The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party’s hatred for migrants goes through the same path but the accusations and labeling vary. About ten years ago migrants were rapists, after 2015 when a record number of asylum seekers came to Finland, they were “social welfare surfers.” Today, the PS calls migrants “dumb” who want to work for lower wages.
As in the previous years, the PS makes up labels constantly. It never has anything positive to say about migrants except to repeat its favorite word: maahanmuuttajat (immigrant), maahanmuuttajat, maahanmuuttajat…
Here is the question: Why would anyone want to get paid lower wages for work? If people are getting paid less, aren’t they possibly being exploited?
Certainly, migrants that move to Finland and enter the labor market must follow the law. Unions have a special role in protecting the rights of these migrants at the workplace.
The problem, however, is that exploitation and crime in Finland pays. Since few are looking after the rights of migrants, never mind the PS, it is a bit similar to throwing these people to their own luck.
In plain English, Finland does too little address the exploitation of migrants in the labor market.
Maybe migrants would learn a thing or two if integration courses would tell them how they are vulnerable to exploitation instead of giving exceptionalist explanations about how Finland is a country of gender equality.
Labeling migrants disrespectfully as “cheap labor” by the PS is placing all the blame on such people and letting underhanded employers off the hook.