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…
Tag: immigration
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…
Is the sauna a good integrator?
If a person asked me what is one of the most important cultural institutions enjoyed by a great number of Finns, I’d respond: the sauna. The sauna is more than a room where people bathe and sweat naked in 80-100 Celsius (176-212 Fahrenheit) temperatures. It’s a way of life for some Finns – so much…
The aim of the Migrant Tales blog
Owing to the traffic that this blog has generated, I have decided on the following code of conduct: 1) This is NOT a forum to further the mistaken causes of racism, xenophobia, cultural nationalism and stereotypes of ANY group irrespective of their background, nationality and/or creed. 2) The blog aims to become a forum that…
Placing Finnish immigration policy on an effective path
I never thought that a few posts trying to look at such an issue like discrimination in Finland could inflame debate. If anything, it shows that there is a problem in this area. I have lived long enough in Finland and studied its culture since a child to know the challenges facing this country. If…
The Finnish integration model that is doomed to fail
Ever since I moved to Finland thirty years ago, I have watched how immigration officials and their planners have attempted to deal with foreigners. When I came to Finland in the late- 1970s, there were so few outsiders living in the country that some sociologists like Heikki Waris claimed that there was no racism as…
Some good advice about Finnish culture
Some people who move to Finland for the first time may suffer from a generous dose of culture shock like in any country. In the thirty years that I have lived in Finland on and off, the best advice I can give you and the Finns is the following: What is normal in your culture…
Foreigners will help Finns see who they are
My father, who moved to Europe from Argentina at the age of 21in the early 1950s, told me that he never learned so much about himself except when he became a foreigner. In the same manner, and as more foreigners move to Finland, can they help us see the positive and negative aspects of our…
Some questions about immigration to Finland
Many thanks to all of you that have taken so actively part in the debate on immigration to Finland. There have been a wide spectrum of opinions over the issue. The most positive matter that these comments have shown is that we can debate them in a civil fashion. But there are some questions that…
Where will Finland get foreign workers?
I took part in a very interesting seminar in June on foreigners in Finland. Here are some conclusions from that seminar on what real challenges Finland faces with respect to its aging population and luring foreign workers to the country. 1) It will be VERY difficult for Finland to attract qualified labor from other countries….