Comment: Here is an interesting column on Joensuu-based daily Karjalainen about Wille Rydman, who is stepping down as Kokoomus youth leader. Writes Helena Tahvanainen: “According to Rydman, the biggest problem is, among other things, unjustified applications for asylum as well as the uncontrolled rise of asylum seekers. In (Rydman’s successor) Antti Häkkinen’s opinion Finland does not have enough resources to handle such (a large) refugee quota.”
For some odd reason, Rydman never mind Häkkinen don’t tell us what a “large” and “uncontrolled” refugee quota is.
Finland had last year 4,260 asylum seekers, which is less than in 2009 but more than this year. Compared with Sweden and Norway, the number is very small. Sweden had 27,630 and Norway 15,255 asylum seekers. Finland gave asylum last year to 1,595 people compared with 8,495 in Sweden.
One of the problems with the debate on asylum seekers is that it forgets an important detail: We are a rich country that has the luxury to give shelter to other people from all types of persecution. Politicians like Rydman, Häkkinen and too many others forget with their views the suffering people endure.
If Häkkinen is an example of the leadership and future generation of this country, I feel sorry for this country because it shows nothing more than greed, indifference and lack of leadership.
Let’s hope that one day that these types of politicians won’t have to go knocking on some country’s door and ask for political asylum.
I wonder how’d they feel if they were treated the same way they speak of asylum seekers.
__________
Helena Tahvanainen
Viime viikonvaihteessa kokoomusnuoret valitsivat uuden puheenjohtajan. Maahanmuuttokriitikkona profiloitunut puheenjohtaja Wille Rydmania seurasi toinen maahanmuuttokriitikko eli Antti Häkkänen. Rydmanilla ei näyttänyt olevan mitään tätä leimaa vastaan.
How many of those asylym seekers actually were refugees, answer that.
Offtopic but writer of that political pamflet didnt know anything about reality.
Hey, we are a rich country who just have to borrow tons of money to balance the budject, but sure we can afford it!
Weird thing all these refugees seeking shelted for persecution just went past many safe countries in their way here to the far reaches of Europe. They just wanted to travel longer just the fun of it? Or did these poor people take a jet?
Refugees should be in camps near their own countries so they could easily return back when the situation allows, there wouldnt be need for all kinds of “integration” efforts and living expenses wouldnt be that high. Taking refugees here just costs so much more it doesnt make any sense.
Hannu
Explain how a displaced person seeks shelter in Finland without claiming asylum.
Hannu
Imagine that civil war broke out in Sweden. Because of political persecutions, hundreds of thousands of refugees started pouring across the borders, also into Finland. The Finnish authorities do their best to set up camps, but the burden is massive, through no fault of the Finns. Is there anything to be done to solve the problem? Are the international community willing to help Finland in any way?
This was one of the key reasons for establishing the Convention and Protocols on the Rights of Refugees in 1951. The idea was to share the burden of such events among signatory countries. The other key development was that it enshrined certain human rights as being universal, and not simply applying to citizens of countries where human rights were recognised.
Imagine if we were to attack China for its human rights record and persecution of political opponents but then we say that if that dissident were to arrive in the West by way of trying to escape that persecution, that they would have absolutely no rights in the West either, and worse still, that we would send them back to China for the persecution to be perhaps intensified. The Chinese would simply say, well, you don’t even give these citizens any rights, so why should we? The refugee status gives the West the moral ground from which to try to improve human rights throughout the world. A noble cause? You decide.
On a practical level, it’s very easy for someone that has never crashed their car to argue that they shouldn’t have to pay any insurance. But it just makes sense to have some kind of insurance, especially if part of that insurance involves forcing car companies to make our cars with a certain standard of safety.
Here is Timo Soini speaking to none other than Fox News on November 3. Thanks go to The Truth about the True Finns blog for the heads up.
What does this short interview tell us. One of the matters that struck me was the following: “(It’s)about human being and morality.” The PS has high morals? Hmmmm.
http://finance.yahoo.com/video/internationalfinance-18825619/making-a-case-against-the-euro-bailouts-27153185