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.
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.
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.
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.
Kansainvälinen Mikkeli sai tieto, että kuusi poliisipartioautoja oli saapunut Suosaarenvastaanottokeskukseen hälytysvalmiudella maanantai iltana n 22.15.
Näyttää siltä että poliisit saivat vääränhälytyksen henkilöltä joka kenties halusi tehdä pilaa veronmaksajien kustannuksella.
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.
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?
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?
We have commented that President Donald Trump’s erratic and autocratic style may be a curse on the US but a blessing for Europe since his style may scare away potential voters who don’t want far-right politicians like Geert Wilders, Marine Le Pen, Frauke Petry, Jussi Halla-aho and others.
The latest news coming out of the White House is a direct attack against the First Amendment by barring the Guardian, New York Times, Politico, CNN and others from a press briefing.
If there is a party pooper in this year’s centenary celebrations it’ll be ourselves: the politicians, the urban tales, prejudices, racism and suspicion that has raised its head with ease in Finland as of late.
Like the United States under Donald Trump and post-Brexit Europe, Finland too has seen the rise of a hostile political force called populism. Like a cancer, it spreads scapegoating migrants and minorities. Populism always fails and ends in disaster because it offers simple unworkable solutions to complex problems. It’s like offering a terminally ill cancer patient aspirin to relieve the pain.
One of the official logos of Finland’s centenary celebrations.
What happens when a government and country starts to believe in its own prejudices? For one, it causes unneeded suffering on people.
Take for instance one of the government’s favorite justification for tightening immigration policy: pull factors like social welfare. But is that the real reason why asylum seekers come to Europe?
Studies have shown that it’s not the main cause. Many asylum seekers come from countries where there is no social welfare and therefore don’t have a clear idea what it is. If social welfare was the main pull factor, why do some migrants go to the United Kingdom, where there is lower social welfare than France which is more generous?
Want to know what real factors bring a fraction, yes a fraction, of asylum seekers to Europe. Check this video out by Migration Matters.
One of the most ignorant and populist claims parroted by some politicians is that asylum seekers should be taken care of in camps near their home countries. Interior Minister Risikko, who should know better, reinforced this misconception when she visited a Suomi Ensi gathering last week.
Deportations appear to be on the rise these days. Politically they help give bigoted and racist politicians clout among voters. President Donald Trump has a plan to deport millions of undocumented migrants from the United States and Europe is following the same path.
Since few will speak up for these people, who are some of the most vulnerable in society and comprise of real human beings, men, women and children, Migrant Tales* wants to share a video published in Austria to those who are threatened with deportation (see video below).
* Showing this video clip on our site is not an endorsement but should be seen as background information to understand the ordeal of forced deportations and how it may put people in harm’s way.
“Yalla, yalla” is a rude way of ordering people around like the English term “gofer,” or go for this or go for that. “Yalla, yalla” was one of the first words that the Finnish staff at asylum reception centers learned to use to order refugees to move along.
The conversation between a policeman and Iraqi asylum seeker who was presumably deported Thursday, revealed in crude fashion how the government of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä in general and Interior Minister Paula Risikko in particular pass the buck when it comes to putting people in harm’s way.
Since they don’t want to take any responsibility for the lives and fate of asylum seekers in Finland never mind their home countries, they too use the expression yalla, yalla when talking about immigration and asylum policy.
The asylum seeker on the recording is none other than “MS” who started to act unruly when he boarded a plane that was going to deport him on January 24 from Oulu in northern Finland. The captain said he would not take the asylum seeker on the flight.
After that incident, MS was taken to the Metsälä immigration removal center in Helsinki. The police officer, who sounds friendlier than the Arab-speaking woman interpreter, offers MS “400-500 euros” on his return to Baghdad if he doesn’t create a scene like the last time.
The pictures above were taken on January 24 by the asylum seeker.
