Even though Finland has been generous about investing on language- and culture-training course for immigrants, one should rightfully ask if the money is being spent effectively. Why is there still high unemployment among immigrants in Finland if we are spending hefty summs of tax-payers money on these types of courses?
Tag: Immigration to Finland
Immigration does and must work for Finland
Some of the bloggers who visit this site believe that multiculturalism in a demographic sense is a failed project. Just because immigration has been a part of humanity since the dawn of time, some insist that a country with lots of immigrants are failed states, pointing to countries such as the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and others.
First demonstrations by foreigners in Finland
When was the first time that immigrants demonstrated for greater rights in Finland? Two major demonstrations by non-Finns took place in 1974 and 1982. The first one was by some 50 Pakistanis who marched from Turku to Helsinki because they were going to be deported by the authorities after they came with expectations of finding work in Finland.
The building of Finnish national identity within a multicultural society
One of the matters that some Finns who read the many comments in this blog should try to understand is that cultural diversity or multiculturalism should not be perceived as a threat but as an opportunity. For some Finns, who see foreigners as a threat to our culture, this fear can be best explained through…
What does Obama’s victory mean for Finland?
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Martin Luther King One of the surprising matters of the US presidential elections was not that a black American was…
A futuristic solution to the integration of foreigners in Finland
Owing to the recalcitrant attitude of some readers of this blog that foreigners are a threat to Finland and that they should throw away their culture and embrace Finnish ways and life, for them I would like to propose a futuristic model of integration. Finnish technology firms should start thinking about investing time in building…
Kauhajoki, Finland, killer — the darker side of a man
The fatal shooting of 10 classmates by Matti J. Saari, 22, in Kauhajoki in western Finland came as a shock. It was only in November that another young Finnish man went on the rampage in Jokela and killed and injured a number of his classmates. Certainly a lot of questions clamor for an answer: Why?…
Finland’s difficult quest for foreign laborers
In a recent article in the London Financial Times. there is an article about how Finland is aiming to become a magnet for foreign laborers. While this is understandable, taking into account Finland’s aging population and the shortage of workers in some sectors of the economy, the country’s policy makers still have a lot of…
Finland of Mayberry syndrome
Mayberry used to be an imaginary town in North Carolina where the 1960s sitcom called The Andy Griffith Show took place. In this make-believe town and world, life was simple, traditional values were cherished, and people respected and cared for each other. There were two sitcoms during that decade that portrayed the same world view…
Being an immigrant in Finland: A letter from Ida
I do not usually do this. But I thought it was such a candid comment that I had to bring it to all of your attention. It reveals, in my opinion, what some foreigners feel about Finnish society but do not dare to say too loudly in public. Thank you Ida, I hope others follow…