Finland’s inhumane and uncaring asylum policy is ever-vigorous. We must change it.

Finland’s immigration policy is inhumane If this is the case, what does it say about its integration program? 

A family of five minors and adults including both parents from Afghanistan left Finland most likely on Thursday after they found out this week that their appeal for asylum was rejected by the supreme administrative court. 

The family was devastated by the news and had one overriding worry about their situation in Finland as one family member asked with evident gloom in her voice: “Can they deport us back to Afghanistan?”

Accompanying the Afghan family’s dread about their future in Finland was the inhumane and heartless asylum and immigration policy, which was everywhere and so overpowering trying to shatter the hope of a vulnerable and poor family. 

Yes, I blame Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and the rest of the government, especially the Center Party and National Coalition Party in collusion with the Perussuomalaiset* and now Blue Reform party. They have morally corrupted our humanity and sense of fairness as a nation. 

These parties and their leaders are the ones dismantling this country piecemeal of its democracy and Nordic values. It is hypocritical and disingenuous to talk about social justice when our government and country act like an out-of-control Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to the suffering of others.  

I had spoken about a plan of action with the Afghan family and what we could do to help them to avoid deportation. It was too late. The following day I saw them received the following message below:

The last sentence, “we escap(e),” exposes the inhumanity of our asylum policy.

What are we supposed to tell these people? If we told them the truth we would tell them that Sipilä’s government doesn’t want these people to stay in Finland because they are Muslims from Afghanistan. 

There is, however, hope against the Islamophobic bullying so “normal” in Finland today. In April 2019, Finland holds parliamentary elections.

Let’s not forget the names and faces of the ministers, MPs, and parties that brought us to such a morally bankrupt juncture.  Yes, those ones, that constantly tell us lies about migrants and who won’t tell you too loudly that they want to keep Finland white and Christian. 

* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13 into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. Despite the name changes, we believe that it is the same party in different clothing. Both factions are hostile to cultural diversity. One is more open about it while the other is more diplomatic.

A direct translation of Perussuomalaiset in English would be something like “basic” or “fundamental Finn.” Official translations of the Finnish name of the party, such as Finns Party or True Finns, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and racism. We, therefore, at Migrant Tales prefer to use in our postings the Finnish name of the party once and after that the acronym PS.