The December issue of the Foreign Student gave readers information about the ever-growing immigrant movement, which aims to improve foreigner rights in Finland. A seminar, which took place in Tampere, was attended by different political parties and officials of the interior ministry and religious groups.
“In addition to the seminar’s resolutions, the [political] parties received copies of our Mayday petition requesting that Finland observe the Helsinki Agreement and the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights with respect to foreigners.”
Some demands made at the seminar in Tampere for greater foreigner rights included:
- The right to join political parties.
- The right to edit and own newspapers.
- The right to establish a small business.
- The right to buy a home [own property].
- The right to appeal to a court of law when refused or deprived of work permits and residence permits.
- The right to appeal to a county court and legal aid when detained by the police, and a maximum detention period of 24 days (instead of practically for ever as is now proposed).
For further reading:
Foreign Student: February 1981
Foreign Student: September 1981
Foreign Student: December 1981