I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read Christian Democrat Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen’s opinion piece on Uusi Suomi about the hardships that the Romany minority face in Europe today. As she expressed concern about their plight, I could not forget her intolerant views of gays, non-Christian refugees and her silence in the face of strict family reunification laws in this country.
Räsänen hasn’t been a too friendly voice for Romanian and Bulgarian Roma who have come to Finland to beg.
Eric Erfors’ column on tabloid Expressen of Sweden didn’t give Räsänen high marks either for her views of gays, the Roma and immigrants who aren’t Christians.
Zuzeeko, a Migrant Tales associate editor, wrote in spring about how little to nothing detaining children seeking asylum for long periods of time.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone why Räsänen’s approval rating among the populist anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS) is so high.
Read full story here.
Not only has Räsänen upheld stereotypes about the Roma with her views, she has publicly defended by playing down ethnic profiling by the police.
The interior minister claimed in April last year that ethnic profiling didn’t occur in Finland because “the vast majority of foreigners look just like natives, so it’s [ethnic profiling] is not even a very sensible way to supervise aliens.”
At best Räsänen’s “concern” about the Roma reveals why so much has been said but so little done to help this minority.
As we listen to people like Räsänen speak about such shameful intolerance, it’s our own inaction and impotency speaking echoing to us.
Still can’t see the crocodile tears? Read on:
Disagree? Read on:
- Interior Minister Räsänen disagrees with findings of police report on the Romany minority
- Council of Europe concerned about ethnic profiling by police in Finland
- Let’s challenge Finland’s disgraceful family reunification obstacles
- Zuzeeko’s blog: Ask Finland’s Minister of Interior to stop detention of innocent children
- Interior minister: Far right isn’t “a big threat” despite what happened in Jyväskylä
- Feeding Somalis and poor immigrants to the loan sharks of Finland
- Aamulehti rape story: Minister Räsänen speaks out in favor of tougher sentences
- Finland’s interior minister wants to make begging illegal
- Räsänen sees no wrongdoing, ethnic profiling by police with spot identity checks
- YLE in English: Immigration rules to be tightened
- HS: Kristillisten Päivi Räsänen ottaa vastuun maahanmuuttoasioista