Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Veikko Vallin gives us a lesson in racism by definIslamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Veikko Vallin teaches us racism by defining “harmful” and beneficial migration. Vallin, who likes being called the Tampere’s Trump and boasts about how he places his money in Estonia from the Finnish tax person, bases his political program
Read on »Posts Tagged: Immigration to Finland
Family reunification: Interior Ministry calls for comments
The Finnish Ministry of the Interior recently published a working group report on the present state of family reunification of refugees and displaced persons in Finland. This report seeks to clarify the background to family reunification and to examine the prospects for amending the associated regulations. The report was prepared in response to the programme of the
Read on »YLE in English: Immigration rules to be tightened
Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen has told the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that she considers Finland’s practice in the reunification of the families of immigrants to be less strict than that of other countries. She added that while a review of immigration has only started, Finland will be imposing tougher criteria.
Read on »MailOnline: Why there is a cost to curbing immigration?
David Cameron said recently: ‘We are taking on the enemies of enterprise. The bureaucrats in government departments who concoct those ridiculous rules and regulations that make life impossible.’ And last month we had a ‘Budget for Growth’.
Read on »Talouselämä: Suurin osa maahanmuuttajista on suomalaisia
Perussuomalaisten suosio mielipidemittauksissa on houkutellut vaalien alla päivänvaloon kaikenlaisia kansalliskiihkoilevia porukoita.
Read on »Success stories of immigrants in Finland
Migrant Tales would be interested in publishing cases of immigrants and refugees that have succeeded and adapted well to Finland. There are many cases out there and we’d like to hear your story. Why? Because your example would take steam off anti-immigrant parties like the True Finns and other ones who only see red when you mention the word maahanmuuttaja.
Read on »YLE Turku: Malttia maahanmuuttokeskusteluun
Turussa toimivan Siirtolaisuusinstituutin johtaja Ismo Söderling toivoo, että puolueet välttäisivät kärjistyksiä siirtolaisuuskysymyksissä tulevien eduskuntavaalien alla. Puolueiden johtohenkilöiden olisi hyvä pitää pienimuotoinen Korpilampi-tapaaminen, jossa keskusteltaisiin avoimesti Suomen tulevista väestö- ja maahanmuuttohaasteista, ehdottaa Söderling.
Read on »Hymy: Maahanmuuttoministeri Thors: ”Pohjois-Karjala tarvitsee maahanmuuttajia!”
Maahanmuuttoministeri Astrid Thors on antanut tammikuun Hymyyn räväkän haastattelun, jossa hän puolustaa – aivan työkseen – maahanmuuttoa.
Read on »Freedom of expression and religion
What does freedom of expression mean? For me it represents a Montesquieuian framework of society where all the parts watch over the other. These checks and balances are crucial to ensure that basic civil liberties enshrined in documents such as the UN Declaration of Human Rights are vigorously defended and encouraged.
Read on »Thank the immigrants of Finland!
While some parties like the anti-immigration True Finns boast that they are responsible for bringing the debate on immigration and refugees to the national spotlight, nothing could be further from the truth.
Read on »The Finland we all want
By many standards, Finland is an exceptional country. Newsweek magazine recently named it the best country in the world according to education, quality of life, economic dynamism as well as other factors.
Read on »Immigration reveals what Finnish political parties are made of
The political field is pretty lopsided in Finland these days: left-wing parties that were “progressive” in their approach to society have now become conservative and those that were on the “right” appear to be more open to the world. The immigration debate in Finland is showing the new ideological face of these political parties.
Read on »Don’t let the “critics” hijack the immigration debate in Finland
If the one-sided immigration debate were left to a certain grup of people, we would end up in trouble. A good example is the term “critical of immigration,” maahanmuuttokriittinen, which is a funny word used to describe groups that are in fact hostile to immigration.
Read on »Finland’s Kokoomus now flirts with simplistic immigration integration models
Finland’s conservative Kokoomus youth leader, Willie Rydman, makes an incredible statement in a letter to the editor to Helsingin Sanomat: The state should not support nor fund multiculturalism because it would hinder the adaption of immigrants into our society.
Read on »BLAST FROM THE PAST 1984 (Part 2): Strange days, the experience of foreign students in Finland
Even though Strange days, the experience of foreign students in Finland was published in 1984, many of the excerpts in the book could apply to Finland today.
Read on »BLAST FROM THE PAST 1984 (Part I): Strange days, the experience of foreign students in Finland
Twenty-six years ago in 1984 Strange days, the experience of foreign students in Finland, was published by Gaudeamus. The book was the first-ever published by foreigners in Finland over the arbitrary treatment they received by the then Alien’s Office, the police and by the country in general. See part two as well.
Read on »Finnish bigotry has deep roots in ignorance
The fate of two grandmothers, Eveline Fadaylin of Egypt and Russian Irina Antonovan, is a scandalous situation that shows how civil servants and politicians run away from responsiblity and hide behind shoddy laws.
Read on »SDP-Heinäluoma anti-immigration drama: How many are threatening Finland?
After one wing of the Social Democratic Party notched closer to the anti-immigration True Finns, one should quietly ask what’s all the fuss about. SDP MP Eero Heinäluoma stated in an interview in Swedish daily HBL that Finland should not encourage labor immigrants because there are 300,000 unemployed. Fair enough, then he goes on and blames immigrants for spreading racism because “they will take Finnish jobs.”
Read on »MTV3: Being critical of immigration isn’t synonymous with being racist
I just saw an interesting article published in MTV3 on anti-immigrant pressure group Homma ry chairman, Matias Turkkila, who wants to tell us that being critical of immigration isn’t synonymous with being a racist. “(Death) threats are a sad path that one should not take,” he said. “I am against such actions, but I understand in some cases the frustration of those people that make such threats.”
Read on »(Another) disturbing Keskisuomalainen editorial
Jyväskylä-based Keskisuomalainen, which appears hellbent on enlightening us on how Finland should relate to other cultures, now dedicates an entire editorial based on two cases of circumcision practiced on children by their parents.While such operations should be only carried out by trained medical staff, it is surprising how forcibly Keskisuomalainen condemns such an act.
Read on »EDITORIAL: Are Finns ignorant about immigration?
Some claim that one should forgive some Finns for their outrageous statements on immigrants and refugees since they are fuelled by ignorance. If there are serious shortcomings in our immigration and integration policy it can be blamed on our lack of experience.
Read on »Keskisuomalainen’s incredulous editorial on immigration
Here is a good example of an editorial in Jyäskylä-based Keskisuomalainen that shows how little the top editors of the newspaper understand immigration. If the editorial were written in the Washington Post, Financial Times or El País of Madrid, the editor would probably get the boot for making negligent statements and for practising lazy opinionated journalism.
Read on »Racism is a silent ogre
I have been an exchange student living in Finland from Belgium since February. One of the matters that caught my eye in Mikkeli is racism. I have met many immigrants and foreign students who have told me about their experiences.
Read on »EDITORIAL: Has racism inflicted Finland?
Taking into account the underwhelming size of the immigrant and refugee community, what have we done wrong and why are we the focus of daily insults, racism and abuse? Even the Social Democrats, the party that has championed for the rights of the working man, has aligned itself close to the True Finns in immigration policy.
Read on »EDITORIAL: Finnish immigration debate
Is the present one-sided and passionate debate on immigration in Finland going to turn ugly? Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb poured some needed cold water on the debate by stating that it “reeks of racism, nationalism, populism, and xenophobia.”
Read on »HS Suomen Gallup: 60% feel that Finland should not take more immigrants
A poll commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest-circulation daily, and conducted by Suomen Gallup showed that close to 60% of Finns now feel that the country should not increase the number of immigrants. The corresponding percentage three years ago was 36%.
Read on »An immigrant call to change and Finnish society
Some wrongfully accuse those of speaking up for cultural diversity in Finland of “whining” and being “ingrates.” Apart from exercising one’s democratic right of free speech, bigger steps will have to be taken by minorities in Finland to drive home their message of equality and fair treatment.
Read on »The Sello Mall killings in Finland reveal a lot about our views of outsiders
The tragic events that occurred at the Sello Mall in the suburb of Leppavaara right 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.
Read on »Finland’s challenge in the new decade
The new decade will either make or break Finland. If we are not successful at attracting labor immigrants to our country to plug the ever-growing number of pensioners leaving the labor market during the 2010s, the first one to feel the impact will be the economy.
Read on »Finland’s New Identity in the New Century
What will our new identity be like in the present century as our society becomes more ethnically and culturally diverse? Will immigrants be clumped into one group and called New Finns, or will they prefer a hyphenated identity such as Iraqi-Finn?
Read on »Whose fault is high immigrant unemployment in Finland?
Even though Finland has been generous about investing on language- and culture-training course for immigrants, one should rightfully ask if the money is being spent effectively. Why is there still high unemployment among immigrants in Finland if we are spending hefty summs of tax-payers money on these types of courses?
Read on »Immigration does and must work for Finland
Some of the bloggers who visit this site believe that multiculturalism in a demographic sense is a failed project. Just because immigration has been a part of humanity since the dawn of time, some insist that a country with lots of immigrants are failed states, pointing to countries such as the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and others.
Read on »First demonstrations by foreigners in Finland
When was the first time that immigrants demonstrated for greater rights in Finland? Two major demonstrations by non-Finns took place in 1974 and 1982. The first one was by some 50 Pakistanis who marched from Turku to Helsinki because they were going to be deported by the authorities after they came with expectations of finding work in Finland.
Read on »The building of Finnish national identity within a multicultural society
One of the matters that some Finns who read the many comments in this blog should try to understand is that cultural diversity or multiculturalism should not be perceived as a threat but as an opportunity. For some Finns, who see foreigners as a threat to our culture, this fear can be best explained through
Read on »What does Obama’s victory mean for Finland?
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Martin Luther King One of the surprising matters of the US presidential elections was not that a black American was
Read on »A futuristic solution to the integration of foreigners in Finland
Owing to the recalcitrant attitude of some readers of this blog that foreigners are a threat to Finland and that they should throw away their culture and embrace Finnish ways and life, for them I would like to propose a futuristic model of integration. Finnish technology firms should start thinking about investing time in building
Read on »Kauhajoki, Finland, killer — the darker side of a man
The fatal shooting of 10 classmates by Matti J. Saari, 22, in Kauhajoki in western Finland came as a shock. It was only in November that another young Finnish man went on the rampage in Jokela and killed and injured a number of his classmates. Certainly a lot of questions clamor for an answer: Why?
Read on »Finland’s difficult quest for foreign laborers
In a recent article in the London Financial Times. there is an article about how Finland is aiming to become a magnet for foreign laborers. While this is understandable, taking into account Finland’s aging population and the shortage of workers in some sectors of the economy, the country’s policy makers still have a lot of
Read on »Finland of Mayberry syndrome
Mayberry used to be an imaginary town in North Carolina where the 1960s sitcom called The Andy Griffith Show took place. In this make-believe town and world, life was simple, traditional values were cherished, and people respected and cared for each other. There were two sitcoms during that decade that portrayed the same world view
Read on »Being an immigrant in Finland: A letter from Ida
I do not usually do this. But I thought it was such a candid comment that I had to bring it to all of your attention. It reveals, in my opinion, what some foreigners feel about Finnish society but do not dare to say too loudly in public. Thank you Ida, I hope others follow
Read on »The aim of the Migrant Tales blog
Owing to the traffic that this blog has generated, I have decided on the following code of conduct: 1) This is NOT a forum to further the mistaken causes of racism, xenophobia, cultural nationalism and stereotypes of ANY group irrespective of their background, nationality and/or creed. 2) The blog aims to become a forum that
Read on »Placing Finnish immigration policy on an effective path
I never thought that a few posts trying to look at such an issue like discrimination in Finland could inflame debate. If anything, it shows that there is a problem in this area. I have lived long enough in Finland and studied its culture since a child to know the challenges facing this country. If
Read on »Finland’s multicultural challenge in the 21st century
Just like when Finland won its independence from the former Soviet Union in the last century, the country will face new challenges to its cultural identity. In the 20th century, after December 6, 1917, when Finland gained its cherished independence, there was a lot of work done to exert Finnish culture and wipe out the
Read on »Foreigners will help Finns see who they are
My father, who moved to Europe from Argentina at the age of 21in the early 1950s, told me that he never learned so much about himself except when he became a foreigner. In the same manner, and as more foreigners move to Finland, can they help us see the positive and negative aspects of our
Read on »Some questions about immigration to Finland
Many thanks to all of you that have taken so actively part in the debate on immigration to Finland. There have been a wide spectrum of opinions over the issue. The most positive matter that these comments have shown is that we can debate them in a civil fashion. But there are some questions that
Read on »Where will Finland get foreign workers?
I took part in a very interesting seminar in June on foreigners in Finland. Here are some conclusions from that seminar on what real challenges Finland faces with respect to its aging population and luring foreign workers to the country. 1) It will be VERY difficult for Finland to attract qualified labor from other countries.
Read on »Finland also locks up asylum seeker children
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- A child in the Joutseno Immigration Removal Center.
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