Do asylum reception centers have informers? If so, what do they inform to the management and how do they make life difficult for the rest of the residents? Migrant Tales has heard of one such alleged case at Luona’s Sokkakuja reception center.
Residents at the Sokkakuja reception center try their best to avoid contact with the informer. Everyone knows who he is. He usually asks questions from the asylum seekers at the center and keeps an eye out so that the residents don’t step out of line.
A child at a refugee reception center is painting the cross of the Finnish flag. Photo: Enrique Tessieri
In Iraq, an informer is called bolbol, or parroquet.
“If the residents plan a protest at the Sokkakuja reception center, it’s the informer who tries to get the information to the management, so the organizers are punished,” a source told Migrant Tales. “Punishment usually means being transferred to another reception center or getting your room changed.”
The source said that the informer has been especially racist towards Somalis at the center.
“The informer steals food, medicine, and other stuff from the center,” the source continued. “The management knows this, but they turn a blind eye. There were many complaints by the residents against this particular informer, but nothing has changed.”
As compensation for his “services” to the Luona management, the informer got a cleaning job at the reception center.