Tag: Racism

Donald Trump: racism will help latch on to white power and privilege

Posted on by Migrant Tales

UPDATED

US President Donald Trump’s most recent tirade against Somalis should not only be seen as hostile racism, but show once again how such a social ill us used to seek attention and power. On Thursday we heard about the US’ National Security Strategy, which warns Europe of “white civilization erasure” and throws its support to far-right parties.

The Kremlin came out and gave its full support or the strategy.

Reports the Guardian: “The Kremlin has heaped praise on Donald Trump’s latest national security strategy, calling it an encouraging change of policy that largely aligns with Russian thinking.

While the National Security Strategy offers us a glimpse of the Trump Administration’s racist and colonial mindset, I wonder if it support for nationalist far-right parties includes the Perussuomalaiset (PS)?*

Even if Finland’s far-right party candidate in the US’ National Security Strategy would be the PS, it could also include the National Coalition Party (NCP), which is in government with the PS. Promoting anti-democratic measures would be (top left to right) NCP Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, who is an apologist of Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, NCP Prime Minister Petteri Orpo who has helped racism grow in Finland, PS Finance Minister Riikka Purra, who impoverishes the country and puts the racism icing on it; (bottom left to right) Donald Trump, a racist felon, PS Mari Rantanen who sees migrant monsters under her bed, and NCP Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen, who fuels fear of the Russians.

Write Reija Härkonen on the Facebook posting: “Finland’s ministers of hate are already beginning to resemble their idols. As Independence Day nears, the nation mourns. The significance of this great holiday is shut when the democracy and welfare of the independent country, built by our forefathers, are deliberately and systematically eroded [by them|.“

The PS’ view of US Vice President J.D. Vance’s las year’s speech at the Munich Security Conference was more than supportive and a turning point in US-Europe relations. Vance, who gave his direct support to far-right policiatl groups like AfD of Germany, did not mention the PS. However, PS Minsiter of Finance Riikka Purra praised Vance’s speech.

Continue reading “Donald Trump: racism will help latch on to white power and privilege”

Riikka Purra’s sarcastic gesture

Posted on by Migrant Tales

During Thursday’s question time between the government parties and opposition, Green League MP Atte Harjanne spoke highly of Sweden’s success story, which included immigration. The suggestion by Harjanne forced Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairperson Riikka Purra to let out a demeaning gesture as if stating you cannot seriously claim that Sweden’s immigration policy is a success.

One of the biggest lies of the PS and a way to maintain and feed Finland’s xenophobic atmosphere is Sweden. We have mentioned before that the gang violence in Sweden is unique in Europe. One of the factors behind it is Sweden’s failure and abandonment of migrants and minorities.

See the Facebook posting here.

Another factor not mentioned is that, thanks to immigration, 600,000 Finns emigrated there after World War 2, Sweden is economically more robust than Finland. Finland is struggling with becoming a gerontocracy, while Sweden has other issues, like dealing with its exclusion of migrants and minorities. 

The migrant policy of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government, as well as those of other governments, is in denial and a slap in the face to Finland’s economic growth and well-being.

Thanks to immigration, Sweden’s economic growth is one of the fastest in the OECD and has one of the lowest debt levels. Moreover, there aren’t any issues about labor shortages like in Finland.

Surprisingly, a country that has seen over 1.2 million people emigrate between 1860 and 1999 is so resistant to acknowledging the benefits of migration.

Denial is destroying the country. 

The UK’s minority home secretaries get tough on migration policy

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Why are home secretaries of minority ethnic backgrounds pushing the most racist and radical immigration policies? Home Secretary Shabana Mahmoud follows in the footsteps of other dubious home secretaries like Sajid Javid (2018-19), Pritte Partal (2019-22), Suela Braveman (2022-23), and James Cleverly (2023-24).

All of the above have something in common: they hate migrants, especially asylum seekers.

In some respects, these home secretaries represent the role of the Ukrainians at Nazi concentration camps who did the dirty work, like terrorizing victims and sending them to the gas chambers. In the same way, these home secretaries want to make the lives of asylum seekers are difficult and painful as possible.

Some may believe that since it is a brown person adopting such a draconian migration policy, it must be ok. 
It’s not, but disgraceful.

If there is something we can learn from these ideological hard-right home secretaries masquerading as members of the Labor Party, ethnic background has little to do with your political views. The most important matter is your upbringing and what moral lessons forged you into a human being.

Mahmoud is a disgrace to her immigrant parents and their suffering.

Some see Denmark as an Islamophobic country on steroids. Mahmoud wants to adopt Denmark’s immigration policy in the UK.

Shameful. 

Shabana Mahmoud

Jari Taponen: Prejudice is Finland’s greatest threat

Posted on by Migrant Tales

After three decades in uniform and the completion of a doctoral dissertation, former police superintendent Jari Taponen made the decision to leave the force. His departure, he says, followed a growing sense that policing and the society it serves were drifting apart.

“The police have become politicised, and no one wants to admit it,” Taponen said.

Jari Taponen

According to him, the organisation’s claims of political neutrality are at odds with its operational structures. “Performance targets come directly from the government programme. In that sense, the police carry out political will whether they want to or not.”

After his resignation, Taponen founded a company called Prevenza together with Susanna Makaroff. The company focuses on social safety, community resilience and evidence-based crime prevention.

A central source of frustration for Taponen was what he describes as the police organisation’s inability to adapt to societal change. “Preventive work gave me a broader perspective on issues like community strength, integration, and reducing polarization,” he says. “But the organisation did not evolve in that direction.”

The breaking point became even clearer during his doctoral research. As he examined the effects of police actions on crime and public safety, he realised that reliable research data was extremely scarce, despite strong assumptions in public debate.

“It is commonly assumed that police actions have clear and predictable effects. But research shows they are highly context-dependent — and sometimes neutral or even negative.”

For Taponen, this lack of research leaves room for interpretations based on assumptions. “There is little research, and official communication often relies more on impressions than on reality.”

While working in the Helsinki police, Taponen followed recurring claims of rising youth crime and talk of gangs involving young people with immigrant backgrounds. According to him, these narratives do not emerge spontaneously.

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How the government fuels Finland’s hate crimes

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Even if Finland reported on Monday a record rise in suspected hate crime cases in 2024, there has been little reaction by the government about the worrying trend. The silence and inaction, despite assurances by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo of the failed anti-racism program, speak volumes about the social ill.

The inaction and the hands-off approach of the government towards racism, despite assurances of the contrary, are at the heart of the problem. The government fuels racism by not doing anything.

Source: Police University College.

Like with the government’s economic policies and promises to end indebtedness and create jobs and growth, it has failed as well in making Finland a less racist country. 

While the Finnish government has publicly emphasized the importance of tackling discrimination, civil society groups and anti-racism advocates say that some political decisions and public rhetoric over the past years have normalized racism. They point particularly to immigration reforms, political disputes surrounding equality initiatives, and several controversies involving ministers.

Researchers note that Finland has long struggled with underreported racism, and that rising figures can also reflect increased reporting and awareness. Still, the pace and scale of the latest spike have killed debate over whether current policies are alleviating—or aggravating—the problem.

Government officials have not yet commented directly on the hate-crime report. Still, authorities have previously said that combating hate crime remains a priority, even if the report shows the tip of the iceberg.

Migrant Tales correctly predicted in 2023 that hate crimes would soar to new records the following year. The trend, unfortunately, will continue. 2025 will be another record year for hate crimes in Finland. 

Suspected hate crimes in Finland soar to a new record in 2024

Posted on by Migrant Tales

As Migrant Tales correcty predicted, 2024 was going to report a new record in suspected hate crimes after 2023 broke a new record. Suspected hate crimes,* (1) which is only a tip of the iceberg, soared in 2024 by 12.58% to 1,808 cases versus 1,606 cases the previous year, according to the Police University College.

As in 2023, the majority (67.6%) of cases were due on ethnic and national origin, rising by 12% to 1,223 cases from 1,092 cases. While hate crime due to religion retreated by 8.75 to 158 cases (8.7% of all cases), hate crime due to disability soared by 36.7% to 175 (9.67%) cases with sexual orientation totalling 241 (13.3%), up 12.09%.

The report cited Muslims and Syrians in particular as the most victimized groups.

Source: Police University College

“Jenita Ranta, the author of the report, blamed the record rise of hate crime cases in 2023 on factors like Russian aggression in Ukraine and the poor economic situation. While the report did not cite specific reasons for the new rise in hate crimes in Finland, it’s clear that the economy and the weak response of the government to racism are at the heart of the problem.”

Some see the National Coalition Party (NCP) as the enabler of the Perussuomalaiset’s (PS)* extreme immigration policy, which constantly labels Muslims and other minorities as “the problem.”

But it would be misleading to just blame the government and the economy for the rise in suspected hate crimes. The media is another culprit that rarely challenges and gives a voice to migrants and minorities.

(1) The Police University College report defines suspected hate crimes as reports where a hate motive is manifest. In 2024, the number of suspected hate crimes increased in all motive groups in the report, except for crimes related to religion or belief. The most common motive was the victim’s ethnic or national background.

Migrant Tales oldies: Unmasking Wille Rydman

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales is the oldest antiracist blog in Finland founded in 2007. We have a wealth of material collected during those years that should not be forgotten. Welcome to Migrant Tales oldies.

This is an awkward and offensive ad by Wille Rydman who doctored his face brown to look like a migrant, claiming he is helping migrants (Sic!). The person standing behind Rydman is Mukhtar Abib (see message below).

My Messenger message fo Mukhtar Abib: “Hi Mukhtar, I’m Enrique Tessieri from Migrant Tales (www.migranttales.net). What a turn of events in the Wille Rydman case. It would be great to hear your views, considering that you supported him in the 2011 elections. Best regards, Enrique Tessieri, 040 8400773.” He never replied.

Wille Rydman claims that he dares to speak his mind and to make what he says a reality. Let’s see below some of his scandalous quotes.

Racist quotes by Rydman uncovered by Helsingin Sanomat:

In those messages, Rydman called asylum seekers who came in 2015 “desert monkeys” and used other racist words for blacks, Muslims, and Jews. He wrote that a certain flower, the lilly of the valley, spreads and multiplies like Somalis. Rydman said he’d be ready to forbid the person wearing the hijab instead of the veil.

Rydman ran into problems a year earlier in 2022 when Helsingin Sanomat published an investigative story where a number of young women, some of whom were minors, claimed they were harassed by him.

The scandal caused Rydman to be suspended from the National Coalition party. He later joined the Perussuomalaiset party.* He was minister for economic affairs during 2023-2025.

If you are a foreigner coming to Finland, please leave your identity and rights at the door

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The shame and contempt that the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo through their Perussuomalaiset (PS)* partners is iincomprehensible if you are a sensible-minded person. The PS was, is and will continue to be a racist party where its toxicity level varies. But mark my words: racism is its fuel and raison d’être, reason for being.

One of the most toxic decisions of the PS and the government has been to extend citizenship period from five to eight years, and now disqualifying people who are forced to live off welfare. The final step is to implement a citizenship test, which most Finns won’t pass.

Writes Helsinki Times: “The revised legislation, adopted by 103 votes to 58, forms the second stage of the government’s broader reform of the Citizenship Act. The main objective is to require applicants to demonstrate financial self-sufficiency through employment or business income, excluding most forms of public support.”

Some, like Nikki Obernik, saw the new phase of the citizenship act as a hostile phase.

Source: Facebook

Source: Helsinki Times.

The biggest problem with Finland’s tightening of migration policy swims in racism and aims to exclude and oppress foreigners. The laws, like the citizenship act, send out a clear message: We don’t trust you, we do not give you the benefit of the doubt, LEAVE unless you leave your identity and rights at the door!

Continue reading “If you are a foreigner coming to Finland, please leave your identity and rights at the door”

Wille Rydman defends the Great Replacment Theory

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party is waging a hostile Islamophobic campaign to boost their low standings in opinion polls. The party is confident that the job will be done by increasing attacks on the migrant and minority community. That is the reason you hear and read PS politicians bashing migrants to divert attention from their disastrous economic policies.

One of these PS politicians is Wille Rydman whose shameful writing exposes the lie behind the story.

He claims in a column in a community paper, which the mainstream media would most likely never publish, that the far-right Great Replacement Theory is a perfect term to describe what is happening in Finland.

“All this is happening completely openly and largely as a result of political decisions. There is no conspiracy, nor is one needed. The end result is a Finland that is becoming less and less Finnish. A country that is rapidly being populated by people who are anything but Finnish,” he claimed.

Source: Helsingin Uutiset.

So what’s wrong with the statement? For one, he is talking about foreigners taking over Finland and that white Finns will become a minority, a typical Great Replacement Theory conspiracy theory that has led in 2019 to the mass killing of Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand.

When you read the writings of people like Rydman, they forget to mention that following matters:

Continue reading “Wille Rydman defends the Great Replacment Theory”

How the media is the humble servant of Finland’s inhumane migrant and asylum seeker laws

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Think of it. Finland’s largest daily, Helsingin Sanomat, publishes a story if the country’s deportation. system is broken. For the story, the daily uses as sources well-known xenophobie Joakim Vigelius of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, Social Democrat MP Eveliina Heinäluoma, who has a wishy-washy stance on migrants, and National Coalition Party MP Heikki Vestman, who justified as chairperson of the constitutional committee the shelving of Finland’s human rights obligations on the passage of the pushback law.

The migration debate in Finland seems very much like the lack of pushback against President Donald Trump by republican legislators. In Finland, we consider migrants, especially Muslim asylum seekers as a threat. We do not give such people the benefit of doubt.

The article is highly revealing exposing what Helsingin Sanomat thinks of undocumented migrants which it slaps on the “illegal” label.

Vigelius, who like Vestman to trash international agreements, said that the present asylum system is based on “outdated” international human rights conventions and that these should change.

Source: Helsingin Sanomat

‘It cannot be right that even after ten years and ten rejected applications, an asylum seeker is still residing in Finland,” he pointed out.

Apart from using MPs who would care less about undocumented migrants, a big shortfall of the article is that is does not care to mention the suffering present laws cause on such people. Migrant Tales has documented many such cases.

The Ulysses Syndrome is a chronic disorder and helps understand the trauma suffered by undocumented migrants.

Continue reading “How the media is the humble servant of Finland’s inhumane migrant and asylum seeker laws”