Human rights ranked low in Finland during the Cold War (1944-1991). Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Interior Minister Mari Rantanen, a well-known xenophobe, is drafting legislation that would take Finlnad back to the Cold War, when Russians and other migrants were denied the right to asylum.
In criticizing government plans to pushback asylum seekers at the Finnish-Russian border, International law professor Martti Koskenniemi accused in January Prime Minister Pettri Orpo of excuses for breaching international agreements.
Interior Minister Mari Rantanen is the face of Finland’s anti-immigration policy and disdain for human rights.
Rantanen, whose past posts show her disdain for migrants, especially Muslims and people from other developed countries, is at it again – let’s shun human rights and not allow Muslims and other non-whites to enter Finland.
Adding salt to injury and showing how low Finland’political class has stooped, an opinion poll given to MPs revealed that the majority of lawmakers (Kokoomus and PS) were in favor of pushbacks. The Social Democrats said they were cautiously in favor [what does that mean] of such an illegal measure. The only parties that opposed pushbacks were the Greens and Left Alliance. The Christian Dermocrats and Swedish People’s Party did not respond to the poll.
The interesting question is not only what kinds of loopholes the government will find to breach international law and our constitution, but what next is in the pipeline to deny asylum seekers and migrants their rights.
If I were you, I’d be apprehensive about what this government has planned up its sinister sleeve.
