Migrant Tales will begin to award on a monthly basis Anti-Immigrant Personality of the Month. Since we did not have one for the previous month, Migrant Tales has selected Social Democratic Party chairperson, Jutta Urpilainen and MP Eero Heinäluoma, as the Ant-Immigrant Personalities for the month of April.
Tag: xenophobia
Fallacies of Finland’s immigration-refugee debate
If we look at the ongoing immigration-refugee debate in Finland, there are five fallacies that one should look at critically in order to understand the debate. I have compiled a list of the top five claims that I consider the most absurd and politically questionable but are used constantly in the ongoing debate:
SDP-Heinäluoma anti-immigration drama: How many are threatening Finland?
After one wing of the Social Democratic Party notched closer to the anti-immigration True Finns, one should quietly ask what’s all the fuss about. SDP MP Eero Heinäluoma stated in an interview in Swedish daily HBL that Finland should not encourage labor immigrants because there are 300,000 unemployed. Fair enough, then he goes on and blames immigrants for spreading racism because “they will take Finnish jobs.”
Racism in Finland and elsewhere
Every society has its racists but the question is where we draw the line. For a country like Finland, the problem of drawing a clear line hinges on that there are so few immigrant and ethnic groups that moved to this country from the second half of last century.
(Another) disturbing Keskisuomalainen editorial
Jyväskylä-based Keskisuomalainen, which appears hellbent on enlightening us on how Finland should relate to other cultures, now dedicates an entire editorial based on two cases of circumcision practiced on children by their parents.While such operations should be only carried out by trained medical staff, it is surprising how forcibly Keskisuomalainen condemns such an act.
EDITORIAL: Are Finns ignorant about immigration?
Some claim that one should forgive some Finns for their outrageous statements on immigrants and refugees since they are fuelled by ignorance. If there are serious shortcomings in our immigration and integration policy it can be blamed on our lack of experience.
EDITORIAL: Has racism inflicted Finland?
Taking into account the underwhelming size of the immigrant and refugee community, what have we done wrong and why are we the focus of daily insults, racism and abuse? Even the Social Democrats, the party that has championed for the rights of the working man, has aligned itself close to the True Finns in immigration policy.
EDITORIAL: Finnish immigration debate
Is the present one-sided and passionate debate on immigration in Finland going to turn ugly? Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb poured some needed cold water on the debate by stating that it “reeks of racism, nationalism, populism, and xenophobia.”
Xenophobic death threats to the Finnish government
The most recent death threats to some members of Finland’s government reported by Nelonen television by some fanatics is in some cases the doing of the politicians, who have not spoken out strongly enough against racism but have by and large preferred to remain silent on the matter.
Joutsen puolue in Finland – old suspicions die hard
It is always a healthy matter when new parties emerge and take part in the debate on immigrants in Finland. One of these is the so-called Joutsen puolue being spearheaded by Jussi Halla-aho, who is presently standing trial for incitement of hatred against an ethnic group and defamation of a religion.