The power of the word and fearless investigative journalism does pay off even in countries like Finland. Today YLE published a big story about the abuses and poor treatment that asylum seekers get at the reception centers run by Luona, a private company.
Many of the claims made in the story below were published by Migrant Tales last month and got wide attention.
Some of the ordeals that asylum seekers face at some reception center in Finland, and particularly in those run by Luona, are unqualified staff, profit-hungry owners, racism, poor food, crowded quarters, insufficient medical treatment, among others.
Why aren’t other newspapers like Helsingin Sanomat interested in the plight of asylum seekers?
Even if the Finnish Immigration Service (FIS) said it will start to put under greater scrutiny how asylum centers are run in Finland, the question is why hasn’t it done this before?
Part of the answer to that question is a semi-dormant media, politicians and public that is more interested in finding ways to deport these people than to treat them with dignity while they are in Finland.
Read full story (in Finnish) here.
Recent stories by Migrant Tales on Luona:
Iraqi asylum seeker: The first Finnish word I learned was “vittu” (14.2)
Why are so many Iraqi asylum seekers abandoning Finland? (13.2)
Does Luona treat asylum seekers with dignity or as livestock? (29.1)
BOX STORY: Mohammed Saleh Muhsin (29.1)
Was the death of an Afghani asylum seeker due to negligence? (28.1)
Does Finland treat asylum seekers with dignity or as livestock? (22.1)