Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s poor track record on challenging xenophobia and hate speech

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The government of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä not only has tightened immigration policy but is complacent and near-silent about the rise of xenophobia and hate speech in Finland. Sure, we’ve heard so many times the familiar “we’re against racism” affirmations, which are only catchphrases that are not supposed to change anything.    

If we are honest with ourselves, what can we expect from a government that has little regard for the most vulnerable sectors of society like the unemployed and those that are dependant on social welfare? If they treat people who live under the poverty line with disdain why would they care less for migrants never mind asylum seekers?

To make matters worse, Sipilä’s government comprises of a right-wing populist party, the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, which has made a name for itself with its nationalistic anti-immigration and anti-EU rhetoric. What can you say about the PS’ partners in government, the National Coalition Party (NCP) and the Center Party, which should know better but don’t?

I’m surprised by how little attention we pay in Finland to the connection between the rise of anti-immigration populism and hate crimes. Few care since the bottom line is that society and its institutions see migration and cultural diversity as a threat. Policy, rhetoric, even the Finnish Immigration Service’s videos on Finland convey the same message: We see you as a threat.

Wednesday was another day this week when we saw another example of how fear turned to hate and complacency fuel the lowest form of racist behavior.

An asylum seeker had attempted to commit suicide at the Helsinki Railway Square, where the Iraqis and Afghans have been demonstrating against deportations since February. According to Helsingin Sanomat, the young asylum seeker had climbed a tree and attempted to hang himself.

While what happened is one of a myriad of examples of how Migri is a source of despair for migrants, it is incredible to note the knee-jerk reaction of hatred that flooded some social media sites on that day. Finland, one of the most richest countries in the world with its renowned education systems has people who would care less about exposing their hatred, racism and bigotry shamelessly.

One of these reactions to the attempted suicide was published in Sakari Timonen’s blog:

“Are there any interested persons ready to carry out a group hanging of asylum seekers [uses a derogatory term]? Since the euthanasia [bill] has moved forward [in parliament], we’re not in danger of being sentenced [for committing such crimes]. We could also burn them but I need a sponsor since, after paying taxes, I don’t have enough money to buy enough gasoline for the task. It could also be a French-style guillotine lynching, which would be triggered by pulling a rope [and then letting go of it].  SE (Suomi Ensin/Finland First far-right group) or any other one could organize a theme evening next to the [Helsinki Railway] square about these execution methods. There could also be a big plaque where it would read and promise that when you die you’ll be with 72 virgins in heaven. What I write isn’t racist since I am only thinking of the asylum seekers’ best interest of leaving Finland for good, if they can leave. I don’t know.”

That Facebook post was published this week by a Finn in a backdrop of government silence.

While these types of comments show the sickness that inflicts Finnish society today, the complacency and leadership by politicians is so obvious that it is socially nauseating.  Good examples are NCP Interior Minister Paula Risikko who met with protestors of the Suomi Ensi camp last month as did ardent Trump supporter MP Laura Huhtasaari of the PS.

Continue reading “Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s poor track record on challenging xenophobia and hate speech”

Finland’s deep denial of racism coupled with exceptionalism make it susceptible to right-wing populism and fascism

Posted on by Migrant Tales

“One the most infuriating decisions that I have seen lately was taken by the Helsinki District Court. The judges claimed in this particular decision that the poor Iraqi woman  – who was harassed and threatened  by a Sheikh – should have made a complaint to the local police station in her country against her own tribe’s decision regarding honor crimes. (And thus her asylum application was rejected).”

Boiata

If the latter claim above is true, it explains and reveals why Helsinki District Court judges agree with most of the decisions by the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). The fact that only a minor amount of decisions by Migri are rejected by the district courts speaks volumes about the state of our country and how decisions are made. 

Ethnocentrism? Finnish exceptionalism? Xenophobia? Bigotry? Racism? Ignorance? Fear?

When a society or the courts agree overwhelming on decisions by another public entity or when the police claim that they don’t ethnically profile anyone we know that something isn’t right.

The district court’s track record is another factor that makes us doubt their integrity. Remember in 2013 when MTV revealed an internal report by the Helsinki District Court that showed judges used derogatory labels for blacks (n-word), Russians, Jews and gays as well as sexually harassed women at parties?

On top of this, the Helsinki District Court claims that such unprofessional behavior didn’t influence the decision of judges.

Who should we believe?

Great news for us, bad news for the Perussuomalaiset, which have seen their poll standing plummet for a number of months. Source: YLE.

Continue reading “Finland’s deep denial of racism coupled with exceptionalism make it susceptible to right-wing populism and fascism”

Boiata: Ignorance of a country’s background information does not excuse judges – ignorantia facti non excusat

Posted on by Migrant Tales
There is an old legal maxim in latin that confirms the principal,  “ignorance of the law does not excuse” (ignorantia iuris non excusat). On the other hand there is a principle that the court or the judge has to know the law,  iura novit curia. One is entitled to expect that the judges know what they are doing and what laws they are applying to various cases. 

In asylum and immigration cases knowing the law is not enough. The judge has to take in consideration also the facts concerning the country where the asylum seeker is coming from. Does this sound reasonable? Let’s make an easy example. Every judge in Finland by now is well aware that in Iraq there is severe tension between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. (That was really easy.) But how many judges in Finland (or inspectors of the Finnish Immigration Service) know something about Iraqi tribal customs?

This is a really important question since the outcome of so many applications depend on it! As Finns, we have difficulties in understanding the tribal customs in Iraq and the decisions made by tribal leaders, also called Sheikhs. I suspect that many asylum applications handled by the Finnish Immigration Service and the Administrative Court of Helsinki are outright faulty because of the misleading thought: If it doesn’t happen in Finland, it cannot happen elsewhere.

Continue reading “Boiata: Ignorance of a country’s background information does not excuse judges – ignorantia facti non excusat”

The final countdown of the PS’ return to the political minor leagues begins as Timo Soini bows out as chairman in June

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Right-wing populist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairman, Timo Soini, announced Sunday that he wouldn’t seek a new term as party head at the forthcoming party convention in Jyväskylä in early June. He has head the party since 1997.

As expected, PS parliamentary group leader Sampo Terho announced the following day that he’s vying for party leader. His biggest rival will be MEP Jussi Halla-aho, who will announce this week if he plans to throw his hat in the ring.

Under Soini, the PS has grown from the ashes of the former Rural Party to one of the biggest parties in parliament in the 2011 elections, when it captured 39 seats from 5 seats in 2007. In the 2015 parliamentary election the PS came in second place after the Center Party.

Few migrants, minorities and sensible Finns will miss PS chair Timo Soini when he gives up the chairmanship of the party in June. He is responsible for giving a political platform to a number of bigoted, racist and far-right politicians. Read the full blog here.

But those were the good times. Today, after joining government in 2015, the party has broken most of its campaign promises and seen as a result its poll standings plummet from 17.6% in the 2015 elections to below 10%, according to a latest poll by YLE.

In order to salvage its sinking ship and a sure defeat in the April 9 municipal elections, the PS’ stubbornly persists with its pet themes: anti-immigration and anti-EU rhetoric.

Halla-aho’s Islamophobic diatribe is well-known since the MEP was sentenced for ethnic agitation in 2012. While Sampo hasn’t been convicted for such charges, his political credentials are based on right-wing populism and anti-cultural diversity.

In a blog post, Sampo was clear about immigration policy: “The ongoing aim of the Perussuomalaiset party is to minimize asylum seekers [coming to Finland] with an effective [tightened] immigration policy.”

Root causes

For those who have followed the government’s tightening of asylum and immigration policy, the interesting question to ask is if such policies actually discourages asylum seekers from coming to Finland. Why haven’t we seen any studies supporting the latter? Why doesn’t the media ask this question?

The government’s favorite excuse for tightening immigration policy has been to undermine pull factors that attract asylum seekers to our country.

Finland has sent a clear message that people will be forcibly deported out of the country after they become undocumented migrants, or after receiving three rejections for asylum.

Ninety  civil society organizations that attended the European Migration Forum on March 2-3 put out the following statement that question plans by the EU Commission to speed up and detain asylum seekers. They fear that the new measures will cause more harm and suffering.

The joint statement reads:

“There is no evidence that immigration detention or forced removal has a deterrent effect, or is sustainable. Detention and forced returns are extremely harmful practices that have long-lasting severe physical and mental health impacts as well as high risks of suicide. Re-emigration rates among returnees are high and forced removal has not been shown to lower the migration aspirations of the communities where people are returned to.”

Why do asylum seekers come to Europe? If we listen to people like Terho, Halla-aho and other politicians from mainstream parties like Interior Minister Paula Risikko, asylum seekers only come here to live off the fat of the land.

But if we listen to the video below by Nassim Majidi of Migration Matters we find a totally different explanation. She states that one of the most important driving forces attracting a minority of the world’s asylum seekers to Europe isn’t social welfare but human rights and a myriad of other factors like political and economic instability.

“Discourse of human rights that is used for political purposes people really believe it,” stated Majidi. “And that is what brings them to come here not jobs but the promises of the human rights they are entitled to and that they learn about.”

If one speaks to some asylum seekers that came to Finland in 2015, you’ll hear the same answers as well. Even if Finnish politicians and public officials speak commonly that we are a society based on social equality, or tasa-arvo, the harsh reality is that most asylum seekers won’t be able to enjoy such right.

“Many times I think I am having a nightmare since that is what it feels like being [today an asylum seeker] in Finland,” an Iraqi told me recently. “But then I realize it’s not a nightmare but reality.”

Even if politicians like Terho, the PS and others are quick to claim that Europe is being “flooded” by asylum seekers, the assertion couldn’t be further from the truth.  Finland took in during 2015 and 2016 about 38,000 asylum seekers. Much poorer countries like Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Jordan, Iran, Chad, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo below accepted 11,799,200 refugees.

The percentage of 38,000 out of 11,799,200 is only 0.322%!

For sensible migrants, minorities and Finns, the PS and most Finnish political parties with some exceptions are hostile to us.

With Soini leaving the PS, few of us will therefore miss him.

I believe that the final countdown of the party has begun that will return it to the political minor leagues where it belongs.

* The Finnish name for the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The English names of the party adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We, therefore, prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings. The direct translation of “Perussuomalaiset” is “basic” or “fundamental Finn.” 

Finland’s interpretation of human rights is to turn you into an “undocumented migrant” and kick you out of the country – HELP!

Posted on by Migrant Tales

A distress call on Messenger Saturday by an Iraqi asylum seeker. The family lives in Ruovesi, which is located between Jyväskylä and Tampere. 

What do you say about a country that is willing to throw into the street and deport a three-and-a-half-month-old baby born in Finland? Let’s include another one-and-a-half-year-old child, a six-year-old girl, and a boy, who is eight. What about if we add their parents as well?

This isn’t a true story from a country like Hungary or Serbia where asylum seekers are treated like animals but is happening at this moment in Finland, which claims to stand up for human rights. One such human right is the right to seek shelter.

Who is to blame?

The culprits are MPs who appeal to voters with their exposed or disguised hatred and ignorance of asylum seekers. When you act in such a way, you are going to cause harm and damage to real people like the family of six that will be kicked out from the asylum center in Ruovesi on March 23 and deported (see eviction letter below).

The eviction notice by the Red Cross sent to the Iraqi family.

The whole issue revolves around residence permits granted on humanitarian grounds, which was done away with last year by parliament. Now, after getting three rejections, but in the case of this family after two rejections, you become undocumented and must leave the country with an offer you cannot refuse from the police: leave “voluntarily” or by force.

Continue reading “Finland’s interpretation of human rights is to turn you into an “undocumented migrant” and kick you out of the country – HELP!”

Day 25 of the Helsinki demonstration by asylum seekers: We are happy that you are a thorn in the government’s and Migri’s side

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Twenty-five cold days have elapsed since a group of asylum seekers decided to exercise their democratic rights and protest deportation and the government’s strict asylum policy.  The longer these demonstrators protest the deeper the thorn will penetrate the government’s and Finnish Immigration Service’s (Migri) side. 

The government’s and Migri’s tough stance against the demonstrators is and will turn against them. Why? Because they base their hardline strategy on their own prejudices and bigotry.

The asylum seekers must know that two mainstream parties, the Center Party and National Coalition Party (NCP), have given a near-free hand to the Islamophobic and anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party to draft laws like that tightening of family reunification. They have also turned some of you  into undocumented migrants.

When I look at the actions of the government, my memory goes back to the early 1980s when Migri was run by Eila Kännö, a woman that some compared her management style to Benito Mussolini’s. The extremely strict immigration policy of Finland at the time was so much out of touch with public opinion that the then Aliens’ Office destroyed its credibility and eventually itself.

It became clear that the Aliens’ Office could no longer be run by a self-styled autocrat.

Continue reading “Day 25 of the Helsinki demonstration by asylum seekers: We are happy that you are a thorn in the government’s and Migri’s side”

The creation and death of the Perussuomalaiset and its #socialmediafrankensteins in Finland

Posted on by Migrant Tales

We once wrote about #socialmediafrankensteins and how Timo Soini and the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party had created such demons to victimize, attack and label migrants and minorities in Finland. Soini, a “good-cop” PS party chairman, is in reality no different from people like Jussi Halla-aho and his band of bigoted followers. 

A #socialmediafrankenstein is anyone that social media has created. For example, Halla-aho and many others of his ilk are social media creations. They have made a political career for themselves by spreading hatred and racism against other groups.

Since Halla-aho and his gang are social media creations, they are also vulnerable. One big defeat like the demise of the the PS from major league Finnish politics would spell the end for them.

The only matter that differentiate Soini from Halla-aho is that both, opportunists to the maximum, is the image of “good” versus “bad” cops. Even so, we mustn’t forget that they are still members of a party that is hostile to migrants, minorities and cultural diversity.

A while back we published a story about the creation of Halla-ahos and James Hirvisaaris within the PS.

The story of the rise and fall of the PS is like the creation of Frankenstein in the horror movie. We have, in the first video clip below, the creation of the Frankenstein monster. That scene from the classic movie could be Soini as Dr. Frankenstein and Halla-aho as the monster.

This scene could be the historical election victory of April 2011, when the PS won 39 seats compared with 5 in the previous election.

There’s a lot of excitement and jubilation due to resurrecting a person from the dead. Just like the PS, Frankenstein reaps havoc and fear and finally destroys itself.

Continue reading “The creation and death of the Perussuomalaiset and its #socialmediafrankensteins in Finland”

Day 18 of the Helsinki demonstration by asylum seekers: What about if Finland’s asylum policy is a cover-up?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The fact that the district courts agree in vast majority with the rejections handed by the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) speaks volumes of the serious problem and our responsibility as a nation to grant protection to those who need it.

Finnish politicians like Interior Minister Paula Risikko of the National Coalition Party and officials like Päivi Nerg of the interior ministry and Migri head Jaana Vuori wash their hands of the problem by passing the buck. They claim they are only following what the EU does and that the district courts totally agrees with the vast number of decisions by Migri.

The fact that the vast majority of decisions made by Migri are given the seal of approval by the district courts may reveal that there are many problems that are being brushed under the carpet. From a distance, it looks like a good brother system where everyone looks after each other.

With respect to the EU, we know that different countries have different procedures. EU member Sweden, for example, accepted  73% of asylum applications in the third quarter while in Finland the corresponding percentage was 28%, according to Eurostat.

Concerning rates of acceptance, Finland is in the same dubious league like the Czech Republic (32%), France (32%), United Kingdom (28%), Ireland (19%) and Greece (18%). The worst of the worst are Poland (16%) and Hungary (12%). Contrarily, the most generous countries – excluding Sweden – concerning granting asylum are Spain (77%), Malta (77%), Slovenia (74%), Romania, Estonia and Germany with 73% apiece.

If Finland is “following the EU crowd,” why are there more rejections in this country than in Sweden?

Considering that Migri head Vuori has admitted that it was overwhelmed by the large number of asylum seekers that came in 2015, what mistakes did it make and is ready to admit? Speaking with different human rights observers, there is concern that Migri hasn’t done a thorough enough job in processing asylum applications because of the lack and inexperience of new personnel.

Add to the latter the negative and even hostile political climate against migrants and especially asylum seekers and a worrying image emerges.

Is there enough political will in Finland to investigate such a matter?

Picture taken of the demonstration on Saturday. Still going strong after eighteen days on February 28. Photo by Enrique Tessieri.

The best evidence we have that Migri has done an inefficient job is its high “success rate” with the district courts, which may show more complacency due to the ongoing political climate which sees asylum seekers as a threat.

Continue reading “Day 18 of the Helsinki demonstration by asylum seekers: What about if Finland’s asylum policy is a cover-up?”

Etsitään yhdessä positiivinen ratkaisu pakolaisten tilanteeseen

Posted on by Reija Härkönen
demo-6-lukas-rusk
Kuva: Lukas Rusk

Kävimme eilen illalla irakilaisten ja afganilaisten turvapaikanhakijoiden pakkopalautuksia vastustavassa mielenosoituksessa Helsingin Rautatientorilla. Väkeä oli paikalla paljon.Toiset seisoivat pienissä ryhmissä keskustellen, jotkut istuivat kylki kyljessä pallogrillin ääressä lämmittelemässä.

Hiilet hehkuvat lämpöä, mutta kuinka on suomalaisten sydänten kanssa? Juttelimme sympaattisten, kohteliaiden ja avointen nuorten miesten kanssa. Kerroimme heille olevamme heidän puolellaan ja toivovamme, että Suomen hallitus saa heidän kohtelunsa jotenkin inhimillisemmälle tolalle. Kerroimme, että suurin osa Suomen kansasta ei ole rasisteja ja suhtautuu sotaa ja vainoa pakoon lähteneisiin ihmisiin myötätuntoisesti. He selvästi uskoivat asian olevan niin ja olivat vilpittömästi iloisia vierailustamme.

demo-7-lukas-rusk
Kuva: Lukas Rusk

Kun tulijoiden määrä on suuri ja yllättää viranomaiset ja vapaaehtoiset, myös toimenpiteiden pitää olla uusia. Ei pidä mennä samalla kaavalla, kuin on ennenkin tehty, pitää hakea ratkaisuja, luoda uutta. Akuutein tilanne on nyt rauhoittunut. Nyt on se hetki, kun voimme pysähtyä ja katsoa, mitä olemme tekemässä ihmisille, jotka ovat saapuneet maahamme rankkojen taivalten takaa.

Tällä hetkellä ratkaisumalli pakolaisten tuloon näyttäisi olevan se, että pitää päästä eroon pakolaisista. Eroon silläkin hinnalla, että heitä odottaa kotimaassa kidutus ja kuolema, vähintään sekasortoinen, toimimaton yhteiskunta, jossa heillä ei ole tulevaisuutta. Tai vuosien oleskelu loputtomissa telttariveissä naapurimaissa.

Ja kuitenkin jokaisen hyvän ihmisen ajatus on, että on pidettävä huolta ihmisistä, jotka ovat jättäneet kaiken ja lähteneet pakomatkalle. Nykyisessä ilmapiirissä tällainen puhe on melkein kuin kiellettyä. Kun kirjoitan näin, saan pian yksityisen postilaatikkoni täyteen viestejä siitä, kuinka kiihkeästi haluan mustaa miestä ja kuinka pihalla voikaan suvakkiämmä olla.

Mistä tällainen ilmapiiri on tullut? Pelokkaiden puskajunttien parahduksista, peräkammareiden poikien hanureista? Onko heitä meillä niin paljon, että koko Suomen pitää pyöriä heidän pillinsä mukaan? Onko heidän vaikutuksensa niin mahtava, että poliitikot laativat ohjelmansa heidän pelkojensa perusteella? Ovatko poliitikot itse enimmäkseen samaa sakkia? Onko meillä vielä mahdolisuus ajatella toisinkin?

demo-2-helmikuu-17
Kuva: NoUr M Jamal Right to Live-sivustolla

Annetaan maahan tulleille nuorille miehille mahdollisuus. Ei mennä tavallisia byrokratian polkuja, vaan kotoutetaan heitä ihmisten, ei koneiston avulla. Meitä on vaikka kuinka paljon tavallisia perheitä, jotka ovat valmiita ottamaan vastuuta jostakusta nuoresta miehestä. Ottamaan vaikka kotiinsa asumaan ensihätään, lähettämään kielikursseille ja opettamaan heille tärkeitä sanoja ja asioita. Saattelemaan elämän alkuun ja toimimaan perheen ja suvun korvikkeina myöhemminkin. Meitä on vaikka kuinka paljon ihmisiä, joilla on tähän resursseja ja halua. Aikuisten ihmisten kyseessä ollen ei tarvita kovin paljon byrokratiaa ja valvontaa, voidaan vain saattaa ihmisiä yhteen ja antaa elämän ja hyvän tahdon viedä.

Työpaikkojen järjestämisessäkin on paljon käyttämättömiä mahdollisuuksia. Maahanmuuttajien omat osuuskuntatyyliset yritykset voisivat olla yksi ratkaisu. Niiden työntekijät voisivat tarjota palveluja siellä, mistä meillä Suomessa on palvelusta puute: talonmiehinä, apumiehinä, puutarha- ja pihatöissä, lumitöissä, pienissä remonttihommissa, putkitöissä, sähkötöissä, pienissä kuljetuksissa, mummon ulkoiluttamisessa, lastenhoidossa. Monissa töissä ei tarvita kummoistakaan kielitaitoa, kunhan joku auttaa alulle osuuskuntaan liittymisessä. Siihen tehtävään voisivat työllistyä myös kantasuomalaiset. Kielen ja kulttuurin oppiminenkin voisi tulla osaksi näitä työyhteisöjä ja suomalaiset työttömät tai uuden työn tarvitsijat voisivat niissä tarjota omaa osaamistaan.

Vastaanottokeskuksissa vuosikausia piilossa istuttaminen, elämästä irti pitäminen ja sitten raunioituneeseen kotimaahan palauttaminen ilman mitään toivoa paremmasta ei ole mikään ratkaisu. Se ei ole inhimillinen eikä oikeudenmukainen teko, kun nuo nuoret ihmiset ovat jo kerran luopuneet kaikesta ja lähteneet pakoon. Lähettäisitkö oman poikasi sellaiselle matkalle?