Tag: xenophobia

Racist discourse of anti-immigration groups

Posted on by Migrant Tales

One of the most startling finds of ultra-nationalistic, anti-immigration groups is how they cover up their discourse of outright contempt for other cultures. Here are some of my favorites:

1) Immigrants are social welfare bums or come to Finland to use our generous social welfare system. Isn’t it incredible that in this debate on social welfare abuse and fraud, it is always immigrants or a certain group of immigrants/refugees that are abusing the system.

Are there any studies or specific cases of wide-spread social-welfare fraud among immigrants, or of Finns for a matter of fact? The reason why this hot issue has not been debated openly in the media of Finns who abuse the social welfare system is because it is a hot political issue. Politicians don’t want to do this because it would seem like a witch hunt and would make them extremely unpopular among voters. It is easier to blame everything bad and evil on immigrants because they are a disenfranchised group.

2) We are “critical of immigration” as opposed to saying, “I am proud of being a racist. Keep Finland white.” One matter that some Finnish journalists have not learned is to call a spade a spade when it comes to racism. This is nothing strange considering that some of them  never raised any objections never mind criticism of our special relationship with the former Soviet Union.

Since racism awakens a lot of passions, this causes a lot of confusion as to how we should react to this social ill in our society.  The Muutos 2011 party is a good example. They want to keep Finland white by claiming, ludicrously, that they want direct democracy.  Their lopsided argument is that since “the people,” whom they claim to be speaking for, cannot practice direct democracy Finland is being overrun by social-bum immigrants and by a lost immigration policy. Who are these “critical-of-immigration” groups? They are ultra nationalists that despise cultural diversity and enjoy living in cultural myths that give birth to stereotypic and simplistic views of other cultures.

Handing over immigration and integration policy to these types of groups would be like allowing a child to build a nuclear reactor.

3) A scratched record: We don’t want blahblahblah because they are incompatible blahblahblah. If you look at the argument by some ultra-nationalist groups, they are always griping about how certain immigrants are blahblahblah and therefore incompatible blahblahblah. What is their solution? Kick them out of Finland! Fostering good ethnic relations and attaining a society that treats all of its inhabitants equally is something these groups don’t want. If they were in power, it would be like awakening a social Frankenstein with nostalgia for the Germany of the 1930s.

4) There are many more absurd arguments I could point out by opportunistic mainstream politicians, who forget that the second-biggest ethnic minority group living in Finland are immigrants or naturalized Finns. Take all of their arguments with a large pinch of salt. If you feel confused or do not understand their logic, the fact is that they were conveyed to confuse and be hollow.

Finnish bigotry has deep roots in ignorance

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The fate of two grandmothers, Eveline Fadaylin of Egypt and Russian Irina Antonovan, is a scandalous situation that shows how civil servants and politicians run away from responsiblity and hide behind shoddy laws.

I wish you the best of luck if you want to place your trust on some of these politicians that are handling the case of these two unfortunate grandmothers. Before you make such a decision, take a look at the Roma, who have lived in Finland for ages and are still treated like second- and third-class subcitizens.

Certainly the immigrants are to blame if we allow the authorities and politicians to use us as political fodder to strengthen their narrow-minded views and short-term opportunistic goals. Immigrants and Finns should, however, send a loud and clear message to such politicians that this type of  behavior is unacceptable and shameful.

If, for example, the Social Democrats are to be believed, Finland has today a serious social problem on its hands. Apart from sky-high unemployment, immigrants are also being exploited by being underpaid and discriminated at workplaces.  If the SDP are really interested in this alarming situation, why haven’t done something about it?

Is ignorance the only matter that is behind our difficult relationship with other cultures? Is it embedded in the 1930s and in racist eugenics’ theories that continue to strengthen our mistaken view of ourselves and outsiders? Does the ignorance have its roots in outright suspicion and hatred of other cultures, like with the Roma?

I believe that there are enough sensible Finns in this country that consider the behavior of some politicians and of Finns as shameful and unacceptable.

One of the first and foremost aims when building good ethnic relations is acceptance. If you add to that the element of equal opportunity you will solve many of the problems related to bigotry. In sum we will be building a country that will be successful in this century as well.

Social Democratic interim report on immigration policy strengthens old fears of the outside world

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The title of an interim report on immigration policy published by the Social Democratic Party on Friday not only reveals the party’s greatest fears but strengthens age-old views of outsiders.  Apart from the political malarkey that SDP sees immigration as an opportunity, it likes to use pet catchwords – like the populist anti-immigration True Finns – such as “managed immigration.”

How can a country aspire to have a successful immigration policy and speed the integration of these people into our society if its first and foremost aim is to be on the defensive? How can it show leadership and promote good ethnic relations if it labels future and present newcomers, as it does almost constantly, as second-class employees, tax-dodgers, guilty of fuelling racism and working illegally in a two-tier market?

Even though the report claims that one of SDP’s aims is to lower unemployment, what has the party done in the past 25 years to improve the labor situation of immigrants?

The sad fact is that political parties in Finland have done dear little for immigrants in the past. Unemployment figures speak for themselves: the jobless rate has gone down from about 54% in 1994 to an estimated 26% today.

One of the mentors and strongest allies of the SDP’s anti-immigration wing is MP Kari Rajamäki, who was interior minister in 2003-07. Just like Jarmo Rantanen, another hardline SDP interior minister in 1987-91, Rajamäki’s view on immigration is so far off the mark that under his leadership immigrants and refugees will always be a target of suspicion.

Social Democrat MP Kari Rajamäki. Source: Savon Sanomat

For a person who has lived many years and heard countless promises by politicians that immigrants’ rights in Finland will improve, I take with a large grain of salt SDP’s interim report, especially where it states that surveillance of the labor markets should be stepped up.  Racial profiling is one cause for alarm if the SDP gets their way.

One could rightfully ask as well why do we need new rules to scrutinize labor markets because more immigrants are moving to the country? No trust? Are Finnish workers honest and immigrants dishonest?

Taking into account the small size of the immigrant community in Finland and the fact that little has been done to improve their rights, what assurances do we have that anything will change if the Social Democrats are members of the next government?

The problem with the SDP interim report is one that has inflicted Finland throughout its history: Immigration and outsiders are basically seen as a threat.

One reason why Finland has such a small immigrant population is because some sectors still suffer from a bad case of xenophobia. Why would anybody want to move to such a country where the laws and atmosphere are generally hostile?

Apart from the few political sound bites in favor of  immigration, the SDP interim report should be seen as a disappointment and even a greater one in the context of a party that has shifted closer to the populist True Finns on immigration policy.

Thank you Social Democrat MP Eero Heinäluoma

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Thank you Social Democrat MP Eero Heinäluoma for improving immigrants’ lives in Finland. Some students told me that people stopped them on the street and asked them that they should leave Finland because there is no work for them.

I wonder how many immigrants have been harassed as a result of Heinäluoma’s statement?

UPDATE (May 8):  An interesting development in the immigration debate in Finland is that more people like Akava union chairman Matti Viljanen have spoken against Heinäluoma’s comment on immigrants. He said that Akava supports the government’s initiative to make it easier for labor immigrants to move to Finland. Viljanen expressed concern over how racism is overtaken the ongoing immigration debate.

In an interview in the Swedish daily HBL, the SDP MP said that labor immigrants that come to Finland will fuel racism because they will take jobs away from Finns. In the statement, Heinäluoma indirectly condoned racism since it stopped immigrants from taking jobs from Finns.

The MP conveniently forgot that 2.7% of Finland’s population are foreigners and that unemployment among the immigrant community stood at a lofty 26% at the end of 2009.

Does anyone need any further explanation why racism continues to be an issue in Finland?

Finnish Anti-Immigrant Personalities of the Month (April): Jutta Urpilainen & Eero Heinäluoma

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales will begin to bestow on a monthly basis the Anti-Immigrant Personality of the Month award.  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.

Merits: With the stroke of a sentence in the end of March, “Love it (or leave it)” or “In Rome do as the Romans do” (maassa maan tavalla), Urplilainen converted the SDP into an anti-immigration party that flirts with the ultra-nationalist True Finns. Her right-hand man, Heinäluoma, seconded her rhetoric by stating in an HBL interview that immigrants will cause racism because they will take jobs away from Finns.

This dynamic duo has done more to fuel and maintain a climate of suspicion against immigrants in Finland than many hate speeches over the years.

ANTI-IMMIGRANT PERSONALITIES OF THE MONTH OF APRIL: SDP MPs JUTTA URPILAINEN AND EERO HEINÄLUOMA

Eero Heinäluoma (left) and Jutta Urpilainen (Source: Savon Sanomat/Lehtikuva).

Fallacies of Finland’s immigration-refugee debate

Posted on by Migrant Tales

If we look at the ongoing immigration-refugee debate in Finland, there are six seven fallacies that one should look at critically in order to understand the debate. I have compiled a list of the top six seven claims that I consider the most absurd and politically questionable but are used constantly in the ongoing debate:

1. The SDP “love it (or leave it)” or “In Rome do as the Romans do” (maassa maan tavalla) stand on immigration. This rhetoric is nothing more than a good-cop-bad-cop tactic to bash immigrants while saying that the SDP party “welcomes newcomers.” Have you noticed that nowhere in the statements of SDP chairperson Jutta Urpilainen and MP Eero Heinäluoma do they tell you how many immigrants they are speaking of and from where? Last year some 4,000 immigrants got residence permits from outside the EU. Both Heinäluoma and Juttilainen speak as if Finland were not an EU member where people can work freely in different member-state countries.

2. SDP MP Eero Heinäluoma: “immigrants will fuel racism.”  This statement was made in the Swedish-language daily HBL. The MP does not consider racism a problem in Finland since it is the immigrants’ fault. They “will take jobs away from Finns,”according to him.  Heinäluoma’s argument is as ludicrous as those given by some sexual offenders,  who claim that “the devil made them do it” because the woman looked so sexy and therefore it was her fault she got raped.

3. Finns fear being labelled racists and therefore don’t speak freely enough about immigration issues. All one has to do is check the media in Finland to see that there is a very lively and passionate debate on immigration and refugees. Those who disagree are anti-immigration groups like the True Finns, Hommaforum, and Jussi Halla-aho, who would inflame discussion by fuelling it with more nationalism and racism.

4. True Finns: We are defending Western values. Since when was spreading hatred and populism defending modern Western values? I am certain that the National Socialist Party of Germany in the early 1930s used the same arguments to seize power. If parties like the PS and others would get in power, their aim would be to undermine civil liberties and create a many-tier society where anything different from their point of view would be seen as a threat. The first civil liberties that would fly out of the window are acceptance of diversity, freedom of speech and equality. Like the Nazis and other ultra-nationalist groups, they would argue that diversity is bad and therefore we have the right to kick out everyone who we do not like from the country (see Lebensraum). If you ever meet a representative from an anti-immigration group, ask him/her what should be done to people they consider “threats” to our values. You will get back as an answer a modern version of Lebensraum.

5. “We aren’t racists.” Too many speak about racism in Finland without being a minority nor having an adequate background to understand the social ill. Just because one has an academic degree is no guarantee that they understand racism. Some of the big deficiencies in Finland concerning the integration program is that it takes too little into account what immigrants want and need. Racist groups use the argument “we aren’t racists” to maintain a hate discourse in public. When you threaten to sue them for slander, they argue that their freedom-of-speech right has been violated. In English we call that type of defense a generous dose of phony baloney.

6. Being “critical on immigration.” This is a funny term made up by the anti-immigration groups that do not want to be labelled racists. Thus we are critical NOT racists when we bash immigrants and refugees with colorful adjectives. If one studied what they are actually saying, it would be easy to conclude that their “critique” of immigrants and refugees is a gross understatement. It is only a flowery diplomatic term that hides their real agenda, which is not acceptance of other cultures in our society.

7. Foreign workers are being abused and working illegally. This is favorite of the Social Democratic Party. If we were to believe them, the majority of the foreign workers in Finland are working in the black for slave wages. If this is the case, why aren’t we hearing of any huge busts in the media or of officials clamping down on the serous problem? The answer is simple: It is a scare tactic by the SDP to spread and maintain a climate of racism in Finland.  The last thing that the likes of Heinäluoma and others are worried about are working conditions and discrimination that immigrants face on a daily basis.

SDP-Heinäluoma anti-immigration drama: How many are threatening Finland?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

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 with 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 jobs from Finns.”

But let’s ask how many workers came from outside the EU to Finland last year. Are you ready for this: 4,000, according SDP MP Susanna Huovinen. Yes, that’s right: 4,000 people are threatening Finland!

The second intentionally unanswered question by Heinäluoma is from where are these non-EU workers going to come from? The Ukraine? Belarus?

Apart from inciting nationalist sentiment at the expense of the immigrant community, Heinäluoma and SDP chairperson Jutta Urpilainen are examples of people that give politics  a bad name. Some will sell their souls and ideals wholesale to further their careers.

SDP veteran politician Erkki Tuomioja is another party member who has given the thumbs down to Heinäluoma’s populist anti-immigration rhetoric. In his blog he accuses the SDP MP of making unfounded statements like “immigrants take jobs from Finns.” Tuomioja continues: “This argument (used by Heinäluoma) only happens in a stagnant and lifeless economy where workers are regulated.”

It is evident that Heinäluoma and Urpilainen are opporunistically using immigrants to further their party’s chances in the 2011 elections. The collateral damage their stances have caused on the immigrant community has come in the form of bolstered racism and suspicion in this country.

Racism in Finland and elsewhere

Posted on by Migrant Tales

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 the fact that there are still too few immigrant and ethnic groups living in this country, amounting for 2.7% of the population (143,256).

Even though foreigners in the late-nineteenth and early twentieth century had a big impact on Finland (Stockmann, Fazer, Rettig, Paulig, Finnlayson and others), our view of cultural diversity as a normal characteristic of  society is mixed. Some Finns don’t have any qualms with this while for others it is a life-and-death issue.

If we look at the laws, educational system and the ideals we want to pass on to our children, however, it is easy to conclude that immigrant-and-refugee hate groups in Finland are a minority whose presence and arguments are storms in a tea-cup.

A good example is the present one-sided immigration-refugee debate. While the anti-diversity-and-populist True Finns, and to many sad respects the Social Democratic party under chairman Jutta Urpilainen, have not seen their popularity soar in the polls despite their stiffening rhetoric  on immigrantion and refugees.

If we look at the definition of racism and agree that it means “discrimination or prejudice based on ethnic background,” we still have to look at the specific society where this type of social ill is taking place. How do people discriminate in Finland, how do we define racism and what does the law say? The Equality Act, for example, gives clear definitions of discrimination and harassment.

In my opinion, an excellent example of discrimination in this country is high immigrant unemployment. Since racism attempts to exclude and keep other groups from realizing their potential in society, high immigrant unemployment serves this purpose and shows where we have a lot more work to do. Immigrant unemployment in Finland at the end of 2009 stood officially at 26%(!) compared with 9.2% nationally.

Even though anti-immigrant-and-refugee groups in Finland attempt to change the ongoing debate and their hate agendas with funny catchwords like “immigrant-critic,” and “freedom of speech/democracy,” we must draw the line as a society and call a spade a spade.

What would we say if there were anti-women’s-rights groups that used the same arguments to justify oppression of women in public as they do when stereotyping immigrants and refugees?

I am certain that many of us would be outraged.

(Another) disturbing Keskisuomalainen editorial

Posted on by Migrant Tales

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.

Taking into account a previous editorial that incredulously suggests that refugees should be helped in their home countries, it isn’t surprising how such writings help fuel hysteria and xenophobia among the population.

I would kindly suggest to Keskisuomalainen’s editors to take a course in multiculturalism at some Finnish university to bring themselves up to date on how modern, western and democratic societies live with diversity.Instead of looking at other cultures in a narrow-minded fashion, they would do their readers a service by bringing their knowledge on multiculturalism (they are against this path for Finland) up to date and what role it plays in our society.

If they don’t have time to attend any seminars, they should read Arto Leitzinger’s dissertation, Ulkomaalaiset Suomessa 1812-1972. At least they would understand that Finland was, is and will be a multicultural society demographically.

Moreover, their editorials should address more pressing social issues like racism in Finland, high unemployment/equal opportunity and pathways to integration of immigrants into Finnish society.

EDITORIAL: Are Finns ignorant about immigration?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

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.

If we were to give Finland the benefit of the doubt, it could offer us an effective solution to brush all the problems related to immigrants under the rug and blame it on inexperience.

Can, however, an issue that affects tens of thousands of people’s lives, their children and grandchildren, be conveniently blamed on ignorance?

A recent editorial by Jyväskylä-based Keskisuomalainen, which was against Finland taking the multicultural road, incredulously suggested that refugees should be helped in their home countries and brought to Finland as a last resort.

Helsingin Sanomat, the countries largest daily, continues to use the demeaning term “mamu” in headlines to refer to immigrants.

What about politicians such as Jutta Urpilainen, Timo Soini of the True Finns and others, who knowingly or unknowingly vilify all immigrants in this country by suggesting that they must follow the law because in this country we do things the Finnish way?

What about the Finnish Border Guard, Finnish Immigration Service and others that create and maintain a climate of fear and suspicion of certain immigrant groups through their statements that Finland is in danger of being “invaded” by these people? They even play at being social scientists by suggesting that these groups can never adapt to our culture.

One could correctly turn the question around: Are these examples of misinformation intentional and what role does ignorance play?

Or is this the shape and way racism manifests itself  in Finland?