The December issue of the Foreign Student gave readers information about the ever-growing immigrant movement, which aims to improve foreigner rights in Finland. A seminar, which took place in Tampere, was attended by different political parties and officials of the interior ministry and religious groups. “In addition to the seminar’s resolutions, the [political] parties received…
Tag: Human Rights
Foreign Student: November 1981
Club members had the opportunity to read in the Foreign Student the Foreign Student Club’s newly elected Chairperson Fadi Krikorian’s views on the club’s direction. After thanking the previous board for their good work, Fadi said that the prospects of the club are good. “…tradition programmes such as international evenings will continue, there will be…
Foreign Student: September 1981
After a three-month summer break, the September issue of the Foreign Student came out and wished all the members welcome back and gave them a heads-up about the Foreign Students Club’s 15th anniversary celebrations in October. Vice chairperson Alexandr Sannemann wrote that in Finland there is a lot of room for improvement concerning foreigner rights….
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…
Media Monitoring Group of Finland*: HS can and should do a better job when reporting on Riikka Purra
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party chairperson, Riikka Purra, has actively promoted her racist talking points. Some of these are the far-right great replacement theory and, most recently, her party’s aim to exclude non-Finnish citizens from getting social welfare. While such a suggestion may appear for now a political stunt to lure voters, Purra’s suggestion is outrageous, to…
Hate speech and attacks against the Sámi of Finland are a warning to other minorities of the hostile environment
The hate speech targeted at Sámi activists like Petra Laiti and Janne Hirvasvuopio by MPs from the Center Party and others is a stark reminder of the racism inflicting Finland. Suppose the Sámi, the original inhabitants of Finland, have no right to self-determination. What does this say about other minorities who want to practice and maintain their culture in…
Blast from the past: A call to demonstrate in 1982
It’s been over 40 years since a group of foreigners and Finns organized a demonstration from the Porthania’s University of Helsinki to the steps of parliament. It happened on a Tuesday, 19 October, and it was a very cold day. For further reading: Culturally diverse Finland has a history. These were the statements we put…
How long will our good will and patience last while millions of Ukrainian seek refuge in the EU?
On Tuesday, 2.011 million refugees have fled Ukraine since February 24, according to the UNHCR. Some sources speculate that up to 4 million refugees may flee the war in Ukraine. In light of Europe’s bleak history and the worst human rights abuses, atrocities, and wars in all of history, one wonders how long our goodwill lasts. The…
If Finland believes in its laws, it must give residence permits to undocumented migrants
The ministry of interior published on Thursday its recommendations on what to do with some 3,000 undocumented migrants who came to Finland in 2015-2016. Of this group, about 300 are children living in legal limbo thanks to a 2016 law that abolished granting residence permits on humanitarian grounds. The number of undocumented migrants rose from…
Bye-bye Inger Støjberg, something is not always rotten in Denmark
Former Danish immigration and integration minister, Inger Støjberg, was convicted to 60 days in prison for illegally separating asylum-seeking couples if the partner was under 18, reports Euronews. An uncompromising Islamophobic hardliner who served as minister during 2005-2019 was also responsible for passing a law that required asylum seekers to hand over valuables like jewelry…