Tag: Finland

Finnish police allegedly “mislead” asylum seekers to sign their voluntary returns to Iraq

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales has learned but cannot confirm that the Finnish police service is “misleading” asylum seekers to return to Iraq voluntarily. 

“When an asylum seeker gets his second rejection he must go to the police to get the answer [from the district court],” said a source. “What they do now, after giving the decision, is to ask the asylum seeker to sign a document. The police don’t explain to the person what the document says [even if it states that the person agrees to return to Iraq voluntarily].”

The source added that some asylum seekers may sign the document as proof that they have received the decision from the district court while others have such a limited education background to understand fully what they are signing.

“This is really underhanded what the police is doing,” the source added.

  • ??? ?????? ????????? ????? “???????” ?????? ?????? ?????? ??? ?????? ??????? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ????

Che’s corner: Don’t turn into a racist!

Posted on by Migrant Tales

There is a fine line that separates patriotism from racism. Patriotism is love and devotion to one’s country. A sense of patriotism is any affiliation to the homeland and to work for its best interests of its people. Every person cares for his home and does everything possible to live and enjoy a decent life with his family.

The home is like a miniature nation where its inhabitants share with other people of his community and nation the same interests and suffering, crises that impact the whole country.

The sense of belonging to a group, to its geographic location, caring for its people and its interests ensure a better life for all of its inhabitants. We run into problems when some of these “patriots” put their personal and political interests before the interests of its people and deny others fleeing war from having a home in a secure country. At this moment, these “patriots” hide their racism and their extremist political views behind the mask of nationalism. Some go as far as to proclaim themselves as God’s chosen people.

These people, who are nothing more than “chosen” racists, endanger the lives and interests of all of their countrymen. In 2015, we saw a refugee crisis that worried and concerned all of us. We, along with other patriots, seriously seek credible solutions to the challenge before us. In doing so we can never forget our humanity for others.

The violence and wars that these displaced refugees face outside our borders affect all humanity as a whole. It is wrong to deny them shelter in our country. There are better solutions to resolving this challenge than turning into a racist.

 

 

Finnish Police detain fifth Iraqi asylum seeker in over two weeks they plan to deport

Posted on by Migrant Tales

We reported Saturday that an Iraqi asylum seeker in Oulu called MS was detained by the police on Friday.

Migrant Tales was contacted about the detention the following day. The detained man is an Iraqi and he has made a video stating the following:

This video cannot be accessed on this site. The one above is from Jan.
“My name is MS and I have been living in Oulu for a year and a few months. I got the second rejection on my application for asylum. Two weeks ago I contacted the lawyer who lodged an appeal [to the supreme administrative court on the district court decision]. Yesterday [Friday] the police came and asked me to pack all my clothes and took me to a prison cell. I called the lawyer who asked me to please wait till Sunday when a judge will make a decision on whether I will be deported to Iraq or not.” 
Migrant Tales will try to follow this story as closely as possible.

If you know of any asylum seeker that was detained by the police service and is going to be deported, please get in touch with us at [email protected].

?? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ??????? ?????? , ?????? ??????? ??? [email protected]

UPDATED May 10: Asylum seekers that are detained by the police service and face deportation from Finland

Posted on by Migrant Tales

We are concerned about the ever-oppressive immigration policy of Finland towards asylum seekers who are undocumented. We believe that the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) and the police service plan to deport many Iraqis and other refugees this year who have two rejections for asylum.  This job of rounding up and detaining asylum seekers and putting them in immigration removal centers like Metsälä in Helsinki is being carried out by Migri and the police service. It has the blessings of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s government.

Do deportations deter asylum seekers?

Finland has deported about 20,000 people to countries like Iraq and Afghanistan since 2011. Source: Yle.

Percentage of people that are deported after their request for asylum is turned down. Source: Yle.

Ninety  civil society organizations that attended the European Migration Forum on March 2-3 put out the following statement that question plans by the EU Commission to speed up and detain asylum seekers. They fear that the new measures will cause more harm and suffering. The joint statement reads:

“There is no evidence that immigration detention or forced removal has a deterrent effect, or is sustainable. Detention and forced returns are extremely harmful practices that have long-lasting severe physical and mental health impacts as well as high risks of suicide. Re-emigration rates among returnees are high and forced removal has not been shown to lower the migration aspirations of the communities where people are returned to.”

Since these vulnerable people aren’t supposed to have a name, Migrant Tales started to publish from January 2017 a list of people who are detained, deported or released by the police service. We depend on tip-offs by the public at large to update our list, which can alert different NGOs, human rights activists and the media about the people that Finland plans to deport this year.

If you know of any asylum seeker that was detained by the police service and who is going to be deported, please get in touch with us at [email protected].

?? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ??????? ?????? , ?????? ??????? ??? [email protected]

Stories published by Migrant Tales on the above-mentioned deportation cases

Continue reading “UPDATED May 10: Asylum seekers that are detained by the police service and face deportation from Finland”

Iraqi asylum seeker SH continues to be detained since January 6

Posted on by Migrant Tales

SH, the Iraqi asylum seeker who was detained by the police service on January 6 with KM and sent to the Metsälä detention center in Helsinki, is hopeful that he’ll be released next week. 

“A court said that there was no reason to keep me detained here,” he said over the phone. “It’s now up to Migri [the Finnish Immigration Service] to decide to release me.”

SH was employed at a bakery in Turku, which was very happy with his work.

It is incredible that a country like Finland, which claims to uphold human rights and Nordic values such a social equality, detains asylum seekers for over two weeks.

SH said that all he does at the detention center is to “go to the balcony to smoke” and “think about his situation.”

He said that he can sleep even if he feels sad and worried about his situation.

We hope that SH will be released from detention as soon as possible.

??? ?? ??? ????? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ??????

Posted on by Migrant Tales
??? ????? ?? ??????? ?????? ??????? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ????????? ???? ??? ?????? , ?? ???? , ???? ?????? ??????? ????? ???? ???????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?????
????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ???????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ????????? ???????? ???? ??? ??????
?? ????? ??? ??? ????? ???? , ?????? ??????? ????????? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ???????? ?? ???? ?????
??? ??? ?? ?????? ???????? ??? ?? ???? ???? : ??? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ????? ??? ???????? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ??????? ?????? ????, ?? ?? ??? ????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ???? ??? ?????? , ???? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??????? , ??????? ???????? ????? ??? ?????????
????? ???? ?? ?????? ??????? ????? ????? ?? ????? ?????????? ??? ??????? ??? ??????

“Ali” tells us what happens when a deported Iraqi lands at Baghdad International Airport

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales has learned from a source who is in touch with Ali, who was deported to Baghdad Wednesday that Iraq does accept people who refuse to go back despite what the Iraqi Ambassador to Finland, Matheel Dhayif Al-Sabti,  said that his country doesn’t accept forced deportations.

“So, now there is nothing that Finland can do anything to those people [whom they hope to deport],” Al-Sabti told Migrant Tales last week. “Do you know why? If they want to deport them they will have to put them not on commercial flights like Turkish Airlines, they’ll have to hire an airplane guarded by the police [and] put them by force in the airplane and send them to Baghdad.”

A selfie of Ali at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport Wednesday.

Ali’s case challenges what the ambassador affirms. True, the Iraqi government may not accept planeloads of deported Iraqis sent to the country but it does accept a few that fly back with other asylum seekers who are returning voluntarily.

Continue reading ““Ali” tells us what happens when a deported Iraqi lands at Baghdad International Airport”

January 6-18: Bittersweet days of despair and hope in the lives of four detained Iraqi asylum seekers in Finland

Posted on by Migrant Tales

We have had since January 6 the sad opportunity to witness closely four detentions and two deportations in Finland. There were two bright spots concerning the four asylum seekers: KM was released on Thursday last week and the deporation of another one, called SH, was halted . 

Even so, “Ali,” or AM, together with a 23-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker who was staying at the Jämsä reception center weren’t as lucky. Both were deported on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

All four of these people are asylum seekers who have two rejections for asylum in Finland. The first from the Finnish Immigration Service and the second one, an appeal, from the district court.

Below are some pictures that expose a harrowing story with real pictures and real people that the asylum seekers below took with their mobile phones.

What thoughts inhabit one’s mind when, after sacrificing everything to reach a new life in a new country that hasn’t seen war for over 60 years doesn’t want you here? How much do you anguish and for how long?

The first story we published was on KM and SH, who were detained by the police because they feared that they’d leave the country. The picture is a selfie inside a police squad van.

Another selfie of KM taken inside a police cell in Turku.

Two pictures of KM’s cell.

Continue reading “January 6-18: Bittersweet days of despair and hope in the lives of four detained Iraqi asylum seekers in Finland”

How Finland’s immigration and asylum policy turned from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde

Posted on by Migrant Tales

It’s clear that Finland’s immigration policy towards asylum seeker moves from one blunder to the next. Under Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s government immigration policy has been inefficient, expensive and, most importantly, inhumane and against our Nordic values.  

Where else could you read about a prime minister offering his home in September 2015 to asylum seekers and then making an about-turn in policy by turning these people into thousands of undocumented migrants? It is like a scene from the movie Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

 

This cartoon by Rabah Boussuira appeared in Strange Days, a book published in 1984 about Finland’s tough stand against migrants.

Populism is nothing more than offering simple answers to complex problems. This is why populist parties and politicians fail and let down their voters. They don’t have any sensible answers never mind a clue.

The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party is an unfortunate example of how populism and fascism have today a foothold in Finnish politics. They also stand to suffer a stinging defeat in the municipal elections of April 9.

Continue reading “How Finland’s immigration and asylum policy turned from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde”

UPDATE: Third Iraqi asylum seeker called “Ali” deported this afternoon

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales has learned that an asylum seeker who was detained after KM and SH and called “Ali” is being deported this afternoon to Iraq. The asylum seeker, who got two rejections, was staying at the Metsälä detention center in Helsinki. 

“The police came yesterday and told Ali that he’d be deported tomorrow [to Iraq], said a source. “The police came to get him at around 4:30 pm and they will deport him.”
UPDATE: Pictures taken this afternoon by “Ali” at the airport. 

Migrant Tales will report more on the case when it gets more information.