Tag: Kokoomus

YLE: Maahanmuutto jakaa edustajaehdokkaita

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Here is an interesting story published by YLE on how immigration is a hot issue in the election. One of the questions (number 5) on the YLE questionnaire to the candidates asks if  “immigration and tax support (to this group) should be tightened?” Those candidates and parties that “totally agreed” with the statement were the True Finns and other anti-immigration parties like Muutos2011 and Vapauspuolue.

The majority of the candidates of Kokoomus and the Center Party were “somewhat in favor” of tightening immigration policy and tax support. The majority (49%) of the Social Democrat candidates, however, were “somewhat of a different opinion.” Fifty-seven percent of the candidates of the Swedish People’s Party were “totally against” tightening immigration policy and tax support.

The majority of the Greens (57%) were “somewhat in favor” of tightening policy and tax support.

One of the big questions we have to ask of those that are asking for stricter controls is what they want to tighten if the present law is already pretty strict?

One candidate from my constituency said that it was ok to lower tax support to immigrants because Finland pays some of the highest support in Europe. The candidate forgot to tell us, however, that if we take cost of living into account such benefits are in line with the European Union average.

The stance and the willingness of some candidates to use the immigrant-bashing card to get votes is a sad reality of Finland today.

Do you agree?

___________

Maahanmuuttajien vastaanottaminen ja tukeminen verovaroin jakaa kansanedustajaehdokkaita. YLEn vaalikoneen perusteella perussuomalaisten vanavedessä tiukennuksia kaipaavat erityisesti oikeistopuolueet, kuten kokoomus. Liberaalimpaa mielipidettä ylläpitävät RKP, vasemmisto ja vihreät. SDP seilaa muiden välissä.

To keep on reading click here.

Verkkouutiset: Stubb: Maahanmuuttokeskustelun ilmapiiri ahdistava

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: It is not the first time that Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb has taken a strong stand against the xenophobia, racism and ignorance that too often characterizes the ongoing debate on immigrants and immigration to Finland.  About a month before the election on April 17,  it not only takes leadership but guts to speak out against what Stubb calls  an “oppressive” debating atmosphere.

The foreign minister was quoted as saying at a seminar on immigrant employment in Helsinki that Finland owes its success and economic growth to its openness and internationalization. “Success requires that internationalization also takes place in this country,” he said on Verkkouutiset, a Kokoomus electronic publication. Tabloid Iltalehti wrote (in Finnish) about Stubb’s comments as well.

Three matters emerge frequently when reading the arguments of some Finns who see immigration as a threat: fear, low self-esteem and ignorance. Even if some are misinformed and carry theories on cultures and ethnicities dating back to the nineteenth century, they can always learn from their mistakes.

Teaching people to control their racism is just as important as teaching democracy, equality and human rights.  Why? Because society works better than when it is based on inequality, racism and prejudice.

Are you of the same opinion?

__________

Ulkoministeri Alexander Stubbin (kok.) mielestä Suomessa käytävän maahanmuutto- ja kansainvälisyyskeskustelun ilmapiiri on tällä hetkellä ahdistava.

The keep on reading click here.

Wille Rydman’s campaign ad (no endorsement by Migrant Tales)

Posted on by Migrant Tales

What kinds of feelings does this campaign ad by Kokoomus hopeful Wille Rydman invoke? Does it play into the anti-immigration sentiment gripping Finland at present or offer viable solutions to make immigration work for Finland? Is he just another opportunistic politician  that uses the anti-immigration card to lure votes?

In order to answer that question, you would have to ask to whom this ad it directed to. Immigrants? Or Finns who just cannot stomach cultural diversity?

Rydman, who has been labelled by some of his own party members as the Halla-aho of Kokoomus, suggested on June 10 in a letter to the editor to Helsingin Sanomat that the state should not finance multiculturalism but instead Finnish language courses.  There is a wealth of evidence that shows that if you deny people their right to express their identity you create mental health and social problems.

Rydman appears to have a simplistic view of culture. He has not read nor knows of such studies that show how important identity is to a person.

Is voting for Rydman synonymous with defending immigrants’ rights?

You decide. What do you think?

The real test for Finland’s educational system

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

All of us who have children in Finland are familiar with the high quality of our educational system. Its high standards have been noticed abroad by the 2009 OECD Pisa study, which placed Finland in third place after Shanghai and South Korea.

Irrespective of the high academic achievement of these countries, they are not free from a social ill like racism. Unfortunately the Pisa results don’t measure how well students deal with different cultures.

If some newspaper articles are anything to go by, racism and xenophobia in  China and South Korea are a cause for concern. Even in Finland we have seen such a worrying trend. A good example will be the April elections in Finland and how many politicians will get elected with the help of their anti-immigration and Islamophobic stances.

I personally believe that our high academic standards should save us from populism and xenophobia, or at least keep these social ills in check. One of the cornerstones of our educational system is equality. When we speak of this nobel societal value we mean equality for all people irrespective of their background.

For some parties like the True Finns, Muutos 2011, Vapauspuolue, and for certain representatives of major Finnish parties like the Social Democrats (Kari Rajamäki) and Kokoomus (Wille Rydman), equality does not apply to all members of our society.

If we allow racism and xenophobia to get the best of us in the next parliamentary elections, it will not only end up harming this country’s future but reveal how our educational system has failed.


Immigration reveals what Finnish political parties are made of

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The political field is pretty lopsided in this country these days: left-wing parties that were “progressive” in their approach to society have now become conservative and those that were on the “right” appear to be more open to the outside world.

If one looks at the recent statements on immigration by Social Democratic Party MP Eero Heinäluoma and  Kokoomus’ Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb one can conclude that the ideological tables have turned quite radically.

Even the Center Party, which has tradictionally been nationalistic and conservative in its view of the outside world, has under the leadership of Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi become a more middle-of-the-road party.

Even though the Social Democrats have open-minded people such as Liisa Jaakonsaari and Erkki Tuomioja, the anti-immigrant hardliners like MP Kari Rajamäki spoil the day. Rajamäki’s stance on immigrants and refugees is on the same wave length as the True Finns.

Certainly one cannot conclude that all of the members of Kokoomus want to make immigration work for Finland.  Wille Rydman and Kai Pönttinen are sore examples of how  some politicians want to use the immigration card for political gain.

A disfavor to Finland’s future

Posted on by Migrant Tales

With the April 2011 election approaching, parties in Finland are feverishly scrambling on ways to lure voters. One campaign issue that has the ability to move voters and inflame passions is immigration.

One important matter to keep in mind in the ongoing debate on immigration is to understand its parts: immigrants living in Finland, labor immigrants from the EU and elsewhere, and refugees (quota and asylum-seekers). When political parties and their representatives debate immigration, try to find out which of these groups they are talking about.

Which parties are using the immigrant-bashing card to lure votes? Of the one’s that have MPs in parliament, the True Finns are the main culprits. Their party’s position on immigration is pretty clear: xenophobic, ethnocentric and off the wall. Other parties like the Social Democrats aren’t too far off; in all parties you will find people who have anti-immigration stances.

Here are some points that should help you figure out the double-talk and baloney that some parties put out concerning the subject:

(1) We want to do away with multiculturalism (True Finns). Political parties use this term multiculturalism to mean a society with many cultures. When they state that they want to do away with multiculturalism, what do they mean? Kick out all the foreigners in Finland? Kick out the foreigners who are different from us? Close our borders and don’t allow immigrants to move to our country? Ask dark-skinned immigrants to dye their hair and get plastic surgery?

(2) The state should not finance multiculturalism in order to speed integration (Wille Rydman, Kokoomus). This is one of the best examples of double-talk I have seen by a Finnish politician. Rydman is suggesting that we should not allow immigrants to cherish their identity and background since he thinks that this will speed their integration into Finnish society. Rydman should look at studies on the subject that show the total opposite. He should visit Amerindian reservations in the United States that tragically show what consequences ripping a person’s culture and identity have.”

I could go on with a long list of other incredulous affirmations that will knock you on your back.

One important matter to keep in mind: Immigration is a political issue. Some groups, like the True Finns, may place ludicrous expectations of how immigrants are supposed to adapt to our society. The question, however, is if such expectations are realistic.

Having a successful immigration policy requires a long-term perspective so that immigrants may become productive and dynamic members of our society. Being only focused on the 2011 election is doing Finland a disfavor.

Finland’s Kokoomus now flirts with simplistic immigration integration models

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Finland’s conservative Kokoomus youth leader, Wille Rydman, makes an incredible statement in a letter to the editor to Helsingin Sanomat: The state should not support nor fund multiculturalism because it would hinder the adaption of immigrants into our society.

So, what he is suggesting is that funds from Finland’s well-intentioned but semi-wayward integration program have been earmarked for enhancing multiculturalism in Finland. If Rydman wants to look at Finland’s integration program seriously, he will note that it fails on many fronts, like instilling a sense of dignity in immigrants.

The issue is much simpler: work and acceptance. If you want newcomers to embrace and grow in their new home they will have to be inspired by it. Our society must offer them opportunities and, most importantly, acceptance.

Some Finns like Rydman have a simplistic view of how immigrants should conform and adapt to our society.This is understandable because they have never lived in societies, and if they have have never fully grasped, where immigration is normal and where synergies occur.

One of the most flawed components or Finland’s integration program is that adaption of immigrants is one-way: that is, we will tell you how to adapt to our society and what is important to us. This is Rydman’s simplistic recipe: throw away your culture and learn Finnish as a Finn or Swedish as a Swede and, presto, full integration.

This type of recipe for immigrants is not only a disaster but leads to exclusion. Could he please tell us where this type of integration has occurred successfully?

Another saddening aspect of Rydman’s discourse, who is a member of Finland’s largest political party, is that he thinks that all these civil rights goodies in our constitution and laws, like equality and the right to diversity, do not apply to immigrants.

These types of simplistic solutions to the dynamics of immigration is not only irresponsible but shows how little some politicians understand the issue. Certainly with elections in April 2011 around the corner, politicians such as Rydman are eyeing the elections with opportunistic gleam.

Rydman looks at two extreme examples of immigration policy: France and Sweden. Why didn’t he look at how the “major leagues,” countries like the United States, Canada, Australia or England in the European Union, handle large immigrant populations?

Europe is a sad case lined with too many politicians such as Rydman and an unfortunate list of others who forget our dark and xenophobic past.What happened in the 1930s in Nazi Germany and most recently in the former Yugoslavia should serve as extreme rude wake up calls.

(Another) poll on what Finns think of future immigrants

Posted on by Migrant Tales

When will these end and when will these what-Finns-think-of-immigrants polls stop? Name one country where a native believes there are too few immigrants and therefore more foreigners should move to their country? Why are these types of polls important and what do they reveal?

The YLE poll asks a similar question if it polled white members of a community in the United States and asked them if they want minorities to move to their neighborhood.

The recent poll commissioned by YLE and done by Taloustutkimus shows that the majority of Finns (surprise! surprise!) don’t want to encourage more immigrants to Finland.

Here is the full story published Friday by YLE:

Nearly two thirds of Finns say Finland should not encourage more foreigners to move here, according to a YLE survey. Supporters of the right-wing True Finns Party were the most opposed to more immigrants. However, Centre Party and Social Democratic supporters were not far behind.

According to the survey, 63 percent of respondents said Finland should not try to entice foreigners to live here. A whopping 82 percent of True Finns backers were of the same opinion. For Centre Party supporters the number was 70 percent, while 68 percent of Social Democratic backers felt the same way.

Supporters of the Green League were the most receptive to more immigrants. A total of 65 percent of Green respondents said that Finland should work to attract foreigners here.

Meanwhile, 45 percent of backers of the conservative National Coalition Party said they supported more immigration while 53 percent were opposed.

One third of respondents said that immigration would play a significant or very significant role in their voting decisions in the next elections.

A total of 2,399 people responded to the survey carried out by pollster Taloustutkimus.

The poll shows that the majority (63%) are against luring more immigrants to Finland. Source: YLE

The poll shows that the most critical party towards luring future immigrants to Finland was none other than the True Finns (PS), followed by the Center and Social Democratic Party.  Source: YLE

MTV3 poll shows Social Democrats most satisfied with immigration policy

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A poll published by MTV3 on Sunday shows that the Social Democrats are the most satisfied with Finland’s immigration policy, with Kokoomus and the Center Party wanting stricter controls.

The results of the poll are the opposite of what SDP chairperson Jutta Urpilainen and MP Eero Heinäluoma have been signalling about tighter controls on labor immigration and that foreigners should respect Finnish values (maassa maan tavalla).

According to the poll, 36% of Social Democrats believe that Finland’s present immigration policy was not strict enough compared with 66% and 60% of Kokoomus and Center Party respondents, respectively. What is surprising is that 47% of the Social Democrats responded that the present immigration policy was adequate compared with Kokoomus (26%)  and the Center Party (36%).

As one Social Democrat told Migrant Tales, the results of the MTV3 poll are the opposite of what the party leadership has been signalling about tighter controls on immigration. “It is a short-sighted policy because the economic situation can turn for the better and then what are you going to say?” the source said.

A-Talk: What is wrong with the Social Democrats?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

At least for me, the debate on immigration on A-Talk on Thursday was a disappointment. The only sensible persons on the show were Anni Sinnemäki of the Greens and  Jyrki Katainen of Kokoomus. The two opposition leaders, Jutta Urpilainen of the Social Democrats (SDP) and Timo Soini of the True Finns, were a disappointment spewing the usual hollow catchwords that reek of populism, protectionism and heavy doses of obnoxious nationalism.

One matter that came clear is that Urpilainen has a very superficial idea of  immigration. On the one hand she vilifies the immigrant community in Finland by stating that they must follow the law (duh?!), but then claims to be for equality.

Why is the SDP leader making such no-brainer statements? Her aim appears to be to steal votes from the True Finns with the immigrant-bash card and thereby become the biggest party in Finland. If the SDP succeed in this dangerous game, anti-immigrant sentiment and life for the common non-Finn and their families will get much worse.

This will be a tragedy for Finland since we need to bring labor immigrants (not scare them away) to plug the labor gap left by an ever-large group of people retiring from the workforce during this decade.

I am just as confused as some of you. Maybe somebody should show the Constitution and Non-Discrimination Act to Urpilainen. Thanks to these laws, Finland permits as a democratic liberal society cultural diversity. We are not in the habit of ramming narrow-minded cultural habits down people’s throats.

Another statement that caught my eye was her criticism of foreigners she knew that had not learned to speak Finnish even though they had lived many years in the country. Certainly this is unfortunate but what are the causes? Lack of equal opportunities? Hostility by society? Racism? Lack of motivation? Attitudes like Urpilainen’s? Or a combination of all of the latter?

The Social Democratic stance on immigration is an unfortunate one. It looks like a house of cards that is maintained upright with the help of fear and populism.

The most disgraceful aspect of this type of populist rhetoric is that it does not help further a sense of community among immigrants and Finns but keeps alive old suspicions that fuel hatred.

And all this for the opportunitic goal of securing more votes in the 2011 parliamentary elections.