The tragic events that occurred at the Sello Mall on December 31 in the suburb of Leppavaara located next door to Helsinki do not only shed light on a deranged man but continue to feed some of our highly polarized feelings on immigration and refugee policy.
An article by Kristiina Markkanen in the English-language Helsingin Sanomat highlights some of these questions. In my opinion, the knee-jerk reaction of some Finns and the complacent silence of some politicians on the killings show that we still have a very long way to go before our society can relate to immigrants/refugees in a near-normal fashion.
Even though such a harrowing event must be condemned vociferously by all members of society, it should not serve as a platform to ostracize immigrants and refugees living in Finland.
If we go deeper into the context of the tragic killings, what questions do they bring about how Finnish society views immigrants and refugees?
(1) Immigrants/refugees are still such a new phenomenon in Finland that we have trouble relating to these people in a normal societal fashion;
(2) Immigrants/refugees have little to no say in Finland and politicians/policy-makers treat them as charity. They hold minuscule political, economic and demographic weight in society.
What is most incredulous in the one-sided immigrant debate after the Sello Mall killings is that some Finns, with the tacit wanted or unwanted silent approval of some politicians, can generalize freely without almost any opposition to include all immigrants and refugees.
The truth is that the shock that the Sello Mall killings caused on Finns was equally felt by all members of our society.
One sided? Criminal policy is also one sided since politicians dont listen criminals when they talk about criminal law…
Immigrants were heard or dont you read papers?
Also most what i heard is that criminal non citizens should be kicked out and one who said that was alban and in newspaper.
-“(1) Immigrants/refugees are still such a new phenomenon in Finland that we have trouble relating to these people in a normal societal fashion;”
No, idiot immigrants and refugees are so stupid they do not grasp that they have to learn to act normally in society.
Issue again is in refusal of foreigners to accept that in Finland it is Finnish norms not Albanian or Guatemalan or American or Whateveristan.
Finns treat foreigners like rude, poorly behaving fools are treated. If foreigner wants to rise above that position, they must learn not to be rude, poorly behaving fools.
“(2) Immigrants/refugees have little to no say in Finland and politicians/policy-makers treat them as charity. They hold minuscule political, economic and demographic weight in society.”
It is DEMOCRACY! One man/woman and one vote.
You get representation your voting power permits.
Do you honestly want to create some immigrant over-class who get 10 votes per person so they do not hold such “minuscule” power?
How do you justify to yourself such blatant disregard of equality?
As for charity. Refugees ARE here on our charity. They should be grateful and try to learn to live properly in Finland instead of whining and demanding more.
Perhaps if Finland performed “refugee switch” where every whining refugee is replaced with someone still in refugee camps and whiners sent back we would see attitude correction in refugee thinking.