s states that some migrants come from countries where there are inadequate labor laws that don’t defend workers‘ rights or if they exist they are not enforced adequately.  ”Some prefer to be quiet for fear that they’ll get fired if they demand their rights,” he said.”This leaves many vulnerable to exploitation by the employer.”

According to Chukwu, who is a native of Nigeria, joining a union is one way of overcoming some difficulties at work.

Chukwu believes that another problem that some immigrants face at work is being treated as second-class employees.

”Since you are a foreigner, your opinion doesn’t count or doesn’t count as much as that of a white Finn,” he said. ”This is a very stressful situation for many migrants since it doesn’t empower them but encourages them instead to be apathetic of their rights.”

Chukwu’s thesis, Experiences of Labor Exploitation – Case study of some male migrant workers in Finnish facility service industries, highlights some of the challenges that immigrants face in the labor market.

The main conclusions of the thesis are:

  • Langauge barrier/inadequate language skills and lack of opportunities to learn Finnish or Swedish;
  • Ignorance of employees’ rights and law legislation/ignorance plays a big role in migrant workers exploitation by employers;
  • Fear of retribution from the employers/migrant workers fear retribution and therefore prefer not demand their rights;
  • Oversight of the authorities to the plight of migrant workers/authorities are not paying close enough attention to protect the well-being of migrant workers.

Chukwu’s thesis can be read here.

Dear Migrant Tales…when the workplace becomes a hostile place

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Dear Migrant Tales,

Being the only black person at work can be challenging but what about if the workplace becomes openly hostile to you? By hostile I mean being constantly watched by your coworkers, if you make a mistake it’s always a bigger deal than if a white coworker did it, if you’re speaking on the phone, your work mates are the first ones to tell you that you’re not on a break.  

I got fired from my last job after working there for about four months. I’ve had many jobs but the last one was the worst. The work atmosphere there was terrible.

I confided in a worker, an older man, at my former job. I spoke openly to him about myself and some of my problems. I found out from another coworker that he was talking behind my back and exaggerating what I had told him.

One day while I was on a break, the person I confided in started to raise his voice at me. He told me that Somalis shouldn’t live in Finland and why don’t I  return back to where I came from.  I couldn’t take it anymore and raised my voice back at him.

The older man went immediately to our boss and told him that I had raised my voice at him. The boss spoke to us and then told me that he didn’t believe anything I said. He said he believed the white worker because he had worked at the company much longer than I.

I ended up getting fired.

White Finns have effective ways of excluding you at work. At the job I got fired, your opinion didn’t matter because nobody cared what you thought. It’s such a stressful situation! Some of my coworkers even asked me to do their job because they thought I was dumb. I’m not dumb.

I’m extra careful at my new job. I don’t want to get fired again and I’ve learned an important lesson: Not to mix with my coworkers and just mind my own business.

I’d appreciate any good advice on how a black person can survive at a Finnish company.

Abdulah 

 

Abdulah, who speaks to us under condition of anonymity, has appeared on Migrant Tales a number of times. 

 

Assaulted Helsinki, Finland, black bus driver: Immigrants are treated unfairly by the police and law

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Ali Dahir, the black bus driver who was assaulted Tuesday in Helsinki by a white Finn, claims that the police and the law treat foreigners differently from Finns. The bus driver, who is a Finnish citizen and a native of Somalia, was attacked while at work and suffered concussions.

While the police and government officials may disagree with Dahir, his statement by him reveals a wider known problem: There is little  credibility of the police and our laws by some immigrants. It is a serious problem that should be addressed.

“The police and the law treat foreigners [or people who aren’t white Finns] unfairly,” he told Migrant Tales. “If I would have attacked a white bus driver, you can be certain I’d be arrested and jailed.”

Dahir asked the policemen why they didn’t arrest and lock up the attacker after he was apprehended.

“All they said was that they understood why I was angry [by what happened],” he said.

Dahir, who has lived 17 years in Finland, believes that the police and law continue to treat people who aren’t white Finns unfairly.

“I am certain that if this would have happened in the UK or Sweden, they’d have locked up the attacker,” he said.