The January 1982 issue of the Foreign Student was the last newsletter that came out. The newsletter did not shy away from controversy, but the last issue was too much for some. The Foreign Student got itself in trouble with the newly elected president of the club, Fadi Kriokorian, who wanted less controversial stories published. In protest, the…
Foreign Student: Summer 1981
If the April issue was the longest with 12 pages, then the summer issue was the shortest Foreign Student with only four pages. Apart from wishing everyone a good summer and thanking the activism of its members, the Foreign Student expressed disappointed with those who did not speak out. “The past club year has been…
Foreign Student: April 1981
The April 1981 issue of the Foreign Student marks an important turning point where the Foreign Students Club openly calls for better rights for foreigners. The front page picture, with two band-aids covering a Lux commercial woman’s mouth, was Enrique Tessieri’s and Alex Sannemann’s idea. The newsletter did not hide its intention either. On the…
The Finnish youth gang “problem” is a monster concocted by the radical right
What drives the government, particularly Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen of Perussuomalaiset (PS), to give utmost attention and tackle the issue of youth street gangs? Is it a sincere attempt tosolve such a social problem, or an opportunity to further victimize migrants and minorities in Finland? The assertion isn’t far-fetched. The PS is historically…
Foreign Student: May 1981
In the May 1981 issue, the Foreign Student continued to mirror the activism of some of the Foreign Students Club’s members against Finland’s arbitrary and unjust treatment of foreigners. The newsletter reported on the Mayday petition, which received over 500 signatures demanding basic human rights for foreigners. “If unity creates strength, don’t whisper anymore,” wrote…
Foreign Student: March 1981
Migrant Tales will publish all of the eleven issues of the Foreign Student, the newsletter of the Foreign Students Club of Helsinki. The March 1981 issue continued to test the waters by speaking out for foreigners’ rights. Writes the Foreign Student: “Foreigners in Finland are taking a new stand concerning their rights here. All of us are asking: why…
Foreign Student: February 1981
The February 1981 issue was the second of eleven newsletters that came out. The Foreign Student played an important role in giving migrants a voice during a period when foreigners were supposed to remain quiet about their civil rights. Published in 1981, I wouldn’t have used today words like “Gypsy” and “Lapp” to refer to…
Foreign Student: January 1981
Migrant Tales will begin to publish the Foreign Student, the newsletter of the Foreign Students Club of Helsinki. The January 1981 issue was the first newsletter, which came out 11 times until January 1982. The Foreign Student played an important role in giving migrants a voice during a period when foreigners were supposed to remain…
The “Denmarkization” of Finland’s immigration and asylum policy
The Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party has had a long love affair with Denmark’s anti-Muslim immigration policy, one of the toughest in Europe. With loaded guns in government, the PS must be happy that they can adopt, with the blessings of National Coalition Party (NCP) Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and the two minor coalition partners, the…
Movies like Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border” are needed more than ever today
Thanks to Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border” we can now get a terrific glimpse of the suffering of asylum seekers who were used as political pawns by Belarus and Poland. Since it would have been impossible to film the movie in Belarus or Poland, Holland created a movie with actors to debict these people’s suffering. Writes…