In a short interview on A-Studio Monday, the new party secretary of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) reinforced her anti-immigration stance. “I’m not annoyed by anything concerning immigration,” said PS secretary Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo, “but extremely concerned about the immigration policy we pursue in Finland.”
Don’t be fooled, the PS’ new party secretary, Riikka SLunga-Poutsalo, is in the same anti-immigration extremist camp like Jussi Halla-aho and James Hirvisaari.
It’s unfortunate that the YLE journalist didn’t press her on what she meant by “extremely concerned about immigration policy.”
If he did, Slunga-Poutsalo’s far right anti-immigration colors would have stood a better chance of being exposed. As everyone knows, immigration policy is used by anti-immigration pundits to drive home their xenophobic views.
Compared with other European countries never mind neighboring Sweden, Finland is a non-destination for refugees never mind immigrants. Claiming that you are “extremely concerned” about immigration policy is fear-mongering.
But what worries Slunga-Poutsalo so much about our immigration policy anyway? The answer is easy: She doesn’t want Africans, Muslims and non-EU citizens moving to Finland because that means greater cultural diversity.
Her view of what kinds of immigrants should move to Finland is in line with the far right Danish People’s Party and their Euro MP Morten Messerschmidt, who spoke at their party congress on June 29-30:
“I think we need three sets of rules of immigration. One for Europeans, who will be regulated by EU-law. One for people from the rest of the Western World, including parts of East Asia, South America, etc. And then a third set of rules for the third world, who in general do not really offer anything we can benefit from…”
Slunga-Poutsalo sounded on A-Talk like PS MP Olli Immonen, especially when she spoke of her fear of ghettos.
In all truth, she doesn’t care about the plight of immigrants in Finland never mind if their children live in so-called ghettos. What she’s worried about is Finland’s ever-growing cultural diversity.
In the language of anti-immigration groups, “ghetto” is a byword for too many immigrants concentrated in one area. Would we call a white neighborhood a ghetto? What about Little China or Little Scandinavia?
I seriously doubt that immigrants, especially Africans and Muslims, will ever get any sympathy from Slunga-Poutsalo. They should therefore treat all of her comments with a generous pinch of salt and tweezers. Her track record on immigration can be clearly seen from the Nuiva Manifesto, which she signed together with other PS anti-immigration extremists. Her mandate is clear: undermine and harm immigrants and visible minorities as much as possible.
How will Slunga-Poutsalo do this? By driving home the point that immigration is a threat to Finland.
One comment she made did reveal her true anti-immigration colors. She said that convicted immigrants should be deported. That is a favorite position of far right anti-immigration groups who constantly criticize immigration policy.