Our image of Finland to asylum seekers is too rosy and full of myths that expose ethnocentrism and hypocrisy

Posted on by Migrant Tales

As a sociologist, it’s interesting to note how Finland portrays itself to outsiders. One of these presentations is a three-part Beginners guide to Finland published by the Finnish Immigration Service (FIS).  Just like the populist catchphrase maassa maan tavalla, in Rome do as the Romans do, asylum seekers and migrants are being fed myths about ourselves. 

All of the claims made in the FIS presentation can be contested.

The first claim by FIS is that equality is important. I, for one, hope so but is this true? Are asylum seekers treated with equality and respect?

Another claim that FIS makes is that public officials like the police are “safe and reliable.”

The problem with that statement, which shows a medic and lawyer as well, is that asylum seekers have limited access to such public services. An asylum seeker can see a medic only in acute circumstances and lawyers only give limited advice.

We are hearing near-constantly troubling stories not only about the mistreatment of asylum seekers inside and outside reception centers but how easily the police locks them up in cells for many hours without telling them why never mind explaining their rights.

One of these cases was of an Iraqi who was locked up for 15 hours in a police cell for apparently protesting the very late payment of his monthly 92-euro allowance.

 

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The Finnish Immigration Service published for asylum seekers a beginner’s guide to Finland. See the whole guide here.

Continue reading “Our image of Finland to asylum seekers is too rosy and full of myths that expose ethnocentrism and hypocrisy”

Asylum seekers have exposed Europe’s schizophrenia and bigotry

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Nothing could depict better Europe’s schizophrenia and hypocrisy concerning asylum seekers than what happened recently in eastern Germany, where a building that was going to house them was ablaze and cheered by some onlookers, according to the BBC.

Writes the BBC:

The fire in the town of Bautzen [eastern Germany] in the early hours of Sunday morning destroyed the roof of a former hotel, which was being converted into a migrant shelter. Police said some of the crowd tried to prevent firefighters from extinguishing the blaze, which destroyed the roof.

Stanislaw Tillich, the premier of Saxony, described those that impeded firefighters and the police from doing their work as “criminals.”

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If that wasn’t enough to make you wonder, in Clasnitz we saw a frightened refugee boy crying as the passengers in the bus are jeered by neo-nazis.

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Defining white Finnish privilege #27: White versus Other media

Posted on by Migrant Tales

On occasions Migrant Tales, the Other media, does investigative journalism. When we do such type of investigative reporting it’s because there is a big story that needs to be told. One of these big stories that we scooped was on Luona, a private company that treats asylum seekers badly and profits off them.  

Certainly good and reliable sources are important when doing investigative journalism. One matter that I have learned is that if you are going to break a big story, you have to make sure that your facts are right.

In Colombia, where I worked as bureau chief for Bridge News (1998-2000), I not only had to worry about verifying sensitive information but making sure that my sources didn’t get fired from work, or killed.

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Luona’s web page claims that it strives to take into account the person’s background, special needs, and dignity.

The Finnish media, like any other Western media, is a powerful institution of those that have entitlement.

I approached Helsingin Sanomat before publishing the scoop about Luona in Migrant Tales.

Despite Helsingin Sanomat’s refusal, Suomen Kuvalehti in January, and this month YLE and tabloids such as Iltalehti have given wide coverage to how poorly asylum seekers are treated at Luona’s reception centers.

Even Helsingin Sanomat wrote a story about it in February.

Too many stories about the scandalous treatment of asylum seekers at Luona give, however, the benefit of the doubt to give the company.

Why?

Definition #27

Because Luona and the Finnish media have entitlement over asylum seekers and Migrant Tales.

Since we are the Other media in Finland we don’t have power. Since we don’t have power what we write doesn’t interest large dailies like Helsingin Sanomat even if they should.

The job of the white Finnis media is to ensure that power remains in the hands of those that have entitlement.

Even if we still don’t have a strong enough voice in Finland we do have one, which is growing every day thanks to our culturally and ethnically diverse community, which is growing in numbers every day.

 

See also:

Racism Review: Debunking white supremacy

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Tim McGettigan*

(image source)

The United States has always been a white supremacy that masquerades as a democracy. For white racists those are fighting words. How dare anyone cast aspersions on the motives of America’s founding fathers? For shame.

Describing the US as a white supremacy isn’t an ad hominem attack. It is simply a statement of fact. The only people in the room when the founders mapped out the contours of American democracy were greedy white guys. Is it any wonder that the only people who have enjoyed unrestricted access to American democracy throughout its history are greedy white guys?

(image source)

Women and people of color have always been on the outside looking in. The costs of being an outsider have been astronomical. America’s greedy white guys paved the way for continent-wide genocide and property theft — and every other person of color as persona non grata. Should anyone dispute America’s favoritism for white guys, I refer you to the Naturalization Act of 1790.

Continue reading “Racism Review: Debunking white supremacy”

Luona claims that it has zero tolerance for racism but can you teach a racist dog new tricks?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

General manager Milja Saksi of Luona, a private company that operates eight asylum reception centers in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, and Hyvinkää, claims to have taken necessary steps to address the racist treatment of  its asylum seekers, according to YLE.  

“We don’t permit racist or inappropriate behavior [from our staff] towards asylum seekers,” said Saksi. “We have made personnel changes if people aren’t suitable to work at our reception centers.”

Certainly the million-euro unconfirmed question is what has Luona done to turn in a new leaf?

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Read full story here.

Member of the Louna board, National Coalition Party MP Sanna Lauslahti, gives us the same assurances as Saksi, who assures us that the company has “zero tolerance for racism.”

“Ethical standards are very important for our board, for example, we don’t budge an inch on human rights” she was quoted as saying in Iltalehti. ”

Luona, which houses 3,000 asylum seekers, has been under media scrutiny in February for the humiliating and racist treatment of its asylum seekers.

The abusive treatment that some asylum seekers endure at Luona’s reception centers is so abusive that some claim the first word they learned in Finnish is vittu , or f**k.

The cuss word vittu is commonly used by employees and security guards at Luona when addressing asylum seekers. They are addressed as vittu pakolaisia, or f**king refugees.

Continue reading “Luona claims that it has zero tolerance for racism but can you teach a racist dog new tricks?”

Police study on immigration paints a threatening and bleak picture of Finland’s ever-growing culturally diverse society

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Weird things happen when an anti-immigration party like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* get power and partner with two other mainstream parties, the Center Party and National Coalition Party (NCP), which have done too little to tackle racism and discrimination in Finland.  One of the many things that can happen is a study, “Immigration, Security and Foresight,”  published with the blessings of the council of state. 

The council of state, which is the body that directs the Finnish government and which commissioned the above study from the Police University College of Finland, paints a bleak picture of our country’s ever-growing culturally diverse society by exaggerating and blaming migrants for high crime rates, future riots, and social unrest.

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Read full report here.

Two of the people that authored this work stated in December that attempts by anarchists to silence neo-Nazis on independence day and the plunge in the polls of the Perussuomalaiset party “show how much in crisis [Finnish] democracy is.” 

Is democracy in crisis if people oppose neo-Nazi groups marching in downtown Helsinki or if we see support in the polls plummet for a populist anti-immigration party?

Some, like Christian Thibault, executive director of Liikkukaa – Sports for All, believe that some parts of the study reinforce what anti-racism groups have been saying all along: the integration program doesn’t work and requires more funds and attention.

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Never underestimate – even in Finland – the power of the word and fearless investigative journalism

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The power of the word and fearless investigative journalism does pay off even in countries like Finland. Today YLE published a big story about the abuses and poor treatment that asylum seekers get at the reception centers run by Luona, a private company.

Many of the claims made in the story below were published by Migrant Tales last month and got wide attention.

Some of the ordeals that asylum seekers face at some reception center in Finland, and particularly in those run by Luona, are unqualified staff, profit-hungry owners, racism, poor food, crowded quarters, insufficient medical treatment, among others.

Why aren’t other newspapers like Helsingin Sanomat interested in the plight of asylum seekers?

Even if the Finnish Immigration Service (FIS) said it will start to put under greater scrutiny how asylum centers are run in Finland, the question is why hasn’t it done this before?

Part of the answer to that question is a semi-dormant media, politicians and public that is more interested in finding ways to deport these people than to treat them with dignity while they are in Finland.

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Read full story (in Finnish) here.

Recent stories by Migrant Tales on Luona:

Iraqi asylum seeker: The first Finnish word I learned was “vittu” (14.2)

How the Finnish Immigration Service’s fast-track scheme will deport thousands of asylum seekers from Finland in 2006 (13.2)

Why are so many Iraqi asylum seekers abandoning Finland? (13.2)

Does Luona treat asylum seekers with dignity or as livestock? (29.1)

BOX STORY: Mohammed Saleh Muhsin (29.1)

Was the death of an Afghani asylum seeker due to negligence? (28.1)

Does Finland treat asylum seekers with dignity or as livestock? (22.1)

 

 

Tighter family reunification laws spearheaded by the PS with the government’s blessing are an example of the Denmarkization of Finland

Posted on by Migrant Tales

It’s a good matter that government plans to tighten family reunification guidelines have met a stormy reception. We all know that the Perussuomalasiet (PS)*, who base their popularity on anti-immigration rhetoric, are spearheading new tighter guidelines based on the Danish model that aims to make family reunification much harder.

Denmark is the most hostile country towards migrants in the Nordic region and where the PS is a close ideological ally of the Islamophobic Danish People’s Party.

New family reunification guidelines will end up hurting Finland more than benefiting it because it will be another sign that we are an unfriendly country for immigrants. Not only will asylum seekers stay clear of Finland but skilled labor and foreign investors.

When speaking of family reunification why hasn’t the media used the Finns, who emigrated to North America before World War II, as a positive example of the latter? When a Finn moved to the New World he not only brought his wife and kids but his relatives, neighbors and friends as well.

Why did they do this?

Because it was important for them to shed roots in their new homeland. It was easier with the help of the family and friends.

It’s clear that parties like the PS, Center Party and NCP don’t want immigrants to shed too strong roots in Finland. The tightening of family reunification guidelines is clear proof of the latter.

 

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Read full story (in Finnish) here.

Continue reading “Tighter family reunification laws spearheaded by the PS with the government’s blessing are an example of the Denmarkization of Finland”

Iraqi asylum seeker: The first Finnish word I learned was “vittu”

Posted on by Migrant Tales

It’s a Sunday and we’re at a fast-food Middle Eastern restaurant in the heart of Helsinki. I have an appointment with a twenty-six-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker who came to Finland in September via Tornio and who is staying at one of Luona’s asylum reception centers. Like many who have the misfortune of staying at a reception center run by Luona, he too isn’t happy about the poor and humiliating treatment he’s getting.

Apart from traumas left by the violence in his country and the long journey to Finland, which hinges on a residence permit, the treatment he gets at Luona’s reception center only exacerbates his ordeal.

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“I made a big mistake coming to Finland and I’m disappointed and feel mentally sick by the situation,” said the Iraqi asylum seeker. Photo by Enrique Tessieri.

Mostafa* speaks:

“We are treated in a racist manner and like animals by Luona. In the first reception center I stayed at (managed by Luona) we were 10-12 asylum seekers in each room. We slept on the floor. People were forced to wear dirty clothes because there was only one washing machine for the whole center. The food that is served is horrible. It isn’t eatable and we don’t trust it. Even if the employees ensure us there’s no pork we can’t trust what they say. [Luona has accidentally served pork twice to asylum seekers].

Continue reading “Iraqi asylum seeker: The first Finnish word I learned was “vittu””

Why are so many Iraqi asylum seekers abandoning Finland?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

According to some sources, a large number of asylum seekers amounting to about 4,000 had abandoned plans to seek asylum in Finland. Considering that two-thirds of the Iraqis that came to Finland last year are young single men, it’s nothing odd that some are returning. 

In my own research of the Finns that colonized Argentina in 1906, 75% of those first settlers were single men. When the going got exceptionally tough the first to abandon the colony were single men. Those who stayed on were families.

Certainly the circumstances of leaving Finland in 1906 and Iraq in 2015 are vastly different. Iraq is a country that was invaded by the United States and its allies in 2003 and has ever since been absorbed in a vicious spiral of violence that has cost hundreds of thousands of deaths, according to some estimates.

Another factor that is forcing some Iraqis to return to their home country is the poor treatment and hostility they are getting. One asylum seeker said: “I’d rather die in my home country with dignity than suffer humiliation and a slow death in Finland.”

Some sources believe that those that are returning back to Iraq are making life difficult for those who are seeking asylum.

“There are cases were part of a family has returned back to Iraq while the other family members decided to stay in Finland,” a source said. “This erodes the cases of those that stay since Migri can claim to them that if some are returning it means that there’s no danger.”

Presently there is a refugee camp near the airport run by Luona where people are being flown back or deported weekly to countries like Iraq. If asylum seekers haven’t got a taste of how poorly Luona treats refugees, they will get a taste of it here.

Those asylum seekers that arrived in August are now getting their residence permit decisions from the Finnish Immigration Service, according to a source contacted by Migrant Tales.