The reception center of Mänttä-Vilpula is closing at the end of 2020. All asylum seekers at the reception center were told that they will be relocating/ transferring to reception centers in other cities.
Some of the asylum seekers are currently studying at Mänttä school and are permitted to stay and continue their studies in the city. They were relocated to new living quarters a week ago. This means that 75€ from their monthly social benefits of 315€ will go to only paying rent.
The payment for rent is withdrawn from their bank account in advance.
But the agreement with the asylum seekers to live elsewhere was canceled without prior notice by the manager of the reception center. Two Afghan asylum seekers went to their new flat after school on Thursday and noted that they could not open the door because it was locked from the inside. Some employees of the reception center were inside their flat. The asylum seekers were told to come back in an hour.
When they returned, three security guards were inside the flat. Both asylum seekers were shocked and panicked because all their belongings were packed and ordered to get ready and move to another city!
One of the asylum seekers had a panic attack and collapsed on the floor. All the employees, include three security guards, witnessed what happened and called the police instead of an ambulance!
The police came and tied the hand of the asylum seeker but noticed shortly that he had panic and could not move at all. An ambulance came but they rejected to do anything and left the flat. After one hour, another ambulance took the asylum seeker to the first-aid center.
Some of the asylum seeker’s friends were there and the nurses told them that they he should leve the center because there is nothing they can do for him even if the Afghan suspected he had suffered a stroke.
Fortunately, he was taken to a hospital and the nurses suggested that he’d be checked in a psychiatric clinic next week.
Both afghan asylums include others as well who are studying at school in Mänttä city and paying such a high amount of their monthly aid for rent.
This is the story told to me by 3 persons. There are some tough questions that must be asked to the manager of the reception center!
- What does privacy mean to you?
- Why did you go to their flat and packed all their belongings while they were at school?
- Why did you call the police instead of an ambulance when one of the asylum seekers suffered a panic attack?
- Why were there security guards and did this worsen the situation and created a stressful situation for the asylum seekers?
- Have you thought about what will happen to their studies if they transfer in the middle of year?
- What would be your reaction if this happened to you or to one of your family members?