Tag: Denmark

guardian.co.uk: While the European left dithers, the right marches menacingly on

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: There are many factors that are fueling the rise of nativist right-wing populist parties in Europe. One of these is the global economic recession after September 2008, which was triggered by the bankruptcy of US banking group Lehman Brothers. Another factor has been the lack of any effective opposition to a message that aims to polarize society further.

The rise of xenophobia in Finland, for example, has been fueled by the Perussuomalaiset and little to no opposition by the media to their xenophobic message, according to a doctoral dissertation by Camila Haavisto.

Wilt Hutton’s column below attempts to answer the main challenges facing Europe on the right-wing populist front. He writes: “The trouble is that the longer the left’s response is confused, the more the populist right has begun to make anti-immigrant attitudes culturally acceptable (in Europe).”

Probably the first question we should ask is why the message of right-wing populist parties, which the PS is a part of, are unacceptable in today’s Europe?

Like much of the ongoing debate, your view depends on where you stand: Are you a target or the one attacking immigrants? Are you white or black? Muslim or Christian?

How do you think Europeans should address the right-wing populist message and challenge?

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Wilt Hutton

Immigration: The longer the left’s response is confused, the more the populist right begins to make xenophobia acceptable.  It is hard not to be very uneasy. Every month, there is another milestone passed in the ever onward march of Europe’s populist, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, nativist right.

Read whole story.

Here is a comprehensive story by HBL (in Swedish) on the rise of right-wing populism in Europe.

Spiegel Online International: Strict Immigration Laws ‘Save Denmark Billions’

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: This story below, published by German news magazine Der Spiegel, shows the never-ending arguments and excuses that the Islamophobic Danish People’s Party (DPP) will use to justify its hardline immigration stance. The DPP is of special interest to us because Perussuomalaiset anti-immigration hardliners like Jussi Halla-aho believe that Finland should follow Denmark’s path.

Denmark, which has the most restrictive immigration laws in Europe, now tries to tell us that such a policy is justified because it has brought savings in the last years to the tune of 6.7 billion euros. I wonder if they will ever put out a report on how much the country has lost due to draconian immigration policies.

Would you invest in a country that is especially hostile to non-Western immigrants?

The report was published by the integration ministry under anti-immigration hardliner, Søren Pind.

DPP leader Pia Kjærsgaard, who is known for her provocative statements, said that the report showed that Somalians are “no good for anything” and “that is simply not acceptable.”

The saddest matter in Denmark is that there is presently a stalemate due to the anti-immigration policies of the DPP. Even if they plan to tighten even more immigration policy because the country will hold elections this year, it appears that building a high wall around Denmark is the DPP’s only answer on how deal with immigrants.

Here is another interesting story on the DPP in Copenhagen-based daily Politiken in which the Social Liberals have refused any further tightening of immigration laws.  Read “No to Circus Kjærsgaard.”

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By Anna Reimann

Denmark’s strict immigration laws have saved the country 6.7 billion euros, a government report has claimed. Even though Denmark already has some of the toughest immigration laws in Europe, right-wing populist politicians are now trying to make them even more restrictive.

Read whole story.

El País: El ocaso de la tolerancia nórdica

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Here is story published Sunday by El País of Madrid on how the Nordic countries of Denmark, Sweden and Finland have given ground to “far-right and populist” parties. The article, authored by Ana Carbajosa and Adrián Soto, who has lived in Finland for over thirty-five years, shows special concern over the last election in Finland.

Writes El País: “The last big (election) victory and which was probably more surprising was that of the Perussuomalaiset (the article translates the Finnish name of the party to Auténticos Finlandeses, or authentic Finns) who got two weeks ago 19% of the votes, or seven times more than in the last election (of 2007). Some analysts attribute the victory to the charismatic leader of the party, EuroMP Timo Soini.”

Could parties like the Perussuomalaiset, Danish People’s Party and Sweden Democrats mentioned in the El País story be knee-jerk reactions by some sectors of society to the rapid changes taking place in these countries due to globalization?

What is lamentable about these parties is that their responses are angry reactions with the usual round of anti-EU, anti-immigration and anti-Islam sentiment. Their hostility and nationalism only aggravates the problem.

Do you agree?

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Adrián Soto y Ana Carbajosa

La victoria electoral de los Auténticos Finlandeses ha supuesto una pequeña revolución en el país nórdico, pero sobre todo ha hecho saltar todas las alarmas en una región en la que hasta hace bien poco era casi impensable escuchar argumentos tan extremistas como los que ahora circulan por los Parlamentos nacionales de la zona. Los partidos de extrema derecha y populistas nórdicos ya no pueden ser ignorados porque les respalda una parte del electorado nada despreciable. En Finlandia y en Dinamarca han sido la tercera fuerza más votada. En Suecia han aflorado de la semioscuridad y han entrado en la cámara parlamentaria.

Pinche aquí para seguir leyendo.

Finland election: Flirting with isolationism and xenophobia

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

In our neck of the woods in the Nordic region, ultra-nationalistic and xenophobic parties have made their mark in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and most likely now in Finland on Sunday when the True Finns are expected to score a historic victory. Will the election embolden other xenophobic parties in this region and Europe? Will it send shock ripples in the EU?

It’s pretty doubtful that parties like the True Finns have any answer to those questions because they base much of their rhetoric on populism and denial. Since Finns are the biggest per-capita coffee drinkers in the world, a good example of our populism would be adding salt to sour coffee in order to make it taste better.

Instead of solving our problems, a large group of voters have preferred to sprinkle the salt of isolationism and xenophobia on our reality.

Depending on the scale of the True Finns’ victory, the next thing we may see after Sunday’s election will be a stream of far-right party leaders flocking to Finland from the Danish People’s Party, Sweden Democrats, British National Party, Jobbik of Hungary and none other than Geert Wilders of the Isalmophobic Dutch People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy.

Are we afraid of these twenty-first century fanatics? Not at all because their example have shown us that xenophobia and racism have not been nipped in the bud in Europe.

Even though the True Finns may score a big victory on Sunday, they will not be a majority. That majority comprises of sensible Finns who are not lured by xenophobia, isolationism and corny political soundbites from True Finns’ chairman Timo Soini.

Xenophobia and ignorance are curable social diseases.

The original link was taken down.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOgc5WH0yW4]

However, here’s the latest one:

I apologize for the racist and provocative content of this campaign ad by Jussi Halla-aho and Teemu Lahtinen, both of which are running for the True Finns and are members of the far-right Suomen Sisu association. Apart from being xenophobic, the turban worn by the potato appears to be Indian. Is this against Indian IT-immigrants or some legal loophole? Both Halla-aho and Lahtinen reveal their shameful ignorance on a grand scale. Here is a video showing Lahtinen at a far-right march in France.

BBC: Danish immigration minister Hornbech fired over scandal

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Here is an interesting story from Denmark reporting that Immigration Minister Birthe Roenn Hornbech had been fired from her job for not only illegally refusing citizenship to a group of Palestinians born there, but not informing parliament immediately of such a mistake, reports the BBC.

Writes Yahoo News: “Hornbech’s refugees, immigration and integration portfolio was handed over to Development Cooperation Minister Soeren Pind, who is considered a hardliner on the immigration issue.  In one of his first statements after his nomination, Pind described the UN convention that sent his predecessor packing as ‘stupid.'”

Some Finnish politicians from the True Finns are hoping that they will hold the same power as the populist and xenophobic Danish People’s Party (DPP) led by Pia Kjaersgaard. Denmark’s Liberal-Conservative coalition government has relied on the support of the DPP to stay in power in exchange for tightened immigration and citizenship laws.

Even though the majority of Danes do not back the DPP, Denmark is a sad case how Islamophobia can grip a small nation. Denmark is the biggest loser of such a mistaken policy because it creates an inclusive and unequal society.

Do you agree?

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Denmark’s Immigration Minister Birthe Roenn Hornbech has been sacked after 36 stateless Palestinians were wrongly refused citizenship.

To continue reading click here.

BBC: Do Denmark’s immigration laws breach human rights?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Denmark has tightened its immigration and integration laws an umpteenth time, according to the BBC.  The Danish case is a cause for concern since it may involve a breach in human rights and EU laws.  The political power balance is held by the far-right Danish People’s Party, who have voted for legislation in return that the government tightens immigration laws.

The question to ask about Denmark is what is the end-game? Will immigrants embrace Danish society when the country’s laws are hostile to this group of people? Does it promote inclusion?  Does it create the groundwork for a new healthy generation of Danes of  different ethnic backgrounds?

If you asked DPP’s Pia Kjaersgaard she’d probably tell you to go fly a kite.

Two important matters are at play with respect to the rise of far-right parties in Europe: the so-called war on terror waged by former President George W. Bush after 9/11 and the financial meltdown of September 2008.

Some see strong anti-immigration sentiment in Denmark as a blow to the country’s image. Can we speak of Denmark being a liberal, enlightened Nordic welfare state?  Probably the correct description would be reactive, far-right and populist at least when it comes to immigration.

Do you agree?

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By Chris Bowlby, BBC Radio 4

Critics of Denmark’s tightening rules on immigration and integration say the country is violating European norms, including human rights legislation. How much has Denmark’s approach to these issues been transformed under pressure from a right-wing populist party?

To keep on reading click here.

 

Can Finland deal with the challenge of immigration?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Some claim that Finland is at an important juncture concerning immigration and its role in our society. There are already clear signs that the Finns want to deal with this challenge in a civil manner without the usual dose of  fear-mongering and nationalistic bravado.

How can I make such a claim? Because Finns from all walks of life want to make immigration work.

Even if the anti-immigration True Finns win a few percentage points in the next election, it will not be enough to turn them into a major party. Their xenophobic views of the world are only shared by a minority in this country.

One of the most interesting matters worth pointing out  is that for the first time in our history we are debating and challenging  racism openly. By debating this social ill we are also giving the thumbs down to a minority of Finns that want to take the country down the same questionable path like Denmark and the Netherlands.

Those that are not buying the anti-immigration rhetoric are giving the following message: Finland is independent and self-reliant to deal with immigration in positive and effective ways.

The biggest losers in the next elections will be those that use immigration as a scapegoat for all of our woes and opportunistic tool to win over votes. Even if a few get into parliament, there will never be enough of them to have a simple majority never mind two-thirds majority in the Eduskunta (Parliament).

Finns are pretty intelligent and have learned how to survive during trying times before. Spreading hatred and revenge as a justification to attack another country or group never worked, even if some want to take us down that path again.

Finland: A taste of one’s medicine

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Can an immigration policy of country take us on the right societal path if it hinges on suspicion of other groups? With the April 2011 elections nearing, some are asking if a big election victory for the anti-immigration True Finns will take us down the same questionable path as Denmark, which has the tightest immigration controls in the European Union.

Does Finland have the potential of turning into a Denmark? Wandering down such a path would be a perilous mistake because basing an immigration policy solely to exclude one group would lay down the foundations for failure.

In many respects the rise of xenophobia in Finland is self-inflicted. While great improvements have been made in teaching and accepting cultural diversity at schools, racist views of other cultures and ethnic groups still prevail because they were/are actively promoted.

This picture (apologies for the racist content) which was used before in books to teach children to  claims: The Negro washes his face but it does not whiten at all.

There are many sad examples of how racist ideas have entered the minds of Finns from the backdoor. Here is an excerpt from a book on “European races”* published in 1929 by Professor Rolf Nordenstreng:

You cannot expect exceptional children from a Gypsy horse thief and a light-minded Negro wife; but I have heard that French fur traders, who were excellent men that took as wives the Indian chiefs’ daughters, bred splendid children…*

Unfortunately, too many in Finland and Europe still see other cultures with the help of antiquated and racist concepts taught not too long ago. If we do not study today directly Nordenstreng or one of the eugenics master minds of Nazi racial policy, Eugen Fischer, their ludicrous claims of “different races” still live deep inside some of us.

Education, therefore, has to and must play a key role in how we model new Finns irrespective of their background to be the defenders of our values.  If we do not face racism and grab it by the horns, our xenophobia will always be self-inflicted and destructive.

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* Rolf Nordenstreng: “Euroopan ihmisrodut ja kansat.” Kustannusosakeyhtiö Kirja. Helsinki 1929. p. 48. The original Finnish text reads: Mustalainen hevosvarkaan ja heikkomielisen neekerivaimon lapsista ei voi odottaa juuri erinomiaisia; mutta olen kuullut sanottavan, että ranskalaiset turkismetsästäjät, jotka olivat oivia poikia ja ottivat vaimoikseen intiaanipäälliköiden tyttäriä, saivat mainioita jälkeläisiä.