Then Perussuomalaiset (PS)* head Timo Soini celebrated the party’s historic 2011 election victory as a “jytky,” or a loud bang. We may witness in April a counter “jytky.” I live in a small city of about 53,000 people 230km north of Helsinki’s capital. It is a good example of the demographic challenges facing Finland. Occasionally,
Read on »Posts Tagged: xenophobia
Voting down the Perussuomalaiset in April is the best indication that matters have changed for the better
Despite the fake claims by parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, Finland has historically done everything possible to halt foreigners from moving to Finland. It was not until 1983, or 65 years that Finland passed its first aliens act. Restrictions on foreigners and foreign companies were the rule. Did you know that even if women had
Read on »The PS’ extremism is poison for its election prospects
Living inside an Islamophobic bubble is like pissing in your pants during a freezing day. At first, it may offer relief, but then reality sets in. The PS’ tar-and-feather campaign against migrants and minorities is hitting new lows. Since the rise of the PS in the major leagues of Finnish politics after 2011, the present
Read on »Do Finnish voters want a toxic cocktail of masochism and xenophobia in April’s election?
The latest opinion poll published Thursday by Yle shows three important matters: Support for the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) and Perussuomalaiset (PS)* slip while the Social Democrats regain second place. Another takeaway is the Greens, which took over the Center Party to capture fourth place. In my opinion, two reasons for the big drop in
Read on »Finland’s radical-right party’s xenophobic copy and paste of Denmark’s hardline immigration policy
There is nothing new in the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* immigration program announced Monday. A surprise for me was that the PS hardline stance means ALL migrants. Previously, I thought the term “migrant” used by the PS was code for Muslims or persons from outside the EU. If the PS had its way, it would completely overhaul
Read on »Riikka Purra and the anti-EU PS may be too radical for Finland’s taste
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairperson, Riikka Purra, stuck her mouth in her foot at a debate with National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) head Petteri Orpo, when she said that it is still the radical-right party’s long-range aim to leave the EU. “Finnish citizens are not in favor of leaving the EU,” she was quoted as saying in Helsingin
Read on »Sanna Marin: Bravo for stating that the PS is a racist party! Better late than never.
Politicians like Prime Minister Sanna Marin have offered long-overdue leadership when challenging racism in Finnish politics by stating what many know: The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* is a racist party. “Looking at the speeches of individual [PS] MPs, these speeches have been racist and genuinely hostile to certain minorities,” said Marin in a debate with Petteri Orpo,
Read on »Riikka Purra: I am a racist and proud of it!
After the leaders of the Social Democrats, Greens, and Left Alliance announced that they would not form part of a future government with the radical-right Perussuomalaiset (PS),* Riikka Purra has lashed out against her party’s critics. The latest racist taking points of the PS is excluding foreigners from getting social welfare and creating a modern
Read on »No comment, silence, not even a squeak from Kokoomus about plans to officially disenfranchise foreigners in Finland
THE STORY WAS UPDATED Being a minority in Finland is being nearly always suspicious of official intentions. Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairperson Riikka Purra reiterated her party’s aim to exclude foreign residents from getting social welfare. According to her, the only ones who qualify for social welfare are Finnish citizens. The radical-right politician added that such plans
Read on »Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö panders (again) to the racists
“That’s the central issue, people who want to be here need to accept our core values: democracy, equality, human rights and all of that. If they don’t, they can’t stay in Finland.” President Sauli Niinistö in Yle News During the many years I have written about President Sauli Niinistö, he has always disappointed me. For
Read on »Migrant Tales Media Monitoring: Don’t cry Finland if you don’t like migrants
Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest-circulation daily, writes in an editorial about why the country needs labor migrants to secure economic growth and services offered by the welfare state. We are at a critical crossroads: It is the first time in history that more people die than there are newborns. While the editorial invites debate on Finland’s
Read on »Sweden’s election and UK PM Liz Truss’ demise are a warning to Finland’s National Coalition Party
Populism is a good way to win elections but an impossible way to govern. Eugene Robinson How far will right-wing parties like the Moderate Party of Sweden go to make a pact with their political devils? How much populism and empty nationalism led to the demise of UK Prime Minister Liz Truss? These are valid
Read on »Migrant Tales Media Monitoring: Yle spikes it up with parties that promote fear and uses their xenophobic labels
Yle’s reported Tuesday building a border fence between Finland and Russia. Reporting from Estonia’s capital Tallinn, Yle reporter Rain Kooli said that the wall between Estonia and Russia was to stop migrants – not asylum seekers – and illegal migrants. The project, which the Finnish Border Guard is spearheading, will cost hundreds of millions of
Read on »Migrant Tales Media Monitoring: An example of Yle zzz journalism
Journalism is a tough job that forces one to stay on its toes. On Thursday on A-Talk we heard the opinions of four MPs of the Left Alliance, Social Democrats, National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), and the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* if Finland was heading towards a debt crisis and spending cutbacks. There was nothing new from PS
Read on »The PS and Riikka Purra pile it high and deep
Here is an example of a discriminatory and spiteful message by the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party head, Riikka Purra. With parliamentary elections in April, she and the PS are ratcheting up their xenophobic message. “A foreigner is entitled to social welfare when making 716 euros a month. Such a [benchmark] was given the green light
Read on »Finland is a country swept once again off its feet by xenophobia
Watching the parliamentary question-and-answer session between the opposition and government revealed two matters: the opposition’s xenophobic politicking and the government’s sometimes infirm responses. The debate between the opposition and the government occasionally appears like a shouting match, where the government caves into the opposition. In a historic government decision on the same day, Finland closed its
Read on »Fan or hate mail to Migrant Tales
Whenever I get fan or hate mail, I wonder why they never sign them with their names. I normally don’t publish hate mail but this will be an exception. The one below is by KKK Molly, at least it is what’s on her email address. I wonder what “KKK” stand for? Ku Klux Klan, maybe?
Read on »Denmark takes another shot of steroids for its xenophobia
Denmark, the Nordic region’s most Islamophobic country, plans to tighten (again) its immigration laws by deporting all foreigners who are handed prison sentences, according to DR of Denmark. DR writes that the government wants to introduce changes in the law so that any foreigner slapped with an unconditional prison sentence will be deported. “Today, a
Read on »Helsingin Sanomat editorial and the real reason why the Perussuomalaiset do well in parliamentary elections
A short editorial by Helsingin Sanomat Thursday warns that the 1.3 percentage point rise in the recent opinion poll of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party may force other parties to latch on to Islamophobic rhetoric. The PS’ pet themes today are high electricity and gas prices at the pumps and others, which it did not specify. Even if
Read on »Will Nato membership for Finland be good for migrants and minority rights?
If truth Is the first casualty in war, then the second casualty is the loss of your civil rights. Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin are due to announce Thursday that Finland should join Nato “without delay,” according to The Guardian. While Finland’s security concerns are valid enough for its giant eastern neighbor
Read on »Exposing white Finnish privilege #83: War doesn’t give a hoot if you are white or black
The war in Ukraine is like a sinister brew boiling over death, destruction, tragedy, hatred, and xenophobia. Apart from the shock and horror, our double standards and jingoism stand out as a stark reminder that we have done little to challenge the very social ills that caused the deaths of tens of millions of people
Read on »Millions of Ukrainians are coming. How long will it take before our goodwill turns into open hostility?
Remember 2015, when some 1.3 million million asylum seekers came to Europe from countries like Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia? Europe says welcome! Tervetuloa (welcome)! Meillä on tilaa (there is room for you)! After the initial outpouring of support and understanding for these people fleeing wars that we had started, attitudes took an abrupt turn for
Read on »Ukrainians battle against the Russians but do little with the Poles to fight racism
Shameful and racist treatment. Ukrainian train conductors push back on Africans fleeing the war while Polish border officials don’t permit Africans to enter Poland, reports The Guardian. Just like when Poland fenced out Middle East asylum seekers in November from entering the country, which even led to the death of children from hyperthemia, Africans are facing the same
Read on »Keep it up, Riikka Purra, don’t stop now. Kick out all the migrants and “let God sort ’em out.”
There are a lot of baffled faces at the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party. “Did you see our regional election result?!” one asks while the other states: “A Yle poll saw us nosedive by 3.3 percentage points to 15%. and now Helsingin Sanomat reinforces the latter.” In our opinion, the PS is a far-right party that
Read on »PS chair of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee resigns after “careless” Ukraine tweet
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP and head of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Mika Nikko, resigned today after he tweeted that come Western leader should assure Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine must not join Nato. The tweet, which was in conflict with Finland’s foreign policy, was deleted. Even so, it had created quite a stir and
Read on »Seinäjoki police wrapping up their suspected hate crime investigation. Charges are expected this month.
The Seinäjoki police, which had taken over a year and eight months to investigate a crime when Fares Al-Obaidi was attacked by over ten people from the Western Finnish town of Teuva, plans to bring charges this month, according to the victim. The incident happened on June 6, 2020 when over ten suspected townspeople from
Read on »Remember Jari Sillantie of the Kolari asylum reception center and coming out of the Islamophobic closet
I do, and very vividly. Jari Sillantie was the deputy manager of the northern Finland Kolari asylum reception center that sacked him after some 140 asylum seekers protested his management style. Even if his management style and Facebook “likes” did not reveal his attraction to the Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, they did speak volumes about
Read on »Migrant Tales Literary: Finland does not accept asylum seekers any longer
By Leo Honka On ships, On foot, By bus, By plane, By car, By bike, With hope, Everyone conspires to leave where the floodlights comb the state of siege. Whoever writes about pain, in my country, is slain, tortured on the street left starving fed to your racism. Don’t sing me any lullabies! Don’t hand
Read on »Twitter (Veikko Vallin): A racist lesson on types of migrants
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 »The sources of Finland’s far-right problem: downplaying and denial
“The main agents of ideological violence are not isolated ‘lone wolves’ but are usually interconnected with communities, non-violent agents and legal entities, at times even including connections to law enforcement personnel.” Mihai Varga Over two weeks have elapsed since the police announced the detention of five white-Finn terrorist suspects in the Western Finnish city of Kankaanpää.
Read on »Downplaying and whitewashing the far-right threat in Finland
It is disappointing to note that it took Finland’s largest daily, Helsingin Sanomat, five days to write an editorial on the threat posed by the far-right after the detention of five white Finns on Friday. Considering the media attention and general outrage in general that Abderrahman Mechkah knife attack caused in Turku in 2017, a
Read on »A Finnish Islamophobic party’s recipe for inclusion and ethnic understanding
Since the 2011 parliamentary elections, which saw the Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party win 39 starts from 5 seats previously, it has systematically tarred and feathered migrants, especially Muslims, people of color, and specific minorities. Should you be surprised that all PS MPs elected in 2019 based their campaign on an anti-immigration message. The PS demands
Read on »Racists at the Mikkeli bus stop
I hadn’t heard the statement, “I’m a racist,” for a long time. Even so, two middle-aged women were chatting in Mikkeli loudly about how bad migrants were. I intervened because silence is a total cop-out. “Are you a racist,” I asked one of the women. “Yes, I’m a racist,” she snapped. “You should be ashamed
Read on »Shameless Europe does not care if you live or die
We cannot just snuggle here and see who comes to the border. We must promote the values of the EU with greater determination because without these values we are worthless. Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen We just read about the tragic death of 27 people when attempting to cross the English Channel. One of
Read on »At times like this, I am ashamed of Finland and the EU
The so-called migrant crisis with Belarus offers Lukashenko and Putin an opportunity and EU politicians tools to fearmonger and score brownie points with voters. Isn’t it odd how one-sided the news is about the refugee crisis at the Belarus border? Most of the opposition politicians, especially from the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), believe that harsh
Read on »What did PS’ Veikko Vallin say at the Tampere city council meeting?
Do we need to know the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP’s track record and what he has said about asylum seekers, Muslims, people of color, and other minorities in the past? His tirade against asylum seekers was so racist that the Left Alliance bloc threatened to leave the meeting if Vallin didn’t stop talking. Vallin, an avid
Read on »The cracks are beginning to show
Islamophobia and other forms of racism are for some politicians their gateway to power and infamy. Watching part of the firey debate Wednesday in parliament that led to a vote of confidence for the government, one wonders what some politicians, especially with the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, have in their heads. The saddest matter was the
Read on »Dismantle institutional racism and myths if you want people to adapt to Finland
The ongoing discussion in Finland about our ever-growing cultural and ethnic diversity is grounded on two misleading assertions that hide the core problem: language is the magic bullet to become a part of society, and white Finnish society is innocent – if you don’t adapt it’s because of you. Heikki Turkka of Children of the
Read on »The magic word for Finland’s future success rests on change and inclusion
Finland is in a bind, and we have heard these for a long time: Finland’s population is aging, and there is an ever-growing need for foreign labor. Our answer to these challenges is not only disappointing but leaving our future to chance. Why is there such a negative and suspicious attitude towards foreigners in Finland?
Read on »PS’ Riikka Purra feeds Afghans to the dogs
The new chairperson of the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, Riikka Purra, will soon be calling out the knives. In her latest tweet, she reveals her radical cruelty against the vulnerable. In the Tweet below, she feeds the Afghans to the dogs and shows the worst of Finland. No experts, human rights activists, defenders of the
Read on »Riikka Purra is a poor copy of Jussi Halla-aho
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Jussi Halla-aho’s heir-apparent appears to be the party’s first vice-president, Riikka Purra. While Halla-aho has swung the party to the far-right and encouraging xenophobia, Purra has parroted the PS leader’s racist soundbites but with questionable results. Like Halla-aho, Purra loathes Muslims and people of color. So much so, in fact, that she warned
Read on »The media must fact-check what xenophobic politicians spread and claim
THIS STORY WAS UPDATED It is a good sign that some Finnish media like Yle are fact-checking what politicians say. However, it is a bit too late because the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* have built their popularity on making false claims about migrants. I’m pretty certain that if we were to do a fact-check on all the
Read on »My long journey to Finnish citizenship: Issues and the Supo interview
Ever wondered the source of the strong undercurrent of xenophobia in present-day Finland? The answer is in its history. During independence, Finland has been quite an unfriendly country towards foreigners. The Restricting Act of 1939 speaks volumes. Did you know that Finland passed its first immigration act in 1983 or about 66 years after gaining
Read on »My long journey to Finnish citizenship
Like many children of Finnish parents, I, too, spent summers in the countryside with my grandparents. During all of these years, I thought, incorrectly, that I was a Finnish citizen or had a right to citizenship. I was wrong. Until 1984, children of Finnish men had the right to pass on citizenship to their children.
Read on »Covid-19 is the oxygen that the PS breathes to grow in Finland
How much is the Covid-19 pandemic impacting in a positive manner the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party? This is not a trivial question considering that the party, which has built its voter base and message on racism, leads in the polls. What future does the PS have when the Covid-19 pandemic subsides? Will it be a
Read on »Remember the Muslim youth violently attacked by a group of enraged townspeople of Teuva?
Remember Fares Al-Obaidi, 19, who was chased and violently attacked on Saturday, June 6, by a gang of angry residents of Teuva, a town in Western Finland? Six months have passed since that terrible incident, and no charges have been brought yet against the alleged attackers. “The fact that I know nothing about my case
Read on »Sometimes the media, like HS, waters the poisonous flower of xenophobia
The headline of a Helsingin Sanomat article sparked fear on Tuesday: “Over one hundred dangerous youths wander in downtown Helsinki – according to experts, this is a new phenomenon caused by migration.” When the Helsingin Sanomat story was published, it spread fear and with it xenophobia. Is the newspaper article true? In the first place,
Read on »Twitter (Amin A Alem): COVID-19 and the racialization of Others
As xenophobic parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party blame visible minorities for growing coronavirus infections, the same is being spread by people by people who should know better. The rise of a racist party like the PS during the 2010s, which reinforced many Finns’ xenophobic views, suggests that labeling and racializing will continue to pick
Read on »Moving to Europe was the right decision in 1978 even if my great grandfather is still turning in his grave
My great grandfather Dante Tessieri and his future wife, Aida Guaimonti, sailed from Italy in the 1890s to Brazil. Dante was a learned man, a physicist, and an anarchist that housed strong political opinions. He was forced to leave Italy, like many millions of his countrymen, because of political reasons. Of all my great grandparents,
Read on »Kokoomus’ perilous path, caving into far-right populism and xenophobia
Conservative parties like the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) are on a dangerous path putting in peril human rights and the rule of law. The latest suggestion by Kokoomus parliamentary group leader, Kai Mykkänen, to pass legislation so Finland could suspend asylum applications like Greece is worrying. The Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party clutched political power in
Read on »Tampere police highlight in a statement that the suspect isn’t “a person of foreign origin.” WTF?!
A 10-year-old child in a department store in Tampere was attacked by a man with a knife. The suspect took two swings at the child but his father was able to stop the attack. Even if the suspect was a white Finn, and fearing a social media storm on social media, the police announced that
Read on »Facebook (Hami Bahadori): A racially motivated hate crime?
Migrant Tales insight: This very sad story caught our attention. We are sorry to hear this and hope the police catch the perpetrators.
Read on »Case PS Youth: Another racist ad, another provocation, another attempt to get attention
The racism that originates from the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and their youth chapter is no surprise. The latest posting by the PS Youth is just another example of how they get attention.
Read on »Migrant Tales dedicates the following video to Finnish “let them drown” Euro election candidates
Here is a video Migrant Tales would like to dedicate to the “let them drown” Euro election candidates. Did you know that 36.3% of Finnish MEP candidates who answered (85/234) Alma Media’s election compass stated that they either “strongly disagree,” “disagree” or are “neutral” (have no opinion) about the following claim: “Is it the obligation
Read on »Austria’s far-right scandal and Laura Huhtasaari selfies with Matteo Salvini
What a Saturday! Austria’s far-right FPÖ vice chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache resigns after a video published by two German newspapers offered damaging evidence of him allegedly offering government contracts in return for political support from Moscow, reports The Guardian.
Read on »Part 2: Mental impact and reality of everyday exclusion
In a Migrant Tales’ recent article based on a Maailman Kuvalehti report about the mental suffering of daily racism, we promised some “no filtered” outtakes from interviews with those affected. You can read the first piece, Part I: Racism causes trauma and mental suffering,here. Eight cases, eight migrants, eight stories, about life in Finland: “You
Read on »ERR News: Le Pen caught “unaware” of the meaning of the white power sign
The leader of the far-right Front National Marine Le Pen was caught “unaware” of the meaning of a white power sign in a selfie taken with Estonian far-right EKRE member Ruuben Kaalep, according to ERR News of Estonia.
Read on »Sonia Maria Koo: EU freedoms paralyzed by Finnish xenophobia
Finnish election campaigns make it hard to stay calm even for a tax-paying, diligent, well-educated and fluent in local language EU-citizen with two decades of history in this inward-turning country showing more and more its ugly face of xenophobia and hatred.
Read on »Suva: A poster that says everyhing about xenophobia
Editor’s note: On behalf of Migrant Tales, I would like to welcome Suva to our blog community. His creativeness won’t abandon you. After seeing his work, you may feel like being part of a large community made up of Others. His artwork is powerful. It has such an impact on some that they crave to
Read on »Facebook Léo Custódio: Racist party in Finland and the world’s happiest country
Migrant Tales insight: Remember when Finland was named the happiest country in the world by the UN? I am certain that factors like income, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, trust and generosity may contribute to people’s well-being. Even so, Léo Custódio, a researcher, asks an important question in light of the latest opinion polls: A party that openly victimizes and which socially excludes migrants from being equal members of society is today the third-biggest in the “world’s happiest country.”
Read on »Jussi Halla-aho reinforced in today’s Yle interview why the Perussuomalaiset is a xenophobic populist far right party
Thursday evening Yle interviewed Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairperson Jussi Hallo-aho, a candidate for MP in next month’s elections and who built his political career on racism and Islamophobia. His performance was poor but it proved once again why the PS is a far-right party.
Read on »One step forward for Islamophobes and two steps back for the Finnish media
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, convicted for ethnic agitation and sexual harassment, is on the roll with the media again. This time, the PS MP has taped on his car anti-immigration slogans like “stop refugee terrorism – out of this country every [asylum seeker] man.”
Read on »NCP’s Petteri Orpo and his infamous xenophobic and anti-immigration statements
Economy Minister Petteri Orpo, who is also the chairperson of the National Coalition Party (NCP), was and is instrumental for having tightened Finland’s immigration policy when he was the interior minister (2015-2016). As a minister in Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, he was instrumental in undermining the rights of asylum seekers and migrant community.
Read on »Sampo Terho says clean up the mess his party created thanks to tighter asylum laws
What is the difference between the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and Blue Reform party? With respect to racism, the PS is definitely with gusto while Blue Reform is gusto with a tie. Both are racist parties that aim to undermine migrants, minorities and Others from having a greater voice in Finland.
Read on »WARNING: RACIST CONTENT – Halla-aho announces that anti-immigration will be the PS’ main campaign theme
With parliamentary elections a heartbeat away on April 14, the populist far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party announced that anti-immigration will be their main campaign theme. Are we surprised? Not in the bit. PS Chairperson Jussi Halla-aho was quoted as saying in Yle that at the present rate, Finland’s immigration policy will destroy present levels of social welfare, undermine
Read on »Count to ten when people talk about migrants “embracing Finnish values”
I will count to ten very slowly if I hear one more time, just one more time from a politician, that migrants should embrace Finnish values. Most of them, when they make that ethnocentric statement, don’t tell us never mind give us a clue what those “Finnish values” are. Do they even know?
Read on »WARNING RACIST CONTENT: The “successful” Chinese, Vietnamese versus the “unsuccessful” Other
Remember the myth spread by the Finnish media from the 1980s that the Vietnamese were a model of adaption in Finland? The latest story published by Helsingin Sanomat about well-adapted Chinese is a repeat of a story that the daily published in 2015 about the Vietnamese.
Read on »Islamophobia and xenophobia on steroids: Jussi Halla-aho’s latest column in MTV
The Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairperson, Jussi Halla-aho, who was convicted of ethnic agitation and breaching the sanctity of religion in 2012, is a columnist for television station MTV. Two matters emerge when skimming through his latest column: The media is part of Finland’s racism problem; and the PS is the first modern Finnish party to capitalize exclusively on immigration, especially Islamophobia.
Read on »Prime Minister Juha Sipilä: Asylum seekers should take exam on Finnish values
Ratcheting up suspicion and polarization in Finland against asylum seekers and migrants, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä said over the weekend that he favors giving refugees should take an entrance exam on Finnish values like bodily integrity before getting residence permits, according to Yle.
Read on »Finnish white privilege #59: In this country, you are guilty until proven innocent
Interior Minister Kai Mykkänen and the government are using the same tactics as the Nazis in World War 2 but in a different context. The government is not rounding up people and killing them in cold blood but punishing them severely for the crimes others did. Imagine the migrant community of Finland, especially Muslims and
Read on »The media of Finland is part of the country’s Islamophobia and racism problem
Journalists and newspapers in Finland, especially tabloids like Iltalehti, Ilta-Sanomat and state broadcaster YLE, are prime examples of not only white Finnish privilege but of white Finnish overkill and rage.
Read on »Migrant Tales’ first-ever “WARNING: ISLAMOPHOBIC AND XENOPHOBIC CONTENT ON STEROIDS (Katie Hopkins, Tiina Wiik and Junnes Lokka)
Katie Hopkins, the former columnist who got the boot from the Daily Mail and who has had to pay exorbitant sums for defamation, visited Oulu this week and was the special guests of Tiina Wiik and Junnes Lokka, both who have made a name in the same way as Hopkins – by spreading bigotry and Islmophobia.
Read on »White Finnish privilege #56: How Islamophobic is Finland?
Ever thought why political parties like the Perussuomalaiset,* Blue Reform and individual politicians from other parties, especially from the National Coalition Party, are so keen at pointing the finger at Muslims? Do they do so because they are racists? Opportunists? Political gold diggers?
Read on »Police Uiversity College: Hate crimes rise in 2017 by 8% to 1,165 cases on year
Hate crimes* that were reported to the police in Finland during 2017 rose by 7.97% to 1,165 cases compared with 1,079 cases the previous year, according to the Finnish Police University College.
Read on »European Agency of Fundamental Rights: Finland has the most racial harassment cases against PAD of 12 EU countries surveyed
A new study by the European Agency of Fundamental Rights (FRA) reveals that a third of people of African descent (PAD) surveyed have experienced racial harassment in the last five years. That’s not all: Perceived racist harassment was highest in Finland (63%) and least prevalent in Malta 20% (see chart below).
Read on »Finland knows that it is in demographic hot water but leaves its future woes to chance
A new forecast by Statistics Finland tells us what we’ve known for a long time: We are in demographic hot water and our population will start to shrink and get older, according to YLE News. Net immigration will maintain present population levels at 5.6 million until 2035, but will decline to 5.5 million in the 2050s.
Read on »White Finnish nationalism and racism reveal themselves on Father’s Day
Today people of all backgrounds celebrated Father’s Day in Finland. A Johannes Sipola, who is the chairperson for Lapland of the anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Youth, had another opinion and tweeted: “A happy Father’s day to all white fathers.” It’s incredible to what lengths and ignorance some will dive in order get attention. Sipola is a good example
Read on »The PS and Blue Reform of Finland are an aberration and should be voted out in 2019
I have never believed or trusted the Perussuomalaiset (PS),* even if some were willing to give them the benefit of the doubt after their historic win in the 2011 parliamentary elections. Some claimed that it would only be a matter of time when they imploded. The implosion of the party happened in June 2017, or six
Read on »Challenging Finland’s racism problem:Raise your voice, trust yourself, and don’t succumb to fear and self-censorship
When I moved to Finland over forty years ago, there were only about 10,000 foreigners living in the country. The biggest national group were the Swedes, who were mostly Finns who had become naturalized citizens of that country. One of the questions we asked back then was about the level of racism in Finland.
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: Stop debating with fascists and racists
Migrant Tales insight: Aleksander Hemon states in his eloquent article about fascism that we should not waste any time debating but that “it is a set of actions to fight.” In the essay, he admits feeling guilty and ashamed of his cowardice and naivety that just talking to a fascist might bring him back. In
Read on »S. Ukkola’s colorblind racism, white fragility, expose a wider problem of Finnish society
Sanna Ukkola, a YLE journalist married to Matias Turkkila, the editor of the xenophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party publication Suomen Uutiset, not only exposes in a column colorblind racism* and white fragility, but wider issues about Finnish society on racism, ethnicity, and identity.
Read on »Xenophobic and pro-Russia online publication MV-lehti founder Ilja Janitskin slapped with 22-month prison sentence
Migrant Tales applauds the sentencing by the Helsinki District Court on Thursday of Ilja Janitski, the founder of the xenophobic website MV-lehti and Uber Uutiset, on 16 criminal charges. Janitski was handed a twenty-two-month prison sentence and with two others found guilty, was ordered to pay the biggest share of damages amounting to 136,000 euros.
Read on »Anti-immigration stances and policies of the United Kingdom will lead to its breakup
What three countries are officially multicultural? They are Canada, Australia and the UK. In the case of Canada and the UK, these countries adopted multiculturalism as a social policy to avert the breakup of their countries.
Read on »How the Finnish police fuel mistrust and erode credibility with migrants and ethnic minorities
The Finnish police servicer held a seminar on Wednesday on migrant surveillance. NGOs like Stop Deportations and Refugees Welcome expressed outrage and published some PowerPoint slides shown at the seminar by the Helsinki Police department responsible for immigration matters.
Read on »YLE of Finland changes picture of niqab-wearing woman after objections. The new picture still instills fear of asylum seekers.
YLE published on Wednesday a story about what different parties’ positions are on migration and cultural diversity. The picture that the state-owned broadcaster chose was, in our opinion, a poor example of opinionated journalism that fuels fear and racism.
Read on »Sloppy Finnish journalism that plays into fearmongering and xenophobia
Below, is one example of many of how media like the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) fuel racism and fear of asylum seekers in Finland. Asylum seekers and Muslims form a small part of Finland’s total immigration picture. Why do they give so much attention to them? If the story is to look at each parties’
Read on »Blue Reform’s Sampo Terho of Finland and his politically ambidextrous misbeliefs
Blue Reform* minister for European affairs, culture and sports, Sampo Terho is politically ambidextrous: He can say one thing and state a totally different thing. It is like coming out of the closet and going back in. The opportunism in such ambidextrous behavior is believing that others don’t notice. And we do. In the statement
Read on »Anti-refugee sentiment in Finland and politicians who capitalize on fear and racism
A new survey by PEW Research Center shows that there is wide support in several EU countries for taking in refugees. The report shows that Spain is the most welcoming while Poland and Hungary are the least responsive.
Read on »How would we classify Finland’s immigration and asylum policy? Thumbs up, or down?
Just like President Donald Trump has destroyed the US’ standing in the world, what wreckage has Finland’s immigration and asylum policy brought on our society and our country’s name?
Read on »The bad and good news after Sweden’s 2018 parliamentary elections
There is good and bad news after Sunday’s parliamentary elections. The bad news is that the far-right Sweden Democrat saw its support rise by 4.7 percentage points to 17.6% compared with the elections in 2014, according to Svenska Dagbladet. The good news – if it can be considered as such – is that the result was well below expectations.
Read on »(Migrant Tales 12.2.2017): Dear Sweden, don’t play ball with the Sweden Democrats – Finland is the best example of the disaster that awaits you
Dear Sweden, In all of the Nordic region, we have seen far-right populist parties rise in this century with a hostile even vicious anti-immigration and anti-cultural diversity agenda. Of all the Nordic countries, you are the only one in the Nordic region where populist anti-immigration parties have not formed directly or indirectly a part of government.
Read on »Finland’s speaker of parliament stokes the white Christian flames of “us” and “them”
Conservative National Coalition Party speaker of parliament, Paula Risikko, was quoted as saying in Senäjoki-based daily Ilkka that she is concerned about the role of Christians in Finland. “Was it easier before to be religious,” she was quoted as asking in Keskisuomalainen. “For example, it’s not as easy today to bring one’s religious views at
Read on »Finland’s ministry of the interior will (alas) launch an independent inquiry of Migri
Conservative National Coalition Party Minister of the Interior Kai Mykkänen announced Friday that an independent inquiry of the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) will be launched, according to YLE. The minister said, however, that the independent inquiry should not be seen as a lack of trust in Migri’s work, which has had to process some 45,000
Read on »Brexit-inflicted UK is so racist that even white Europeans are targets of racism and rage
It would be wrong to conclude that Brexit is the cause of the racism we are witnessing today in the United Kingdom. Surprised? Not really. What would you expect from a country that has a dark history in global domination, exploitation, and genocide? The common thinking of some people about the United Kingdom is that
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: How anti-diversity and Islamophobic is Finland?
“One of the big denials that one still hears a lot in Finland is its denial of the rise of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, an Islamophobic party that won 39 seats in the parliamentary elections of 2011 from just 5 MPs in previously. There was an ongoing debate after 2011 within the PS on what caused its historic election victory. Then party leader Timo Soini claimed it was anti-EU sentiment while its present leader, Jussi Halla-aho, claimed it was the PS’ Islamophobic stance.
Read on »Dutch foreign minister offers excuses for racism and “failures of multiculturalism”
The interview below with Dutch foreign minister, Stef Blok, is another prime example of why racism, bigotry, and discrimination continue to list high on the European shame board. The interview, where Blok tells us how “multiculturalism has failed,” reveals another excuse why racism is deeply ingrained in Europe. .
Read on »Argentina’s issues with whitewashing and genocide. Like the crimes committed during the dirty war, they too should be addressed.
When I was young, I remember very well the racism of the Argentines. A friend of mine from Rosario highlighted this racism in the following example: An porteño (a resident of the capital Buenos Aires) told his friends that he was going to travel to South America as if Buenos Aires was surrealistically still a part of Europe.
Read on »Where is the outcry for the Danish government’s assimilation plans of migrant children?
Denmark’s xenophobic and especially Islamophobic government plans to regulate by law the life in 25 low-income Muslim neighborhoods. The message is clear and should cause outrage but we have not heard a humble finger lifted by the European Union about the government’s forced assimilation plan.
Read on »Viktor Orbán is one of the many scary faces of Europe’s violent and racist legacy
After the FIDEZ-KDNP alliance gave Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán 133 our of 199 seats in the April parliamentary elections, where anti-immigrant and anti-EU liberal ideology was contested in a hostile campaign, the prime minister said that the vote was a decisive victory to defend the country.
Read on »The children of separated families in the US are telling us to change our greedy ways
In Europe, the driver of millions of asylum seekers is us. We invaded with the United States and gave support to the invasion of Iraq. In Latin America, the driver of refugees to the United States is Washington’s big-stick policy and economic exploitation of the region’s wealth and opportunities.
Read on »The more politicians and racists vilify migrants the stronger we get
No matter how much politicians vilify migrants and continue to attack us, the more desperate their situation becomes.
Read on »Finnish identity: You define who you are, nobody else can or should do that for you
The Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* is a shrinking single-issue political party that wants, but cannot succeed, at turning Finland into a Denmark-style country where political parties try to outdo each other in their racism and bigotry.
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: Tightening of immigration laws in Finland and the exploitation of migrants
The near-constant negative labelling of visible migrants like Muslims and minorities by too many Finnish politicians and society has not only weakened their civil rights as Amnesty International pointed out, but led to their exploitation by dishonest and greedy employers that promise them a job and a ticket to a residence permit.
Read on »After the Perussuomalaiset-Blue Reform, the National Coalition Party is the most anti-immigration party in the Finnish parliament
If you ask anyone in Finland which party thrives on anti-immigration sentiment and bigotry, the answer is simple: Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and Blue Reform. The difference between these two is that the former is a racist party that came out of the closet and the latter one which went back to the closet. Here’s the question:
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The mood is so bad, so unhealthy, that there is no way to talk rationally,” according to Emma Bonino
“Sooner or later, we will recognize that we need them [immigrants],” says former Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino. “For the moment the political mood is so bad, so unhealthy, that there is no way to talk rationally.”
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: Populism is like pissing in your pants
“Populism is like pissing in your pants in freezing temperatures. It may feel good for a moment but you soon understand it was a dumb idea. You now have two problems instead of one: freezing temperature and your freezing-cold urine.”
Read on »Finland: Retreating into a shell and fuelling xenophobia and racism
As Finland retreats deeper into its shell and ethnocentrism, the it feeds the beast of xenophobia and racism. Apart from Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Laura Huhtasaari, who openly encourages direct violence and hatred against migrants and minorities, there are others that are just as guilty.
Read on »President Sauli Niinistö office wants to censor the Feminist Party of Finland
President Sauli Niinistö’s track record on defending Nordic values and cultural diversity (non-white society) has been a disappointment for many. He is more than ready to protect white Finnish privilege and power but rarely, if ever, the rights of asylum seekers, visible minorities, and migrants.
Read on »Ahti Tolvanen: Defense Minister Jussi Niinistö’s announces legislative initiative to cleanse the ministry of foreign dual citizens
This brought me back to the days of my reckless youth when I arrived in Finland in the early 70s to study at university. At that time a foreign citizen was not allowed by law to hold any kind of “virka” i.e. permanent public job. A foreign citizen was also not even allowed to marry a Finn. There were also a host of private sector and community jobs a foreigner could not hold like newspaper editor, city counselor, shop steward and board member in a company or association.
Read on »The police should investigate MV for labeling people “terrorists” and publishing their pictures
MV-lehti is a racist trash publication that doesn’t care to put people in harm’s way by labeling them as “terrorists” as did happen in Murha.info. Migrant Tales believes that one of the many defamation cases and crimes investigated by the police involving MV should involve an Iraqi asylum seeker called Jihad Baghdadi. Baghdadi’s picture was published in MV-lehti
Read on »A letter to the Non-Discrimination Ombudsperson Kirsi Pimiä
Dear Kirsi,
I have written to PM Juha Sipilä twice concerning his ‘reluctance’ to publicly acknowledge racial discrimination in Finland (FRA EU MIDIS-II 2017 12.12.2017 meeting in Helsinki).
Read on »Finland’s Perussuomalaiset party and its disdain for #metoo and our institutions
What do you do if an Islamophobic MP called Teuvo Hakkarainen gets so drunk in parliament that he picks a fight with other MPs from the rival Blue Reform party by throwing bottles at their meeting? What about if that same MP, convicted for hate speech, grabs a fellow woman MP and forces her to kiss him?
Read on »Finland’s lost decade flirting with racism, fascism and the Perussuomalaiset party
Sampo Terho, minister culture, sport and European affairs, was elected on Saturday to chair Blue Reform, a Lilliputian party that split from the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* after their plush ministerial jobs were on the line after Jussi Halla-aho was elected PS chairperson in June.
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: Päävo Väyrynen is Finland’s cold war foreign minister
If there is one politician in Finland that gives some heartburn, that politician is without a doubt Paavo Väyrynen. It is unfortunate that the Finnish media doesn’t return to the cold war era and look into Väyrynen’s record when he was the foreign minister most of the time from 1977 to 1993. During that period there were
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: Unspeakable politicians and their own gain
White Finns rarely consult migrants and minorities on anything important. They may ask them their opinion on x and y but the final decision on policy is made by them because you don’t really count. And then there are people like Jussi Halla-aho, Laura Huhtasaari, Timo Soini, Wille Rydman, and many others who pour gasoline
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: Lack of empathy
The lack of empathy by politicians and the government for the suffering of vulnerable groups like asylum seekers came to light again when two refugees stabbed themselves in protest of Finland’s asylum policy. Lack of empathy is the first step or reminder that our society is dysfunctional and in trouble. War now seems a possibility. “Old”
Read on »Double standards by the Finnish police. Who can insult whom?
These two videos speak volumes about the differential treatment of asylum seekers and white Finns by the police. In the first video, two Finnish-speaking asylum seekers are handcuffed at the immigration detention center of Joutseno. One of them apparently for saying something inappropriate.
Read on »MTV: Normalizing racism and bigotry in Finland with Jussi Halla-aho’s help
After attending a European Network Against Racism in Brussels that ended Saturday, I discovered on my arrival to Finland that Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Chairman Jussi Halla-aho, who was convicted for ethnic agitation in 2012 and who built his political career on Islamophobia, is now a columnist in MTV, Finland’s largest privately owned television station.
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: Why do racists hate and target Muslims?
“Finland and Europe are suspicious of Muslims because their racism and hatred have ensured that their ‘integration’ polices have failed despite the fact that the majorty of Muslims are well-adapted. Instead of blaming their own prejudices for their failures, they scapegoat a religious and ethnic group.”
Read on »Migrants suffer from the Ulysses syndrome, societies from the Cyclopse syndrome
I wrote a story in Migrant Tales nine years ago about the Ulysses syndrome, an illness that affects migrants, which speaks volumes about the lives of asylum seekers in Finland and how officials and the government contribute to their misery. If the Ulysses syndrome explains the suffering of migrants what would we call a society that is indifferent to their suffering?
Read on »Finland’s government to tighten again immigration and asylum policy
The desperation New Alternative* or Blue Reform, the faction that split from the Perussuomalaiset (PS) to keep their jobs as ministers, must be huge. Minister for European Affairs, Culture and Sports Sampo Terho announced Thursday that the government plans to tighten immigration and asylum policy laws in the face of the Turku attack, according to YLE News.
Read on »Finland’s Draconian immigration policy today has its roots in the Cold War era
The quote sits well with Finland’s Draconian immigration and asylum policy. The number of undocumented migrants has soared from an estimated 300. Those who are lucky enough to get a residence permit can say goodbye to ever bringing their loved ones to this country because family reunification requirements have been tightened. In sum, the Finnish government and the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) have done everything possible to make their lives as miserable as possible and expel them from here.
Read on »PS’ Third Vice President Juho Eerola is suspected of ethnic agitation in Finland
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* third vice president Juho Eerola is suspected of ethnic agitation, according to YLE News. If convicted, only PS First Vice President Laura Huhtasaari would be the only board member of the party that doesn’t have a conviction for ethnic agitation. Chairman Jussi Halla-aho was convicted in 2012 and MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, the second vice president, convicted in January.
Read on »Finland believes tighter laws will protect the country from terrorism but the real enemy is fear and opportunism
The knee-jerk reaction of politicians after the tragedy that took place in Turku on Friday not only smells of populism but of opportunism. What have we heard from them since last week?
Read on »Wednesday was a good day for racism in Finland: Pia Kauma and Gleb Simanov
Wednesday was a good day for racism in Finland. National Coalition Party (NCP) substitute MP Pia Kauma, who accused migrant women three years ago of demanding social welfare to buy new baby carriages, took over as MP after Alexander Stubb took started his tenure at the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Read on »Disingenuous Timo Soini should take a long look in the mirror
If there is a power-hungry politician who will do almost anything to gain power and lose it in an instant, that politician is Timo Soini. Apart from being a disingenuous politician who saw his populist creation inflate and implode, he is a sore loser as well. In an interview in Tampere-based daily Aamulehti, he claims
Read on »Just call them the New Perussuomalaiset and Old Perussuomalaiset
As politicians like MP Simon Elo try to assure us of their questionable political credentials after he and nineteen others ditched the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party on June 13, the new party’s name, which has changed three times in less than two months, is nothing more than a snow job.
Read on »Finland’s culturally diverse community must point out and scorn our Uncle Toms
What does it say about our society when second-generation children of migrants join far-right groups that spew racism? We have a few of them in Finland like Gleb Simanov and the even more notorious types like Junes Lokka, Marco de Wit, and Miki Sileoni.
Of
Read on »The fired bus driver who seeks fame with his racist videos will end up forsaken, jobless
Racism is a sickness, and as a disorder, it has consequences for the victim and the perpetrator. We learned about a bus driver and Peurssuomalaiset (PS)* politician called Gleb Simonov, who thought up the “bright” idea to videotape and insult only Somalis in three videos that he posted.
Read on »The Helsinki bus driver that videotaped, insulted his customers was fired Thursday
Today we read about a bus driver of Russian origin and a candidate of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party ethnically profile Somalis, insulted, videotaped and published on YouTube got sacked today. The bus driver was so sure of himself that he even gave the numbers of his company’s managers to complain.
Read on »Old or new Perussuomalaiset or new or old Perussuomlaiset – it’s a new Cadillac model!
We saw on Tuesday quite a political show in Finland with 22 MPs ditching the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and forming a new party called for now New Alternative. But don’t hold your breath because nothing has changed it’s just a marketing of the same thing – right-wing populist nationalism and all the toxicity that goes with it.
Read on »Nuiva manifesto – now you see it, now you don’t! We won’t, however, forget
The Nuiva manifesto is a far right proposal on how to tighten immigration policy and make life more difficult for migrants and minorities in Finland. Those who signed the manifesto in 2010, all in all 13 people, cannot be found anymore on the net.
Read on »Is there such a thing as a “new” and “old” Perussuomalaiset party?
Is there such a thing as a “new” and “old” Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party? If you ask Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and Minister Petteri Orpo there is. But if you are a migrant, asylum seeker or minority in Finland, it’s doubtful that you would make such a difference.
Read on »Finland’s PM shows Halla-aho and his “new” far right Perussuomalaiset party the door
It became clear in the afternoon that Halla-aho’s first day as the new chairman of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) ended with Center Party Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and National Coalition Party (NCP) chairperson Petteri Orpo showing the new chairperson the door.
Read on »The Finnish media gives a lot of space to Halla-aho and the PS but none to us
It’s clear that the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* is a different party after this weekend, when Jussi Halla-aho, Laura Huhtasaari, Teuvo Hakkarainen and Juho Eerola were elected to lead the anti-immigrant and anti-EU party. Halla-aho spoke of in his policy speech of “nationalistic forces,” which is code for anti-immigration, anti-cultural diversity and anti-EU policies.
Read on »The PS steers further right exposing its shameless Islamophobia, racism, bigotry and ultranationalism
Like rubbing salt on Finland’s wound, Perussuomalaiset (PS)* newly elected chairman Jussi Halla-aho’s far-right anti-immigration policy got reinforcement after three Islamophobes were elected to lead the PS: Laura Huuhtasaari, Teuvo Hakkarainen and Juho Eerola were elected first, second and third vice-president, respectively.
Read on »The Finnish police service’s deep denial of racism among its ranks is no surprise
The publishing of the racist comments in a secret Facebook group for the Finnish police by online news site Long Play shouldn’t surprise us, even if Interior Minister Paula Risikko and National Police Commissioner Seppo Kolehminen suggest the contrary.
Read on »A tragic weekend that encourages us to challenge social ills like racism, bigotry and inequality in Finland, Europe and globally
Over the weekend a lot of things happened: The European Network Against Racism (ENAR) hosted a seminar in Helsinki on anti-migration racism Saturday that was overshadowed by a closed Finnish police Facebook page with racist comments, a comprehensive story on ethnic profiling in Finland, and another terrorist attack in London that left seven killed and 48 injured.
Read on »Even if politics makes strange bedfellows, Timo Soini’s bed partners are eerie
Remember the speech below when Timo Soini and the Perussuomalaisiet were riding the crest of a wave after his populist anti-immigration won the parliamentary elections of 2011, when it saw its MPs rise to 39 from 5 in the previous election?
Read on »Sampo Terho’s and Jussi Hallo’s political calling to keep Finland white
Watching the A-studio debate between Sampo Terho and Jussi Halla-aho, the two candidates vying for the leadership of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, was a good example of how low Finland has stooped as a nation.
Read on »Finland’s blind spot of bigotry and white privilege is the Perussuomalaiset
If there is one party that has brought out bigotry, racism and populist far-right ideology as of late it is the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*. But Finland is so much in denial about its bigotry and white privilege that it sees no harm in the PS. This means that the government will do little, except offer lip service on how to challenge social ills like racism.
Read on »The old and new Cadillac model of Finnish PS racism
If you want to see how racism in Finland is like a Cadillac, check out two Perussuomalaiset (PS)* politicians below. One is of a dying breed and another one of a new Cadillac model, Sampo Terho.
Read on »Defining white Finnish privilege #35: Case Sampo Terho and the ministry of (dis)culture
Why are you so surprised that Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Sampo Terho will be Finland’s new minister of culture, sport and European issues? The Swedish-language HBL expresses dismay and there are many others among us who appear awestruck by the appointment.
Read on »PS MP Ville Tavio: An Islamophobe that is bent on keeping white Finnish power and privilege at any cost and lie
When publishing anti-immigration rhetoric by politicians like Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Ville Tavio, it’s very important to lead with the following paragraph: “MP Talk gives members of parliament the opportunity to share their views on Finnish society with an international audience. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Helsinki Times.”
Read on »Shamsul Alam is one of the new brave faces of Finland that nobody can make go away
Racism and hate speech are social ills that have spread like wildfire in Finland. Racists in Finland come from the same place than other racists in other countries. It is unacceptable that in a country like Finland, which prides itself as a modern Nordic welfare state, that racism and hate speech can see another day with near-impunity.
Read on »The cheap journalism of Helsingin Uutiset and its editor’s long roots in the anti-immigration movement of Finland
Two of the worst complimentary publications in the Helsinki and Greater Helsinki area Helsingin Uutiset and Vantaan Sanomat. Since they don’t charge people to read their publications they depend heavily on advertising revenues. The way that they get such revenues and readers is by spreading xenophobia and suspicion of migrants and minorities.
Read on »تصاعد العنف العنصري ضد متظاهري حقي في الحياه هو جريمه كراهيه واشاره الى تصاعد الجرائم
: صور من المكان الذي وقع فيه الهجوم المتعمد. المصدر: فيسبوك.
Read on »Giving into to racist violence against the #righttolife protestors is handing a carte blanche to commit more hate crimes
Today at around 4:30 am the camp where the Iraqi and Afghan #righttolife demonstrators have been protesting since February were a target of an attack that set alight one of the tents. One person got his hands burned while trying to put out the fire and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Read on »Finnish ministry of interior survey about our “polarized debate” on asylum seekers reveals the government’s prejudices and failures
A new study published Tuesday by the interior ministry and carried out by Vaasa University raises some disturbing questions. What does the survey address and what does it reveal?
Read on »How Sampo Terho’s essay in 2007 is still the norm but in a different context to fuel fear and racism of migrants and minorities
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* parliamentary group leader Sampo Terho wrote a decade ago in Kanava an essay with the classic far-right populist rhetoric about the threat of migration. His point of view in the essay is not only sinister but was a central argument used by parties like the PS to attract voters and that their racism was “normal.”
Read on »Timo Soini and the denial of Finland’s racism problem
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairman Timo Soini announced after being at the helm of the anti-immigration party for twenty years that he’ll step down as chairman in June. The narrative and the way that some newspapers and politicians are picturing Soini is a good example of Finland’s denial of racism.
Read on »“Integration” Denmark style: Eat your racist cake and have it
Integration Minister Inger Stojberg celebrates the fiftieth amendment to tighten immigration policy. Yes, the “integration” minister celebrated by buying a cake to tell her constituents that in Denmark we celebrate when we pass laws that make migrants’ and asylum seekers’ lives more difficult.
Read on »Behind Timo Soini of the populist Perussuomalaiset party is a hefty and mini #socialmediafrankenstein called Jussi Halla-aho and Sampo Terho
One of the biggest questions some observers have asked in Finland is what house of horrors will appear after the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* return to the minor political leagues. We got the answer today when PS MEP Jussi Halla-aho announced that he too is vying to chair the xenophobic party.
Read on »How the Perussuomalaiset party permit racism to see another day in Finland
As almost everyone knows in this country, Finland will hold municipal elections on April 9. The right-wing populist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* are in shock for a number of reasons: their chairman, Timo Soini, who has run the party for 20 years is stepping down in June, and recent polls suggest that they will suffer a stinging defeat in the municipal elections.
Read on »Defining white Finnish privilege #33: Appropriating our narrative to maintain the status quo, amass more power and privilege
One of the most important matters that one learns when reading about our ever-growing culturally diverse society in Finland is that there is fierce opposition from some circles against cultural and ethnic diversity. According to these groups, the only way that a multicultural Finn, migrant and minority can live in Finland is if they control the narrative.
Read on »Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s poor track record on challenging xenophobia and hate speech
The government of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä not only has tightened immigration policy but is complacent and near-silent about the rise of xenophobia and hate speech in Finland. Sure, we’ve heard so many times the familiar “we’re against racism” affirmations, which are only catchphrases that are not supposed to change anything.
Read on »Finland’s deep denial of racism coupled with exceptionalism make it susceptible to right-wing populism and fascism
If the latter claim above is true, it explains and reveals why Helsinki District Court judges agree with most of the decisions by the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). The fact that only a very minor amount of decisions by Migri are rejected by the district courts speaks volumes about our country.
Read on »The final countdown of the PS’ return to the political minor leagues begins as Timo Soini bows out as chairman in June
Right-wing populist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairman, Timo Soini, announced Sunday that he wouldn’t seek a new term as party head at the forthcoming party convention in Jyväskylä in early June. He has head the party since 1997.
Read on »Finland’s interpretation of human rights is to turn you into an “undocumented migrant” and kick you out of the country – HELP!
What do you say about a country that is willing to throw into the street and deport a three-and-a-half old baby born in Finland? Let’s include another one-and-a-half old child, a six-year-old girl, and a boy, who is eight. What about if we add their parents as well?
Read on »The creation and death of the Perussuomalaiset and its #socialmediafrankensteins in Finland
We once wrote about #socialmediafrankensteins and how Timo Soini and the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party had created such demons to victimize, attack and label migrants and minorities in Finland. Soini, a “good-cop” PS party chairman, is in reality no different from people like Jussi Halla-aho and his band of bigoted followers.
Read on »The would-be mini Trumps: Geert Wilders, Marine Le Pen, Frauke Petry, Jussi Halla-aho and other autocrats
We have commented that President Donald Trump’s erratic and autocratic style may be a curse on the US but a blessing for Europe since his style may scare away potential voters who don’t want far-right politicians like Geert Wilders, Marine Le Pen, Frauke Petry and others.
Read on »How racism and suspicion have ruined Finland’s centenary celebrations of 2017
If there is a party pooper in this year’s centenary celebrations it’ll be ourselves: the politicians, the urban tales, prejudices, racism and suspicion that has raised its head with ease in Finland as of late.
Read on »Migrants are “scum” and should be erased from the map say Geert Wilders, Marine Le Pen and other far-right politicians
Some are asking with manifest unease if this will be the year of the far-right populists like Dutch Geert Wilders, Marine Le Pen of France and Frauke Petry of the German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). The first test will be in Holland on March 15 followed by another nail-biter in France on April 23 and May 7.
Read on »Johan Bäckman and Jussi Halla-aho: Two public figures that are hated differently by the Finnish media
Below are two public figures that are treated differently by the Finnish media. On the left is Johan Bäckman, who gets a rough ride from the national media for his pro-Russian stances, while Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MEP Jussi Halla-aho gets a more benign reception even if he has the dubious honor being Finland’s number one racist.
Read on »(Migrant Tales 12.2.2017) Dear Sweden, don’t play ball with the Sweden Democrats – Finland is the best example of the disaster that awaits you
Dear Sweden,
In all of the Nordic region we have seen far-right populist parties rise in this century with a hostile even vicious anti-immigration and anti-cultural diversity agenda. Of all the Nordic countries, you are the only one in the Nordic region where populist anti-immigration parties have not formed directly or indirectly a part of government.
Read on »Inspired by Donald Trump’s racism in USAmerica, Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri stokes the fires of xenophobia
Argentina has a reputation among some Latin Americans of being a racist country. The election of President Donald Trump has emboldened politicians like Argentinean President Mauricio Macri to parrot his USAmerican counterpart.
Read on »Undermining and attacking dual citizenship rights is a hostile provocation against social equality and cultural diversity in Finland
The ongoing debate about the perceived threat of dual nationals in Finland and the proximity of municipal elections should raise some serious questions. Why are we having this discussion now and which party is fueling it?
Read on »Finns have finally woken up to a lie and bully called the Perussuomalaiset party
After bullying, labeling and scapegoating migrants and minorities for a number of years, the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* appear to be returning to the minor one-digit political leagues, if a recent poll by Helsingin Sanomat is true. Those groups that the PS spread lies about will have the last laugh.
Read on »(Institute of Race Relations) Morton Hall: another death in immigration detention
On 11 January an unnamed 27-year-old Polish man was found dead in Morton Hall immigration removal centre in Lincolnshire, the first death this year and the 29th death in immigration detention since 1989.
Read on »Donald Trump and the post-election European horror story
We don’t mean to scare you with this tweet below. But it’s interesting to note how the Donald Trump’s rise to the US presidency is bringing out the absolute worst in Europe.
Read on »Undocumented migrants in Finland: Päivi Nerg lives in denial, politicians live in denial as do the media and most of the country, too
Finnish immigration policy in general and asylum policy, in particular, is a good example of the decades-long suspicion that Finland’s political establishment has of outsiders. If some words could be used to describe the present state of things, it could be “not my problem” and “denial.”
Read on »Seven months and no justice yet after a Kenyan woman was racially insulted and splashed by a bucket of water
Remember when a Kenyan woman was sitting outside her home in the Helsinki neighborhood of Helsinki one Sunday afternoon on May 22 and a white Finnish woman splashed a bucket of water on her, her children and their friends after shouting racist insults? Well, nothing has happened since then even if Ruth Waweru-Folabit pressed charges against the woman and complained to the non-discrimination ombudsman seven months ago.
Read on »Will Halla-aho be the PS’ savior or the party’s political grave?
A while back I asked a friend what would happen if the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* implode as we’ve seen in the polls. What will emerge from the ruin of that xenophobic party will be another one that is more sinister and more dangerous. With PS MEP Jussi Halla-aho’s decision to challenge Timo Soini and run for chairman of the party is the birth of a radical anti-immigration party in the same league as the Islamophobic Danish People’s Party.
Read on »Why did Finland allocate so much money on asylum reception centers that treated in too many cases refugees like “livestock?”
In 2015 and 2016 some 38,000 asylum seekers came to Finland and scores of asylum reception centers were established rapidly throughout the country to house so many people. Even if the government’s ever-draconian view of migrants was “not make Finland attractive to asylum seekers” at any cost, asylum seekers helped expose our ineffective immigration and integration policy.
Read on »A letter of apology for the disgraceful treatment of asylum seekers in Finland by the government
The cartoon below by Ville Ranta could apply to Europe as well. Instead of having politicians like Perussuomalaiset* Defense Minister Jussi Niinistö, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and other government ministers stating that “you can’t come in because there’s no room for you,” it’s our hypocrisy and moral bankruptcy that has been exposed to the tee.
Read on »Remember when PM Juha Sipilä offered his home in Finland to asylum seekers?
In September 2015, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä offered his home in Kempele to asylum seekers. Even so, the tone and position of the prime minister and the government changed by December when Sipilä said that he couldn’t offer his home to asylum seekers any longer because his hometown in northern Finland wasn’t safe for refugees.
Read on »Finland’s about-turn in immigration and asylum policy reveal populism and suspicion
There is an interesting article in newsmagazine Suomen Kuvalehti that claims that before Finland gave 85% of asylum seekers a positive decision today it’s almost the opposite.
Read on »Finland’s ever-growing crisis of undocumented migrants is the government’s and Social Democratic Party’s doing
Thanks to the 107 MPs listed below that voted on April 13 to approve law 2/2016 that did away with granting residence permits on humanitarian grounds, Finland faces today an unprecedented rise of undocumented migrants.
Read on »Am I surprised that Finnish fiction sees migrants as unhappy victims? Not!
Researcher Pasi Saukkonen tells us in a YLE story that “not one content immigrant is found in Finnish fiction.” One may ask how come? The answer reveals the constant issue that undermines the narrative that white Finns construct about migrants and our culturally diverse community: It’s their view, their narrative, full stop.
Read on »Why migrants and minorities in Finland continue to suffer from discrimination and social inequality
Entitlement and denial are some of the reasons why respect for cultural diversity and treating Others in Finnish society as equals faulters. There is too much lip service like “we’re against racism” but few deeds to give such a powerful statement life and meaning.
Read on »Here we go again with the anti-immigration rhetoric – it’s election time in Finland!
Here we go again, folks, it’s election time in April 2017 in Finland. The populist-nationalist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* is picking up its hostile attacks against migrants, minorities and our ever-growing and proud culturally diverse community. Their partners in these attacks are their government partners, the Center Party and National Coalition Party (NCP).
Read on »A small far-right Suomi ensin! demonstration again and the media cherishes a story
Suomi ensin! (Finland first!) is a far-right group that goes to different places in Finland to stir up anti-immigration sentiment and hatred for migrants. Even if their demonstrations attract few people, they get a lot of attention in the national media. On Saturday afternoon their demonstration attracted 300* people to the eastern Helsinki neighborhood of
Read on »The disgraceful stand of the government towards undocumented migrants in Finland
Winter is rapidly approaching and Interior Minister Paula Risikko isn’t too enthused about the idea that the Evangelical Lutheran Church wants to give housing to undocumented migrants, according to YLE.
Read on »Defining white Finnish privilege #31: The Solidiers of Odin and the Finnish media
The Soldiers of Odin are a vigilante group that hate asylum seekers and are white Finnish supremacists. One Facebook post on their page outlined the aim of the vigilante group: “We are a patriotic group struggling for a white Finland.”
Read on »Will Donald Trump breathe new life into a doomed party called the Perussuomalaiset?
Donald Trump’s election victory has emboldened our own group of populists, racists, and bigots in Finland who pray what happened in the United States will breathe new life into a political disaster called the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*. There are many reasons why copying and pasting populist rhetoric in the United States won’t work in Finland.
Read on »November 9, 2016: “A date that will live in infamy”
It looks like Donald Trump is heading for an upset victory over Hillary Clinton in the US presidential elections, according to the New York Times.
Read on »Do ethnic agitation charges against Teuvo Hakkarainen give us a whiff of the rot spreading in government and our society?
MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, who is facing ethnic agitation charges, and the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party are deplorable examples of how low our society has stooped in the dubious racism and bigotry league.
Read on »SUPO, the Finnish Immigration Service and the police service reveal that we are today a country that even fears its own shadow
One of the matters that surprised me a lot when I visited my grandparents in Finland when I lived in Southern California was how they saw black people. The way my grandfather saw black people was so negative and surprising that I still remember like a diehard stain.
Read on »Finnish PS MP Hakkarainen is charged (alas) for ethnic agitation
Perussuomlaiset (PS)* MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, who has made numerous racist and bigoted statements against Muslims, Somalis and gays finally got charged for ethnic agitation by the state deputy prosecutor. Hakkarainen isn’t the only politician being charged for ethnic agitation. On that shameful list are Mertsu Merivireta, Terhi Kieumunki and Olli Sademies.
Read on »A naturalized Finn who returned to a “safe” country like Afghanistan and was killed last month
The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) announced in May that countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia are “safe” to return refugees who get their asylum applications rejected. Migrant Tales documented two deaths and one shooting of Iraqi asylum seekers that returned recently to Iraq.
Read on »The Finnish Immigration Service, with the blessings of the government, aims to separate migrant parents from their children
In August, the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) is reported to have given asylum reception center instructions that only the children can stay at the reception center if the parents have their asylum application turned down and refuse to leave the country making then undocumented migrants, according to MTV.
Read on »Council of Europe wants Finland to step up efforts to combat hate speech and xenophobia
The Finnish government needs to take steps to combat hate speech, protect Samí rights and the Swedish language, according to the Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.
Read on »Finnish government party Perussuomalaiset MEP claims ethnic profiling needed to fight terrorism
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MEP Jussi Halla-aho, who hungers for public attention, tries to surprise us with the following suggestion: The police should be allowed to ethnically profile Middle Easterners, North African and Central Asian people irrespective if it is in infringement of these people’s fundamental rights and human rights.
Read on »YouGov survey reinforces what we’ve been seeing in some EU countries: authoritarian populist sentiment
A recent YouGov survey on authoritarian populist opinions in 12 European countries revealed something that we all knew. Authoritarian populist opinions are defined by the survey as people who have anti-immigration, anti-human rights, anti-EU institutions, and power as well as strong opinions on foreign policy.
Read on »Finland rolls back the clock and flirts with the cold war when every foreigner was seen as a potential threat
In another move to punish former migrants who are naturalized Finns, the government of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, which shares power with the National Coalition Party and anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset,* plans to introduce a new law to parliament within weeks that will prohibit dual citizens from holding certain jobs that involve national security, according to Seijnäjoki-based daily Ilkka, which cites Finnish News Agency (STT).
Read on »The government of Juha Sipilä has failed with flying colors on its strategy to contain the rise of racism in Finland
There has been an interesting debate on hate crime in Finland. If we’d believe the government, hate crime and racism in Finland are a far-right phenomenon and of a few racist hotheads.
Read on »UPDATE: Iraqi asylum seeker files charges against suspect who shot at him
An Iraqi asylum seeker, who was shot at twice by a white Finnish suspect in Kemi neighborhood of Syväkangas, will file charges.
Read on »Xenophobia and fearmongering are effective age-old control tools to keep the Finnish public in line and on a short leash
One matter that some political parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* use constantly is the anti-immigration card to get votes and media attention. What can we say when a retired police service commissioner uses xenophobia and fear to boost book sales?
Read on »Our new message to the world: Finland doesn’t like you so don’t even think of moving here!
It’s clear that the government of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä doesn’t like asylum seekers never mind cultural diversity. In the last few months, we’ve seen a tightening of immigration policy by the government, which sends out a clear message to would-be asylum seekers and migrants: Don’t even think of moving here!
Read on »Two words that shed light on what the Perussuomalaiset party is: racist bravado
If there would be two words that define what the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party is all about, it would racist bravado. By the way, the PS is no common racist party but a member of the government. It shares power with the Center Party and National Coalition Party, which usually look the other way when the PS has one of its racist fits.
Read on »After targeting migrants and asylum seekers with tougher laws, Sipilä’s government now sets its eyes on Roma panhandlers
Should we be surprised after the government of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä tightened immigration policy it is now targeting the Romany minority? If the government has its way, Finland will criminalize panhandling.
Read on »The Finnish media’s “fascination” of racists is a problem
Here’s a simple question: Why on earth does a newspaper like Etelä-Suomen Sanomat of Lahti even bother to publish a story about a handful of racists who demand that Finland shuts its borders to asylum seekers?
Read on »Finnish interior ministry report: violence against migrants hasn’t grown significantly in 2015
The Finnish interior ministry reported in a statement Monday that there hasn’t been a spike in violence last year perpetrated by extremist groups despite some 32,500 asylum seekers that came to the country in 2015. The ministry cites Sweden and Germany as countries where violence against migrants committed by extremist groups have apparently grown.
Read on »Asylum seekers’ rights in Finland to appeal will be severely undermined thanks to a new law that will come into force on September 1
President Sauli Niinistö, who has done little to challenge xenophobia in Finland because he is eyeing a second term, will sign Friday a new law that will shorten from 30 days to 21 the rights of asylum seekers to appeal negative residence permit decisions by the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).
Read on »Not even a xenophobic lifesaver can save the Perussuomalaiset from sinking in the polls
Support for the anti-immigration populist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party has hit a new all-time low of 7.6%, according to the latest poll by YLE, according to YLE News. The poor showing of the party reveals that its strategy to target and increase attacks against migrants, asylum seekers and minorities in July has badly backfired.
Read on »Finance Minister Petteri Orpo and his disingenuous statements about racism and bigotry
National Coalition Party (NCP) chairman and Finance Minister Petteri Orpo was quoted as saying on YLE News that he won’t tolerate racist speech. The comment comes after two Perussuomalaiset (PS)* politicians, MP Teuvo Hakkarainen and PS youth leader Sebastian Tynkkynen, are being investigated by the police service for ethnic agitation.
Read on »Finland’s blind spot of racism and the incitement of violence against migrants and minorities
July was a busy month for hate speech with the usual bunch of politicians from a particular party hurling insults at migrants and minorities. If we look at the pyramid of hate below, we can see politicians like Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Teuvo Hakkarainen and PS youth leader Sebastian Tynkkynen venturing with their comments to the bias-motivated-violence phase, which openly incites violence against migrants and minorities.
Read on »Finland’s shameful asylum policy should be changed
Some Finnish politicians from parties like the Swedish People’s Party, Greens and Left Alliance have expressed concern about the government’s ever-tightening asylum policy and a recent decision by the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) to deny an Iraqi asylum.
Read on »The PS claws to racism and bigotry because it has lost its vain hope to keep Finland white
The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party is fuming attempting to get the maximum political mileage from its recent racist and bigoted outbursts by playing down such social ills and prop up its poor standings in the polls.
Read on »PS MP Kike Elomaa’s response to the party’s racist statements is disingenuous and insulting to Finland
It’s not only disingenuous but insulting to Finland, migrants, and minorities that an MP and vice chairperson of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party parliamentary group, which has been on the racist rampage in July, states publicly that we shouldn’t be so touchy about comments that don’t intent on being “really racist.”
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Read on »White Finnish privilege #30: Whitewashing and racializing the news
On the fifth anniversary, when Anders Breivik went on the rampage in Oslo on 22/7 by killing 77 victims, we saw another gunman in Munich who followed the Norwegian killer’s example. We now know with pretty much certainty that there was a connection between what the shooter did in Munich and with the fifth anniversary.
Read on »The Perussuomalaiset is an extremist party that is unfit to rule Finland
There’s overwhelming evidence that the populist anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* is an extremist party especially when it comes to its views on immigration and cultural diversity. But here’s a question to the Finnish media: If the PS is an extremist party why aren’t they called that?
Read on »Are bigotry and racism something “funny” and “eccentric” PS chairman Timo Soini?
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairperson and foreign minister, Timo Soini, brushed aside recent xenophobic and homophobic statements by MPs like Leena Meri, Laura Huhtasaari and Mika Raatikainen.
Read on »Post-Brexit Europe: There is a connection between scapegoating and hate crime
Is there a connection between scapegoating migrants, minorities as well as Others and hate crime? If you look at what has happened after the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom it’s clear that there is a connection.
Read on »Finland’s ever-growing culturally diverse community must rise up and challenge hostile parties like the Perussuomalaiset
Some ask me where do I get the energy and strength to write. My answer is simple: When I read and hear comments by politicians and people who hate and want to socially exclude me my blood begins to boil. The only remedy that calms me is writing and organizing my thoughts.
Read on »Brexit proves (again) that Europe’s biggest threat was and still is nationalism and xenophobia
We speak of external threats like globalization and others like asylum seekers as threats challenging this great Post-World War 2 experiment called the European Project. While the achievements of the European Union are formidable taking into account that we’re not going after each other’s throats after 1945, there is one threat that is the greatest of them all and one we should pay more attention to: nationalism and xenophobia.
Read on »Brexit: Stoke the fires of natonalism and you’ll get burned
After the United Kingdom decided Thursday to exit from the European Union, the question remains: why? In many respects, the answer to that question is a similar one that you hear in some European countries why such-and-such country has seen the political rise of populist anti-immigration party. Finland is a good example of the latter. The
Read on »PS MP Tolppanen’s defection to the SDP is a good example that racism in Finland is still a debate between white people
A lot of people were surprised Wednesday to hear that former Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Maria Tolppanen, who has made some pretty racist statements in the past, has defected to the Social Democrats (SDP).
Read on »We have the means to challenge and beat xenophobia and fascism in today’s Europe
Even if we should be concerned about the rise of xenophobia and fascism, which disguises itself with populist anti-immigration rhetoric in Europe, there’s one matter that should worry us the most: silence and apathy.
Read on »Oikeus elää – A Right to live الحق للعيش demonstration tomorrow at 4:00 pm in Helsinki (Narikkantori, Kamppi)
The Finnish government of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä has done everything possible to make asylum seekers feel unwelcome in Finland. On Friday, they tightened family reunification guidelines and recently did away with giving residence permits on humanitarian grounds.
Read on »Finland tightens family reunification laws and denies migrants the right to a family
The Finnish parliament didn’t vote Friday to tighten even further family reunification guidelines but effectively socially excluded and relegated migrants, especially asylum seekers, to second- and third-class citizens. The news ironically coincides with the death of former Rural Party MP Sulo Aittoniemi (1936-2016), a person who was against refugees and cultural diversity.
Read on »MP Jo Cox’s death revealed and reminded how important our struggle against barbarism is
On Thursday, we heard about the tragic killing of Labor MP Jo Cox, which was a stark reminder of the things she warned us about like hate speech, racism and outright hostility towards migrants and minorities. All we can do when such a heinous act gives us and our democratic institutions a blow is to stand strong.
Read on »White Finnish privilege #29: Your family is worth less than mine
There has been a lot of debate about the present government tightening further family reunification laws. It shouldn’t come to any surprise that such measures not only reveal hostility towards asylum seekers, migrants, and minorities but are an example of white Finnish privilege in its most extreme forms.
Read on »Saido Mohamed defects to the Greens, cites differences over ever-tightening immigration policy
Saido Mohamed, who is no stranger to Migrant Tales, has defected from the National Coalition Party (NCP) to the Greens, according to YLE.
Read on »Institute of Race Relations: Denmark – creating a hostile environment
Nearly 300 people face criminal charges for aiding refugees in Denmark in September 2015, and the government continues to create a hostile environment by cracking down on migration.
Read on »Facebook: Racists who still think they can be racists in public
Migrant Tales insight: This post by Alex Alex is a reminder of how big of a problem racism is and how little we have done as a society to challenge it. Helsingin Sanomat picked up the story. ____________________________________
Read on »YLE poll: Support for the PS of Finland nosedives to 8.5%
A poll published by YLE News Wednesday shows and reinforces how support for the anti-immigration populist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* continues to nosedive. Compared with the 17% they got in the April 2015 parliamentary election, support has plummeted to a new low of 8.5%.
Read on »The 1 + 1 = 2 types who post racist comments
Who can understand the logic of people who post racist things and exercise a very basic 1+1=2 argument? Some of these are reactions to a recent blog posting on Migrant Tales, The Kolari, Finland, asylum reception center “is a living hell.”
Read on »Racism, bigotry, ultranationalism, neo-Nazism are nothing more than ourselves staring back at us from a mirror
Why aren’t we surprised and shocked by what we see today in Europe? Populism, racism, bigotry, ultranationalism, isolationism, and fascism spread thanks to the media and the tacit support of many who nod in approval and silence. Colonialism, wars, and exploitation of non-white Europeans through slavery are some of the windfall profits that gave us our present standard of living, populism, fascism and bigotry.
Read on »How fair is the Finnish media when it reports about racism and bigotry?
What role has the media played in spreading racism and bigotry in Finland since the 1990s? If it has played a big role, has its reporting improved or got worse? The narrative of the media, and that of politicians concerning our ever-growing culturally diverse society, has changed but it still has a lot of room
Read on »Tightening family reunification requirements is like putting a noose around human rights
Like Europe, Finland too is suffering from a lack of leadership. When we start to fear our own ineptness in solving problems, we slide into our shells with the help of populism, simplistic solutions, and wishful thinking.
Read on »The role of the Finnish media and politicians who spread their racist statements
The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* is a horrible party for migrants and minorities. They have the dubious “honor” of being the first modern party in Finland to capitalize on voters’ racism and bigoted views. Certainly they couldn’t have done it alone. All the major parties have the same type of politicians who state and write the same type of things.
Read on »An official apology for the racist and bigoted things politicians say and write today in Finland
What do politicians like Timo Soini, Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo, James Hirvisaari, Jussi Halla-aho, Juho Eerola, Olli Immonen, Jussi Niinistö, Maria Lohela, Tom Packalén, Olli Sademies, Freddy Van Wonterghem, Pentti Oinonen, Laura Huhtasaari, Terhi Kiemunki and many, many others have in common? They write a lot of racist and bigotted stuff. They are as well all or
Read on »Populism and nationalism in Finland have made us fear our own shadows
The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party, which bases its popularity on anti-immigration rhetoric, empty nationalism and promises, appears eager and “overjoyed” that parliament will “finally” take long-overdue steps to tighten immigration law and undermine the human rights of asylum seekers.
Read on »Pieksämäki reception center fire shows that the Finnish media and police service consider asylum seekers “guilty before proven innocent”
It is surprising that the Länsi-Savo story below doesn’t mention once the term “suicide” in the story about an Iraqi 45-year-old asylum seeker who locked himself in Thursday night and attempted to set his room on fire.
Read on »The foreign minister of an island called Finland
Finnish foreign minister, Timo Soini of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, was on the Embuske, Veitola ja Salminen talkshow on Thursday. On the program he showed his bigotted views with a smile by taking credit for stopping the flow of asylum seekers to Finland.
Read on »Terhi Kiemunki and the PS of Finland are laughing all the way to the bank
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* politician Terhi Kiemunki not only is an example of the illness of racism that inflicts Finland but that of a party and a society that offers fertile ground for bigotry towards and social inequality of migrants and minorities.
Read on »If Donald Trump had a “good cop” that person would be Timo Soini
US Republican frontrunner, Donald Trump, can be in the spotlight thanks to his racist rants. Some journalists in Finland have tried unsuccessfully to ask what Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Foreign Minister Timo Soini, a populist, what he thinks of Trump.
Read on »Finnish PS speaker of parliament blames migrants for high unemployment
Anti-immigration party Perussuomalaiset (PS)* speaker of parliament, Maria Lohela, states in an interview in Helsingin Sanomat that the jobless rate among some migrant groups is many times higher than the national average. True. But the question the reporter should ask Lohela is “why” and “what she’s doing to change the situation” instead of parroting her views.
Read on »Are we related as a society to vigilante groups, hate forums, xenophobic parties and publications?
Should we be surprised that vigilante groups like the Soldiers of Odin, hate forums like Hommaforum and anti-immigration parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, racist online publications like MV-lehti have grown and captured our darkest imagination?
Read on »Racist garbage called MV-lehti magazine, Hommaforum and Magneettimedia
Migrant Tales doesn’t usually comment about the extremist racist garbage published in Finland by online publications like MV-lehti, Hommaforum, and Magneettimedia. All of these websites have one matter in common: they write and cater to a racist audience.
Read on »Statistics that expose how bigotry and prejudice are alive and kicking in Finland
It shouldn’t surprise us that during an economic recession some will expose their racist views. Add to the latter weak politicians, a complacent media, and a party like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* in government, which base their popularity on xenophobia and populist nationalism, and you end up with a perpetuating brew of hate.
Read on »Racism Review: Protestors force cancelation of Trump rally in Chicago
The activists at University of Illinois-Chicago, where Trump had scheduled a rally, effectively shut it down yesterday. When the rally was abruptly canceled at the last minute, Trump supporters and protestors clashed. Several people were injured.
Read on »Abuses at Luona’s asylum reception centers continue – two refugees tried to commit suicide
The right-wing Finnish government, and especially the anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, which shares power with the Center Party and National Coalition Party (NCP), have been trying their hardest to find ways to deport some 20,000 of the 32, 476 asylum seekers that came to Finland in 2015.
Read on »Denying the rise of racism and fascism in Finland
Even if Finland denies that it has a serious racism and fascism problem, the country cannot go forward and the situation for migrants and minorities in Finland will get worse until we get a grip of these social issues.
Read on »Human trafficking – get ready for another onslaught of xenophobia and labeling
Should we be surprised that YLE is planning another one-sided “debate” in April concerning human trafficking. The problem with this type of “debate,” like the one before that on March 2 on how asylum seekers have fueled uncertainty in Finland, is that it follows a common narrative that white Finland has of Otherness: You are a threat and a problem.
Read on »Does the Trump phenomenon in Europe reflect that white Europe is being challenged?
If Donald Trump stands a good chance at being nominated as the Republican party’s presidential candidate this year, surely it says a lot about the moral state of USAmerica. Noam Chomsky, the renowned scholar, was quoted as saying in the Huffington Post that the Trump phenomenon revealed that white USAmerica is dying.
Read on »Ignacio Pérez Pérez: The swastika and Finnish langauge class
Ignacio Pérez Pérez has written some beautiful poetry for Migrant Tales. He sent an email with a picture he took a few days ago when going to his Finnish lessons in Helsinki. He writes that the racism we are witnessing in Finland is a cancer that is spreading in society. With the rise of far-right vigilante
Read on »Finland’s bigoted and perilous path
Finland has become in a short time a country that has lost its way. The police service, public officials like politicians and even ministers, who should know better, don’t. The most shameful matter that exposes these wretched times is that we’ve allowed xenophobia and nationalist populism to not only enter through the back door but through the main and wide one as well.
Read on »Asylum seekers have exposed Europe’s schizophrenia and bigotry
Nothing could depict better Europe’s schizophrenia and hypocrisy concerning asylum seekers than what happened recently in eastern Germany, where a building that was going to house them was ablaze and cheered by some onlookers, according to the BBC.
Read on »Luona claims that it has zero tolerance for racism but can you teach a racist dog new tricks?
General manager Milja Saksi of Luona, a private company that operates seven asylum reception centers in Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa, claims to have taken necessary steps to address the racist treatment of its asylum seekers, according to YLE.
Read on »Police study on immigration paints a threatening and bleak picture of Finland’s ever-growing culturally diverse society
Weird things happen when an anti-immigration party like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* get power and partner with two other mainstream parties, the Center Party and National Coalition Party (NCP), which have done too little to tackle racism and discrimination in Finland. One of the many things that can happen is a study, “Immigration, Security and Foresight,” published with the blessings of the council of state.
Read on »Tighter family reunification laws spearheaded by the PS with the government’s blessing are an example of the Denmarkization of Finland
It’s a good matter that government plans to tighten family reunification guidelines have met a stormy reception. We all know that the Perussuomalasiet (PS)*, who base their popularity on anti-immigration rhetoric, are spearheading new tighter guidelines that will make family reunification much harder.
Read on »How the Finnish Immigration Service’s fast-track scheme will deport thousands of asylum seekers from Finland in 2016
What would a country like Finland, which prefers to be an island in Europe and where too many still see cultural diversity with suspicion, do if a record number of asylum seekers from countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia came here like in 2015?
Read on »The face of fascism in Finland: Before and after
There is a fascinating book published by Olli Silvennoinen, Marko Tikka and Aapo Romelius titled Suomalaiset fasistit (Finnish fascists). One of the authors, Silvennoinen, states in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat that the same arguments used in the 1920s to feed fascism are used today.
Read on »Scaremongering by the PS of Finland is always at full swing
Finland’s Perussuomalaiset (PS)* defense minister, Jussi Niinistö, believes that up to one million “illegal” immigrants could come to Finland, according to YLE News. Niinistö, a historian who has played down the role of fascist associations like the Lapua Movement (1929-32), fear-mongers to shore up support for his ailing party.
Read on »Finland’s xenophobic Denmark slippery slope
Considering that the anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party is in government and that the two other ruling partners, the Center Party and National Coalition Party (NCP), need the support of the PS to downsize the welfare state, it’s clear why Finland is tightening its immigration policy.
Read on »When racism in Finland becomes “normal”
Migrant Tales insight: As the politicians and media in Finland turn their backs on the ever-increasing racism in this country, there are a few brave people who don’t remain silent. A brave young woman in Lahti preferred not to remain silent at a bar as two black men were being harassed at a bar in
Read on »The anti-immigration narrative of politicians, the police and President Sauli Niinistö is no mistake
From the fall we have heard the police service, politicians, government ministers, the media and recently the head of state of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, give statements that bolster racist and far-right ideology that label and victimize asylum seekers, migrants, and minorities in this country.
Read on »President Sauli Niinistö claims that asylum seekers threaten Finland and Europe
Speaking to MPs at the opening of parliament’s spring term, President Sauli Niinistö didn’t surprise a lot of people by stating that the amount of asylum seekers coming to Europe are putting under threat our values, reports YLE News. He even went as far as to suggest that if the Geneva Conventions were written today they’d be stricter.
Read on »Nobody in Finland seems too concerned about the ever-xenophobic and hostile climate against asylum seekers, migrants and minorities
Prime Minister Juha Sipilä of Finland when he announced in September that he would offer his home to asylum seekers but has now put on hold such plans due to security reasons, reports the BBC. What is surprising is that nobody seems to care too much why it’s no longer safe to house asylum seekers in the prime minister’s home in Kempele.
Read on »Call the Loldiers of Odin if you see anti-immigrant vigilantes patrolling the street!
Thanks to the mixed statements by the police, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s government and President Sauli Niinistö concerning asylum seekers, we have today as well vigilante groups like the Soldiers of Odin and neo-Nazi Kansalinen Vastarinta patrolling our streets. Many of the members of these vigilante groups have criminal and far-right backgrounds.
Read on »Roble Bashir: Why does the Perussuomalaiset party of Finland back vigilante gangs?
What’s in it for the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party when they back these notorious street patrol gangs? The whole concept of street patrols emerged due to fear of immigrants by some Finns. These patrols have spread instead fear among immigrants.
Read on »The Perussuomalaiset decade (2011-19): Finland’s rendezvous with xenophobia and nationalism
Here’s the question we all know the answer to concerning the rise and fall of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party during this decade: We accomplished nothing, absolutely nothing, polarized society, scapegoated migrants and Muslims and lied through our teeth with poker faces. Our decade-long rendezvous with right-wing populism and xenophobia has had a negative political and
Read on »Roble Bashir: Do we need vigilante gangs in Finland?
When I read the news about street patrols whose aim is to “protect” civilians from asylum seekers I was naturally shocked. What surprised me, even more, was that the police hasn’t done much to discourage these types of street patrols.
Read on »Vigilante gangs, the Finnish police service and our denial of racism
The big news story in Finland today is street patrols by xenophobic, far-right and neo-Nazi groups. That’s not all. Some of the members of these patrol gangs have criminal records.
Read on »Finnish police service of Häme give the green light to vigilante gangs in Asikkala
THIS POST WAS UPDATED If the comments and actions of politicians and the police service in 2015 are any indication of what we’ll expect this year, then asylum seekers, migrants, and minorities will see another shameful year of hostility and violence. On Saturday, a detective chief inspector of southern Finland, Markku Tuominen, was quoted as
Read on »Twitter: White Finnish rapist or arsonist = lone wolf, drunk
In Finland, we have had a number of arson attacks against asylum reception centers. We even have one substitute MP of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* who said that “god had answered his prayers” when a building, which was supposed to house asylum seekers, was razed to the ground earlier this month.
Read on »Is Finland swapping Nordic values like social equality for social inequality?
Social Democratic Party (SDP) MEP Liisa Jaakonsaari gives a good interview to Helsingin Sanomat about the government’s 80-point plan to tighten immigration policy that not only targets asylum seekers but impacts negatively the whole migrant and minority community of Finland.
Read on »The “Denmarkization” of Finnish immigration policy
The Perussuomalaiset (PS) are eager to pass legislation that will not only hurt asylum seekers but all migrants and minorities that live in Finland. After breaking almost all of their campaign promises and after their poll rating have plummeted to single-digit percentages, the PS only have one trump card left in their political bag of tricks: anti-immigration rhetoric and policy.
Read on »What ever happened to the PS politician who said god had answered his prayers after an asylum reception center was a target of arson?
Remember Perussuomalaiset (PS)* substitute MP Juha Maenpää who said god had answered his prayers after a reception center that was going to house asylum seekers was razed to the ground on December 1? It appears that all he got for writing such a comment was a lot of publicity and soft slap on the hand.
Read on »UPDATED: How long will reception centers and asylum seekers be under attack in Finland?
The fact that fourteen asylum reception centers that have been attacked in Finland since mid-September is shameful. According to the police service of Kangasala, an asylum seeker was beaten by two or three men Saturday evening near the Kaivanto reception center, reports YLE News.
Read on »A Finnish government that bolsters anti-immigration populism and nationalism
It’s sad to watch how the present government of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä is not only destroying our welfare state but bringing out the worst form of anti-immigration fear and political cowardice. When asked on YLE’s Ykkösaamu talk show about the attacks against asylum reception centers, the only thing Interior Minister Petteri Orpo had to say was that he was “saddened” by such illegal attacks and that the 80-point plan to tighten immigration policy would help calm matters down.
Read on »Neo-Nazi group now claims to carry out street patrols in as many as eleven Finnish cities
Neo-Nazi groups like Suomen Vastarintaliike (SVL) and the Solidiers of Odin are carrying out street patrols in eleven Finnish cities, reports Pori-based daily Satakunnan Kansa. Migrant Tales reported Saturday that SVL started street patrols in Pori, which have now expanded to three neighborhoods.
Read on »Researchers working for the police see falling support of the Perussuomalaiset as a danger to society
It’s incredible how even the police service feeds the xenophobic climate in Finland. A column published by two applied science researchers on the Police College of Finland page is a perfect example of the one-sided view that some people of the police service have.
Read on »Ongoing debate on asylum seekers in Finland: Lawmakers who play or are ignorant of our laws and basic human rights
As I watched the A-studio: T debate about the record number of asylum seekers in Finland, I thought about Kadar Gelle, a Somali anti-racism activist who watched Monday’s A-studio debate, where Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Tom Packalén, who has tried to build a political career on anti-immigration rhetoric, debates with Somali Finn Mukhtar Abib about the tightening of immigration policy.
Read on »The Finnish government’s eighty-point tightening of immigration policy is all politics and saving face, nothing more
The Finnish government of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä announced Tuesday an eighty-point tightening of Finnish immigration policy, according to YLE News. The new plan by the government means very bad news for asylum seekers and refugees living in Finland.
Read on »Xenophobia is a cancer that spreads in Finland
After years of looking the other way Finland is paying today a high price for its self-inflicted xenophobia. What are the consequences of such a social ill if we continue to permit it to roam freely with the help of urban tales and bigotry?
Read on »President Sauli Niinistö’s “ultimatum” to asylum seekers should apply to Finns as well
President Sauli Niinistö said Saturday during a YLE Radio 1 question-and-answer session that those asylum seekers that don’t abide by our core vales should leave Finland.
Read on »UPDATE (December 5): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link. December 5 Lähde vahvistaa: Suomessa majailee kolme kovan luokan terroristia (Iltalehti) What’s wrong with this story? Finland’s two tabloids, Iltalehti and Ilta-Sanomat, are not an example of
Read on »Before asking asylum seekers to respect Finnish laws and culture we should ask if we practice what we preach
Interior Minister Petteri Orpo said that in order to make Finland a more secure place, each asylum seeker will have to sign an agreement that he will not break the law and respect Finnish culture, according to YLE.
Read on »An arson attack against an asylum reception center in Finland gets a mixed response
Juha Maenpää, the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* substitute MP, who wrote that the burning of an asylum reception center in Niinisalo Monday was how god answered his prayers, is an indication of how xenophobia has overtaken Finland. Reaction to what he said are highly revealing as well about the state of Finland today.
Read on »Deputy police chief: Finnsh hate crimes have doubled in Helsinki so far this year from 2014
Racist or hate crimes have doubled in Helsinki from last year, according to Jyväskylä-based daily Keskisuomalainen, which cites the Finnish News Agency (STT). The total number of racist crimes that have been reported this year is about 70.
Read on »Perussuomalaiset politician states “god has answered his prayers” after an asylum reception center was burned due to a suspected arson attack
Finland saw probably for the first time an asylum reception center in Niinisalo, which was going to house asylum seekers next week, being razed to the ground by a suspected arson attack Tuesday. While such an attack should be condemned by everyone, there’s a Perussuomalaiset (PS) politician called Juha Maenpää who is rejoicing at what happened.
Read on »Political parties try to calm Finland’s xenophobic atmosphere with mixed statements that miss the mark
What credibility does a statement by all the political parties have given a joint statement appealing for calm in the face of 10 suspected rape cases committed by asylum seekers? It offers little credibility since the message is mixed.
Read on »UPDATE: Finnish asylum center in Kempele is intimidated by local residents and moves to an undisclosed location
It is shameful that an asylum reception center in Kempele, where an alleged rape of a minor took place on Monday by a suspected 17-year-old asylum seeker, has caved in to pressure. Kempele is the hometown of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, who offered in September his home to asylum seekers.
Read on »Olli Sademies finally gets sacked from the PS of Finland for being too racist
Olavi Sademies, a former member of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) * party and sustitute councilman for Helsinki, is a disgrace to the police service, Finns and Finland. His Facebook comments are openly racist and reveal what is wrong with this country and why the PS can never aspire to be a “normal” party.
Read on »Let’s have a frank talk about rape and xenophobia in Finland
I don’t usually begin an opinion piece with a quote by an Islamophobe like Hirvisaari in November 11 that was sentenced for ethnic agitation. This will be an exception because I’d like to answer the claim that the former Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP made in parliament: Islamophobes like you usually dress up hate speech and racism with so-called criticism of immigration policy.
Read on »Kempele, Finland, suspected rape case: Is the social media lynching party over?
If you read stories Tuesday about a fourteen-year-old girl who was raped in Kempele by two suspects aged 15 and 17 years, who are Afghani asylum seekers, today’s news offers a totally different twist, according to YLE News.
Read on »A cartoon by Ville Ranta that exposes the real face of anti-immigration groups and parties
The cartoon below, “After the attack,” shows an anti-immigration racist drinking the blood of a victim of the terrorist attack on Paris Friday the 13th of November.
Read on »UPDATE: An asylum reception center map we should all be ashamed of in Finland
As long as we have politicians and other community leaders who support hate speech overtly or with their silence, and as long as parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* base their support on racism against people who are different from them, Finland will not be a safe country for everyone.
Read on »Defining white Finnish privilege #25: This land is my land, this land isn’t your land
It’s disturbing to watch in Finland journalists who maintain and promote urban tales and racism. One of these is Tuomas Enbuske who invited Lenita Aristo to his television talk show to speak about Muslims. When Aristo opens her mouth and gives her opinions about cultural diversity, it’s evident that she still lives is a provincial and stuffy time warp of pre-1990s Finland.
Read on »Terrorism ironically exposes the lies of Islamophobic politicians and parties
The closer terrorist acts hit us like the tragedy that befell Paris on Friday, the fewer the arguments nationalist-populist groups have to defend their xenophobia. Most of these types of politicians in Finland prefer to hang low after the terror attacks.
Read on »France’s and Isis’ spiral of one-way terror and destruction
The Paris attacks of Friday 13 came as a windfall to hardliners who still believe that the solution in the Middle East is military. We are now seeing the impact of such a mistaken policy in the way of hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers coming to Europe and the terror attacks of Friday 13.
Read on »How Timo Soini and the PS hope that the terrorist attacks of Paris will give them a picker-upper in the polls
Below are two quotes. One is by the present foreign minister, Timo Soini, and the other below is by former Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. Soini is a member of a party that made its mark in politics thanks to its anti-immigration and isolationist rhetoric.
Read on »How will the far right and anti-immigration parties in Europe try to exploit what happened in Paris today?
Terrorism is a sign of how dysfunctional our society an countries are at dealing with global conflicts. I’m so saddened by the violence and watch with manifest unease how the far right and anti-immigration populist party will exploit what happened for their own benefit. We still haven’t got confirmation on which group is behind the attacks. My condolences go to the victims and their families.
Read on »Finland’s and fortress Europe’s razorblade chicken feed response to the refugee crisis
Finland and Europe are looking more lost than ever concerning the refugee crisis and this has been shamelessly exposed in the raw at the EU’s Malta summit. If we fail in resolving the crisis as a region we will face another problem that will be many times worse than what is happening now: Fuel and stoke the fires of xenophobia at the cost of our values.
Read on »Attempted arson attack against Helsinki’s Pitäjämäki asylum reception center
Migrant Tales understands that Helsinki’s Pitäjämäki reception center was the target of an arson attack on Friday or Saturday. A Molotov cocktail was hurled at the reception center but didn’t light up properly.
Read on »Migrant Tales Literary: Would you buy a used car from PS’ Timo Soini?
Timo Soini is chairman of the nationalist populist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party. After the most recent opinion polls showed that the political future of the PS is bleak to say the least, what will Soini do after his party returns to the minor political leagues? Will he start to sell used cars?
Read on »What has the PS given to Finland apart from destroying our international image, labeling migrants and polarizing society?
The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* are one of the worst surprises that Finland got after 2011. If the latest opinion poll is anything to go by, the nationalist populist party has returned to the minor political leagues, where it was originally from.
Read on »YLE poll: Support for PS of Finland takes another dip to 9.8%
A poll commissioned by the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) revealed more pain for the nationalist populist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, which saw its support plummet below 10% to 9.8%. The party that gained the most in the poll were the Social Democrats, which saw their support rise by 2.4 percentage points to 20.7%.
Read on »Finnish PS Kotka counclman under police investigation for ethnic agitation
Mertsu Merivirta is a Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party councilman of the southern Finnish city of Kotka. His Facebook wall is full of nationalist anti-immigration posts and sexism. If you’re going to victimize migrants and minorities why not include women as well.
Read on »Perussuomalaiset woes deepen as Sebastian Tynkkynen reelected chairman of the Finnish party’s youth league
The problems of the nationalist populist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party got worse Sunday after its third vice president, Sebastian Tynkkynen, got reelected by a clear majority to head the party’s youth league.
Read on »The PS of Finland is an amateurish party that wants to normalize ignorance and racism
Finns are nice people in general. Some are patient and like to give kooks an opportunity. They do so because they mistrust the establishment or want to confirm that their trust of the establishment is justified.
Read on »YLE A-studio: The PS reveals its anti-democratic credentials and loathing of press freedom
Watching Thursday’s A-Studio talk show gave a very disturbing picture of what the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* think about democracy and the role of the media in society. Researcher Markku Jokisipilä exposed with a diplomatic statement what is wrong with Finland when debating our ever-growing culturally and ethnically diverse society.
Read on »Kenyan insulted by racist Finnish woman: “You’re a f***ing African woman…”
How would you feel if a total stranger starts to insult you in public? Has it ever happened to you? When something like that happens you feel that you’ve been violated and torn to little shreds.
Read on »Finland copies Islamophobic Danish anti-refugee campaign
The Finnish foreign ministry has launched a social media campaign aiming to discourage Iraqi asylum seekers from coming to Finland, according to YLE News.
Read on »What President Sauli Niinstö forgets to state when he claims that migrants should “do as the Romans do”
What does President Sauli Niinitö mean by the controversial phrase, in Rome do as the Romans do, or maassa maan tavalla?
Read on »Finnish terms that parties and politicians use to hide their anti-immigration and racist views
It’s always amazing to watch on television politicians like Sebastian Tynkyynen, third vice president of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*and leader of its youth organization. They speak of anti-immigration sentiment as if it were the most “normal” matter in the world.
Read on »The Perussuomalaiset of Finland: Labeling and victimizing migrants for political profit
The latest poll results, which showed support for the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* nosedive by a record 7 percentage points from April to 10.7%, not only means turbulent times for the government but especially for migrants and minorities in Finland.
Read on »YLE poll: PS sees its support nosedive to 10.7%
The latest poll published by YLE shows that support for the populist anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party has plummeted, diving in one month by 4.3 percentage points to 10.7% and since the April parliamentary elections by as much as 7 percentage points.
Read on »Please explain, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, what does “Finland isn’t a racist country” mean?
Standing together with four other Nordic prime ministers, Juha Sipilä states that Finland isn’t a racist country, according to YLE in English. I’m a bit baffled by Sipilä’s statement. What does Finland “not being a racist country” actually mean?
Read on »Facebook: An essay on immigration and multiculturaism
I don’t know Dexter personally but I like what he wrote about Saturday’s demonstrations for and against asylum seekers. We are just as worried as you, Dexter, about the atmosphere in Finland.
Read on »What the Finnish media leaves out in a story is an editorial line just like silence is a political decision
In journalism it works in the following manner: Silence is what you don’t report and intentionally leave out in the story. That is a policy decision, or an editorial line.
Read on »Finnish government and the PS: Kid gloves and wishy-washy statements on asylum seekers and racism
There are a number of demonstrations planned today demanding that Finland shut its border to asylum seekers. What may surprise some is that the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, a party sharing power in government, is organizing some of these demonstrations like the one in Tornio, a town located next to the Swedish border, according to tabloid Iltalehti.
Read on »PS councilman of Finland posts pictures on Facebook of Hitler and Ku Klux Klan clansmen ready to lynch a black woman
Ville Moisanen is a Perussuomalaiset (PS)* councilman from a small town near Lahti called Sysmä who posted anti-Semitic and racist pictures on Facebook, according to Heinola-based daily Itä-Häme. Apparently inspired by Finland’s Ku Klux Klan impersonator,
Read on »The Finnish Ku Klux Klan impersonator was really Timo Soini’s and the Perussuomalaiset’s ogre
When racism lifts its head in Finland Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairman and foreign minister, Timo Soini, usually gives us a lesson in denial: “We’re not racists.”
Read on »Facebook: PS speaker of parliament blames the media for Finland’s KKK image
Maria Lohela is the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* speaker of the parliament who has real issues with Islam and cultural diversity. Last week a man dressed in Ku Klux Klan sheet and mask protested in Lahti against the arrival of refugees to that city. His picture was published in many newspapers abroad.
Read on »Naming and shaming Finland into action
Parties that use racism and xenophobia to attract voters play a dangerous game. It’s like having a rapid dog on a short leash that some are interested to see. What those parties don’t want to know is that the rapid dog can bite back at its supposed owner, and hard.
Read on »The Finnish government’s wishy-washy and surreal stand on racism
The leadership of Center Party Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, Finance Minister Alexsander Stubb of the National Coalition Party never mind Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Foreign Minister Timo Soini is disgraceful and will go down as one of the low points in Finland’s history.
Read on »UPDATE (September 21): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link. September 21 Iraqis on Facebook warn compatriots against coming to Finland – (YLE in English) Why is this story an example of opinionated journalism? It’s clear that
Read on »Perussuomalaiset party wants Finland to turn back asylum seekers from Sweden
The populist anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party’s parliamentary group wants to turn back asylum seekers that are entering the country from Sweden to the northern city of Tornio, reports YLE in English. The PS are the only party in Finland making such a demand.
Read on »A Finnish father teaches his child to hit and hate refugees
If you want a lesson how racism and hatred is passed on to the next generation, watch the video clip (in Finnish) of a father telling her daughter to hit the teddy bear, which is supposed to be a refugee.
Read on »Saido Mohamed: How much good will is there in Finland for asylum seekers?
In the early 1990s Finland was in the midst of one of its worst recessions in a century, when unemployment rocketed to about 20%. The number of migrants back then was relatively small totaling in 1992 a mere 37,642 and accounting for only 0.7% of the total population.
Read on »The PS puts a price tag on refugees without putting one on themselves
In their never-ending search to prove that immigration and refugees are bad for Finland the Perussuomalaiset (PS) have now a price tag for the cost of each refugee that they accept. Not even Hungary, where refugees are kicked at by camerawomen or thrown food at like animals, has published such a cost estimate.
Read on »The PS of Finland: Can you teach a bigot new tricks?
When the national media gave the racist narrative of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* the benefit of the doubt, Migrant Tales never did and never will.
Read on »Europe has been put in harm’s way by Europeans
Can Europe honestly look at itself in the mirror today and say it is still a beacon of hope, cultural understanding and respect as we bar refugees, permit the children of these people fleeing war to die on our beaches while thousands die trying to reach our shores?
Read on »Dear little boy washed ashore…
In May we learned about a Dear little girl at sea who was kind enough to look the other way as she floated lifelessly in Mediterranean waters.
Read on »Our indecision and indifference to the humanitarian crisis facing Europe is the greatest threat
In the face of the humanitarian refugee crisis that we are seeing today in Europe, some leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel are offering leadership while others are frozen with indecision and indifference.
Read on »A cemetery called the Mediterranean
This will be one of the shortest posts ever published in Migrant Tales thanks to a picture published on the front page of El País of Madrid. Those dots on the water are people who got shipwrecked off the coast of Libya.
Read on »UPDATE (August 28): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link. August 28 Joka seitsemäs suomalainen on rasisti – tässä tuntomerkit (Suomen Kuvalehti) What’s wrong with this story? Here’s a question to Suomen Kuvalehti: Why when speaking of immigration,
Read on »Matti Putkonen takes the Perussuomalaiset to the Twilight Zone
Here’s what happened Wednesday. Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Olli Immonen, who’s been pictured with neo-Nazis and recently declared war on “the nightmare of multiculturalism,” gave a press conference where he promised to write clearer text so that nobody could interpret them as racist or having neo-Nazi overtones.
Read on »The Perussuomalaiset is a racist and far right party because…
No matter how much Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Matti Purkonen, MP Sampo Terho or Timo Soini assure us that they are against racism and fascism, the more they incriminate their party. Renouncing racism and far right ideology would be tantamount to committing political hara-kiri for the PS.
Read on »Thank you Timo Soini and Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo for showing us (again) how big of a social ill racism is in Finland
Imagine how a political party like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* can destroy with their xenophobic and populist sound bites not only the credibility of a government that’s planning to slash billions of euros but the good name of this country abroad.
Read on »Migrant Tales’ D4R: Estonians can be just as racist as some Finns
Our faithful readers and friend D4R called me up Thursday and told me about a racist incident with two Estonian men on the train. One of them asks D4R in a hostile tone where he purchased such good clothes and if he was living off social welfare.
Read on »Finnish PS MP Olli Immonen takes swipe at asylum seekers, migrants and minorities
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Olli Immonen is at it again after his xenophobic Facebook posting about “the nightmare of multiculturalism.” This time he is taking a swipe at asylum seekers. He uses terms like “uncontrolled” and “avalanche” to promote his brand of xenophobic and far right hostility not only against asylum seekers, but against Finland’s ever-growing culturally and ethnically diverse community.
Read on »The PS of Finland declares war against the media, researchers, and politicians
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party strongman Matti Putkonen said that the populist anti-immigration party with far right leanings will hire a lawyer and threatened to take people to court for claiming that PS MP Olli Immmonen and the party has links with Nazi groups, according to Ilta-Sanomat.
Read on »PS party secretary Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo claims racism to be “a matter of interpretation”
In one of the most incredible statements yet by Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo, the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party secretary was quoted as saying on MTV3 that the term racism should be defined more clearly since it can mean many things to different people.
Read on »A nightmare called the Perussuomalaiset
The populist anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS) held over the weekend their party conference in Turku. There were two matters that summarize the conference: the party’s hostility towards migrants and the media.
Read on »Finland’s Rosa Parks moment and crossing the line
For those of us who have been anti-racism activists for many years, Tuesday, July 28, offered us something we hadn’t seen before in Finland: A spontaneous 15,000-20.000-strong demonstration against racism and fascism in Helsinki. Was that very important demonstration a Rosa Parks moment and an important watershed to make Finland a more inclusive country?
Read on »Media researcher claims Finnish politicians don’t challenge racism strongly enough because they fear losing voters
Media researcher Anu Koivunen believes that Finnish politicians don’t challenge racism because they fear losing voters, reports MTV3. Koivunen said that reaction would have been stronger in Sweden if the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Olli Immonen scandal would have happened in that neighboring country.
Read on »Marshall Niles: Everyday racism can break a person’s heart
Migrant Tales insight: Our newest associate editor, Marhsall Niles, is very outspoken about migrant rights. We are happy that we have a person like Marshall on board since it makes sailing in Finland’s sometimes turbulent waters easier. Marshall is a good example that one can make a difference with his example. What he wrote a
Read on »MP Olli Immonen, Birkenau death camp, and the PS’ party convention in Turku on August 8-9
A lot of attention has been given to the populist anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party as a result of MP Olli Immonen’s declaration of war against multiculturalism and last weekend’s neo-Nazi Suomen vastarintaliike (SVL) demonstration that turned violent in Jyväskylä.
Read on »Defining white Finnish privilege #23: Greater police powers to monitor migrants and minorities
Finnish white privilege, like any majority culture’s privilege, not only permeates in our institutions but marks the pace of how those with no privilege will be treated in this society. Granting the police greater monitoring power to carry out arbitrary checks on migrants, and subsequently non-white Finns, is a case in point in white Finnish privilege.
Read on »The language and actions of anti-immigration parties and groups are based on violence
Some 40 members of the neo-Nazi Suomen Vastarintaliike (SVL) took part in a demonstration Saturday ended violently, according to YLE in English. Thirty-two people were detained in the central Finnish city of Jyväskylä by the police and charged with rioting and assault.
Read on »Facebook: Can Nordic values challenge racism if racism has found a home in such values?
Migrant Tales insight: Christian Thibault is an active anti-racism activist that I’ve had the pleasure to know for some time. In a recent Facebook post below he brings up some good points about how even former and present presidents, like Martti Ahtisaari and Sauli Niinistö, lean towards the promotion of a more exclusive rather than inclusive
Read on »PS MP Immonen “flees” country in the face of his declaration of war against multiculturalism
The headline in Iltalehti, a tabloid that has for years been responsible for spreading racism in Finland, writes on the front page that Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Olli Immonen has fled the country in the face of the hostile comments he made against cultural diversity. Running away and hiding because of what he wrote shows once again that
Read on »Migrant Tales (June 23, 2012): What is the fine line that separates Anders Breivik and PS MP Olli Immonen?
This week we heard Anders Breivik’s closing statements in his defense for killing 77 innocent victims. In his final tirade of how multiculturalism is responsible for fuelling the Islamization of Europe, the mass killer showed no remorse. “The attacks on July 22 were preventive attacks to defend the indigenous Norwegian people,” he said. “I therefore
Read on »July 28, 2015: Finland’s Rosa Parks moment
On December 1, 1955 the late Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white passenger on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama. That historically important incident was for many the spark that ignited the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.
Read on »Olli Immonen and the PS: I dream of a country that is inclusive, not racist and extremist
I’ve been traveling during the last weekend until Monday in northeast Argentina, where the Finns established a colony in 1906. I had limited access to the Internet but when I read what Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Olli Immonen wrote on his Facebook a cocktail of sadness mixed with concern overcame me.
Read on »UPDATE (July 22): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity please go to this link. July 22 Miksi mamulla on varaa merkkivaatteisiin? (Suomen Kuvalehti) What’s wrong with this opinion piece? While the intentions of the journalist, Sami Kuusela, are noble he falls
Read on »UPDATE (July 20): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link. July 20 HOK-Elanto bouncer under discrimination investigation (YLE) What else could have been said? While this story is pretty clear and to the point about a discrimination
Read on »YouGov poll not only shows how critical Finns are of Greece and Greeks but of the outside world
A YouGov survey shows that 74% of Finns are against debt relief for Greece with the same amount blaming present and past governments for the country’s financial problems, reports the English service of YLE.
Read on »Eva Biaudet: Finland’s ever-culturally and ethnically diverse society in the new century (Part I)
Swedish People’s Party (SPP) MP Eva Biaudet has made a name for herself defending those that don’t have a voice in society and those who are most vulnerable to discrimination and exploitation. If there is a person that can give a picture of where Finland is or should be heading in this century as our country becomes ever-culturally and ethnically diverse, that person is certainly Biaudet.
Read on »The PS, like the Confederate flag, is a symbol of racism and hatred for most migrants in Finland
In states like South Carolina, where Dylann Roof mass murdered nine people on June 18 at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, there is an ongoing debate about taking down the Confederate flag from senate house grounds. Instead of starting a race war which Roof wanted to ignite, his killings awoke us to the oppression and suffering that the Confederate flag continues to represent.
Read on »PS Substitute Councilman Olli Sademies to be investigated for hate speech
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Helsinki substitute councilman, Olli Sademies, will be investigated by the police for hate speech, reports the Swedish-language service of YLE.
Read on »Is PS MP Laura Huhtasaari an Islamophobe?
Jay Smooth offers some valuable advice when dealing with racism. He divides the plan of action into two strategies: the what they did conversation and what they are conversation.
Read on »PS MP Laura Huhtasaari’s problems deepen concerning her alleged membership in a racist Facebook community
Migrant Tales understands that a complaint had been made to Facebook about a racist community called Puskaraiskaajien rasistinen tausta ! or “The racist background of rapists [hiding] in bushes.” Facebook concluded that it did not breach community standards.
Read on »UPDATE (July 4): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link. July 4 Bloggaja väittää: Huhtasaari liittyi rasistiseen Facebook-ryhmään itse (Satakunnan Kansa) What’s wrong with this story? This story by Pori-based daily Satakunnan Kansa is a good example of
Read on »Sweden’s former Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt is bewildered by Finland’s immigration policy
Sweden’s former right-wing Moderate Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt expresses bewilderment by Finland’s immigration policy, writes business daily Kauppalehti. “It is remarkable that before theelections in Finland they spoke about the importance of labor immigration but are [now] struggling to close Finland’s doors [to such people].”
Read on »Finland’s deputy state prosecutor to investigate Sademies’ Facebook post on sterilizing Africans
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Helsinki substitute councilman Olli Sademies’ post on Facebook at the end of May, where he wrote that Africans should be sterilized after three children, is going to be investigated by the deputy state prosecutor, according to Tampere-based daily Aamulehti, citing Finnish News Agency (STT).
Read on »Danish People’s Party Pia Kjærsgaard: Inte min talman, or not my speaker of parliament [1]
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Speaker of Parliament Maria Lohela no longer is alone after Denmark’s new center-right government elected the founder of the xenophobic Danish People’s Party (DPP), Pia Kjærsgaard, as the new speaker of parliament, according to the Copenhagen Post. Like her counterpart in Finland, Kjærsgaard has built her political career on Islamophbobic fear-mongering.
Read on »Olli Sademies tweets: “I was taken down from Facebook due to an identity check”
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* substitute councilman for Helsinki, Olli Sademies, tweets that he was taken down from Facebook due to an identity check. If this is true, we should see Sademies back on Facebook with his racist comments about Muslims and Africans soon.
Read on »Is the Danish People’s Party advising the PS on how to become the biggest party in Finland?
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Helsinki substitute councilman, Olli Sademies, is creating Islamophobic waves again. Right, he’s the substitute councilman who suggested in the end of May that Africans should be sterilized after having three children. Now he wrote on his Facebook wall a “business idea” to create a pig’s blood spray that would be used against Muslims.
Read on »What we should learn from the Tapanila sexual assault case
The Tapanila rape case is a good example of how the Finnish media permitted again its prejudices to get the better of itself. Those who committed the crime had everything against them: They were “Somalis,” or youths with “foreign backgrounds,” who committed “gang rape.” In today’s Finland, where xenophobia is thick in the air, those two words are sure to unlock your darkest prejudices.
Read on »Migrants need greater voting rights in Europe to challenge the far right and ultranationaistic menace
Bashy Quraishy made recently a very valid point on his Facebook wall: “Active political participation, voting in large numbers and support for the friendly politicians is Alpha and Omega for the protection of ethnic minority rights in Denmark.”
Read on »No disciplinary action to be taken against Helsinki substitute councilman who wants African men sterilized
Remember in May when Perussuomalaiset (PS)* substitute councilman called Olli Sademies commented that African men should be sterilized after having three children? While the decision by the police to not press ethnic agitation charges against Sademies was expected, it is the shameful attitude of the PS not to take any action against the substitute councilman that is the most worrying.
Read on »A letter from a Finn to a Swede
Dear friend, you probably read about the elections in Denmark and how xenophobia raised its head yet again in another Nordic country. The elections in Denmark didn’t surprise me. Two months earlier we had elections in Finland. Here too the right-wing populist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* became the second-biggest party in parliament and are now in government.
Read on »Timo Soini overjoyed by Danish election result and good showing of the Islamophobic DPP
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Chairman and Foreign Minister Timo Soini wrote in his blog today that he was elated that the xenophobic Danish People’s Party emerged in the Danish elections as the second-biggest party after the Social Democrats.
Read on »Is Finland on the path of becoming an isolationist, nationalistic and xenophobic country?
Finland hasn’t been itself for a number of years, especially after a populist Euro-skeptic and anti-immigration party, the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, rose to the political major leagues in the 2011 elections.
Read on »PS report claims that Finnish “red-green” journalists believe that the party is racist and therefore live in a bubble
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* thinktank Suomen Perusta believes that journalists in Finland live in a red-green bubble, reports Helsingin Sanomat. According to Marko Hamilo, who did the report, claims that support for the Greens and the left is “over-represented” among journalists when compared with the rest of the population.
Read on »UPDATE (June 10): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link. June 10 Suurlähetystö joutuu selittelemään Timo Soinia: “Ymmärretään usein väärin täällä Saksassa (Ilta-Sanomat) What’s wrong with this story? The headline offers us an answer to the latter question
Read on »Juha Sipilä’s government is one of the few in the world that still ponders whether immigration is good for the host country
The Finnish government of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä must be one of the few if not the only one in the world that is still pondering whether immigration is good or bad for the country. Even if the new government decided to carry out such an assessment by an independent body, thanks to pressure by the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, it’s universally accepted by economists that immigration is good for the host country.
Read on »Swedish People’s Party Carl Haglund: Who wants to move to Finland knowing that a price tag will be placed on your forehead?
Imagine a country that needs skilled labor due to the rapid graying of its population and whose new government still doesn’t know whether immigration brings benefits or not? Well that country, folks, is none other than Finland. Yes, the country that saw over 1.2 million of its people emigrate between 1860 and 1999 to the world and which saw the rise of an anti-immigration party from the minor political leagues to become the second-biggest party in parliament.
Read on »Feeding our amnesia and sidestepping the issues in the immigration and refugee debate
You can remind me four years from today what I’ll say now: Very little will be resolved concerning the challenges facing our ever-growing culturally diverse society except for witch-hunts and underlining the poisonous message of “us” against “them.”
Read on »Xenophobia and Islamophobia get to first base in Finland: And now, what?
Living in Finland after the April 19 parliamentary elections is like witnessing a coup where xenophobia and Islamophobia have strengthened their stranglehold on our country with the blessings of the Center Party and National Coalition Party (NCP). With the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* in government and the election of PS MP Maria Lohela as the new speaker of parliament send a disturbing signal to many Finns and especially to our ever-growing culturally diverse community.
Read on »Facebook: Thumbs down to Maria Lohela and hurray for our side!
When big mainstream parties play along with populist and anti-immigration parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, which base their campaign on one part hot air and two parts xenophobia and nationalism, you get the government we have today and a speaker of parliament called Maria Lohela. Christian Thibault has been a tireless activist for migrant and
Read on »Facebook: Does “Finnish labor” include migrants, naturalized Finns and minorities?
One of the members of the new government, the right-wing populist Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, said that jobs will be created for Finnish labor. In the present anti-immigration environment in Finland, such statements have a hostile ring to migrants, naturalized Finns and minorities since they don’t promote inclusion and fair hiring practices.
Read on »The violent and hostile language of Finnish populists against Others
For those that sighed with momentary relief and claimed that the new government’s immigration policy won’t be as bad as they expected haven’t seen anything yet. Behind the populist and nationalistic rhetoric coming from people like Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairman Timo Soini, there’s nothing but suspicion and hostility against Finland’s migrant and ever-culturally diverse community. What
Read on »New book on Somali community of Finland highlights what we’ve known for long: social hostility and blatant discrimination
A new book called Suomen somalit by Yusuf M. Mubarak, Eva Nilsson and Niklas Saxén reinforces what has been already known about Finland’s Somali community: racism and social exclusion appear to be the norm.
Read on »An apology from a former Islamophobe
Kathrin Oetrel of Pegida, which stands for Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West, formally apologized for her role as spokeswoman in the far-right Islamophobic movement. When will Islamophobic and xenophobic politicians in countries like Finland apologize in the same manner as Pegida’s former spokeswoman? Don’t hold your breaths, however. There will be no
Read on »Get ready for even harder times in Finland if you are a migrant or minority
I remember right after the 2011 parliamentary elections, when the Perussuomalaiset (PS) won 39 from 5 MPs previously, that some weren’t worried. “You’ll see,” one person said. “It’s only a matter of time before they implode.”
Read on »Treating immigrants in Finland as the problem IS the problem
What’s wrong with the ongoing debate in Finland concerning immigration, refugees and cultural diversity? The problem is that they are treated as a problem by politicians, the media and public.* Instead of treating these three matters as “a problem” we should make an effort to think outside of the current anti-immigration political climate and see them
Read on »Finland 2015 is a sinking ship: Throw overboard excess weight like migrants, refugees, minorities and our Nordic values
What destiny can befall a country or a political party that retreats into its own fears and scapegoats migrants for its own blunders and inaction? As one friend pointed out, Finland resembles today a sinking ship that is throwing overboard excess weight like migrants, refugees, minorities and Nordic values. The situation is dire, very dire.
Read on »Christian Thibault: Don’t let fear intimidate you but watch your back!
Christian Thibault, chairman of Rasmus, an anti-racism NGO, asks how safe are our streets for migrants and minorities after Sunday’s parliamentary elections? Thibault is concerned but doesn’t want anyone to live in fear. “Don’t withdraw into safe ghettos,” he continued, “but be careful especially this coming weekend [when people of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* will be celebrating the
Read on »PS MP Immonen wants “a nationalistic revolution” in Finland
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Olli Immonen appears to be on a crusade lined with pipe dreams. Immonen, who is chairman of the far-right Suomen Sisu association, which discourages white Finns from marrying foreigners, wrote that “the people” should grab power and start “a nationalistic revolution.” Pekka Venamo, the former leader of the Finnish Rural Party (SMP), has linked
Read on »Finland goes to the polls Sunday – don’t vote for these anti-immigration candidates
Finland will hold parliamentary elections on Sunday. One of the interesting question marks is who will come in second or third place. One poll predicts the Center Party winning (no surprise) with the National Coalition Party (NCP) and Perussuomalaiset (PS)* coming in second and third, respectively. The Social Democrats are in fourth place. During the last
Read on »Finland’s scapegoating culture and climate
A good example of Finland’s xenophobic climate is a citizens’ initiative that would hasten the deportation of sentenced foreigners, according to YLE in English. The minimum number of signatures required for such initiatives to be debated and voted on in parliament is 50,000. On Wednesday morning the citizens’ initiative had 52,037 signatures.
Read on »Finnish PS MP would be overjoyed to see “less migrants and more humans”
Maria Tolppanen is a Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP who said she’d be overjoyed to see less migrants and more humans or people in Vaasa’s city square, according to a questionnaire to candidates that appeared on Vaasan Ikkuna and was posted on Facebook. Tolppanen, who has made racist statements before, uses a lowly term, mamu, when she refers to migrants in the
Read on »When the term immigrant becomes a red herring
If there is a report, a story or some tale that sounds fishy it may suggest a red herring. One of these types of stories that should have received more scrutiny from the media was a report published Thursday by Perussuomalaiset (PS)* thinktank Suomen Perusta, which attempted to place a price tag on immigration. There are a lot of
Read on »PS MP wants Finland to exclude refugees and migrants according to national background
The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* announced Thursday that immigration costs Finland at least 700 million euros a year, according to YLE in English, which cites PS thinktank Suomen Perusta. Basing his conclusions on the report, PS third vice president Juho Eerola said he would consider restricting migration to the country based on national origin. The report suggested that Germans
Read on »Perussuomalaiset ad stresses “us” versus “them”
The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* ad below (in Finnish) is the pits. The only mention it makes about our culturally and ethnically diverse society is picture of a Muslim woman. All of the people in the ad are white Finns. It uses slogans like: “Let’s build a good Finland” and “the Perussuomalaiset are on the side of (white)
Read on »Migrants are not a burden to Finland
The letter to the editor below could be perfectly well applied to Finland. In Finland, migrants and minorities are tired of being called a burden by opportunistic politicians that want to gain with xenophobic sound bites voter attention. Sensible Europeans know better and more of their voices are needed in the face of this
Read on »Politicians who fuel and support opportunity segregation in Finland
Tanja Hartonen-Pulkka is a Perussuomalaiset (PS)* candidate in April’s parliamentary elections. Last year she was noticed by Migrant Tales for all the wrong reasons. Hartonen-Pulkka lives in Mäntyharju, a small town in Eastern Finland with a population of 6,200 people that has a handful of foreign residents. She claimed in fall that at the present
Read on »PS’ Timo Soini claims he’s “surprised” that not more immigrants want to move to Finland
Politicians sometimes say pretty incredible things. What do you think if the leader of Finland’s biggest anti-immigration party in parliament states that he’s surprised that not more immigrants move to Finland? And then the leader of this party, Timo Soini, puts the icing on the cake and is quoted on YLE in English as saying that Finland “is
Read on »Sending Finland to a retirement home
Parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and anti-immigration politicians like MEP Jussi Halla-aho should be thankful to migrants and multicultural Finns. Where would these anti-immigration populists be today without their near-constant attacks against our ever-growing culturally and ethnically diverse society? Source: theinspirationroom.com. While anti-immigration rhetoric has poisoned the air and made life difficult for
Read on »UPDATE (Feb. 26): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
Migrant Tales’2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link. Feb. 26 Koraaninluku radiossa nosti raivon – “Sotkee nuorten päät ja vihasoppa on valmis” (Helsingin Uutiset) What’s wrong with this story? Helsingin Uutiset is a community paper
Read on »The rise and fall of the Perussuomalaiset of Finland
As support for the Perussuomalaiset (PS)[1] wanes with parliamentary elections only a heartbeat away on April 19, we are seeing a very different party from four years ago. Back then, PS chairman Timo Soini was self-confident and campaigning confidently. He was the darling of the media, the new kid on the block, the underdog, the only
Read on »PS candidate shows video of “lazy” migrant but does not know how many of them live in Finland
Jari Ronkainen is a candidate from the town of Hollola near Lahti in the April parliamentary elections. Should it surprise us that he his a member of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party? In a campaign video he divides migrants in two groups: those that integrate and those that don’t. Migrant Tales got in touch with the candidate by phone. Are you
Read on »Timo Soini and the PS: “What goes around comes around”
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairman Timo Soini has good acting skills and a poor memory. At a press conference Thursday he told us about the death threats he’s received. I know how he feels because I too have received such death threats possibly from people inspired by the PS’ populist and hateful ideology. Even if I’ve lived in
Read on »UPDATE (Feb. 19): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
Migrant Tales’2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link. Feb. 19 Soini: Perussuomalaiset ei “flirttaile” rasismin kanssa (Helsingin Sanomat) What’s wrong with this news story? The Finnish media has asked over and over again Perussuomalaiset (PS)[1]
Read on »Declassified documents about Somalis shed light on how Soviet asylum seekers were treated in Finland
This story published by MTV3, about a secret agreement to return Somali asylum-seekers back to the then Soviet Union, forgets to bring up a very important question: Was there another secret document with Moscow to return Soviet citizens to the USSR if they sought asylum in Finland? The 1990 agreement, which was never enforced, became public knowledge
Read on »UPDATE (Feb. 14): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
Migrant Tales’2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link. Feb. 14 “Suomessa on jatkuva sadekausi” (Ilkka) What’s wrong with this news story? If one follows news about immigrants and cultural diversity in Finland on Uutiskynnys.fi, one
Read on »A young black woman in a small Finnish city
Finns are adamant that there is no racial discrimination in their society. Josephy Wandera Owindi* For some white people it’s difficult to comprehend how a black woman could be treated in a small city like Mikkeli, located 230km northeast of Helsinki. Is she a victim of microaggressions and/or of outright sexism and racism? The aim of a
Read on »Racism as PS immigration policy
The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* recently published their party program on immigration, which breaches human rights, is unconstitutional and outright racist. Even if Social Democrat MP Johannes Koskinen was quoted as saying on Oulu-based daily Kaleva that parts of the PS’ party program were in conflict with our constitution, there’s been too little reaction by mainstream political parties and
Read on »Defining white Finnish privilege #17: The Perussuomalaiset and our civil rights
The Perussuomalaiset (PS) is a xenophobic party that sticks out like a sore thumb and reminds us that our liberal Nordic welfare society and democracy may not be as open-minded as we thought. Their latest party program on immigration is further proof that the PS is a hostile to migrants, visible minorities and to our Nordic
Read on »Are Bush’s Iraq War and Abu Ghraib torture to blame as well for the Charlie Hebdo attack?
When I reflect on what happened this week in Paris my thoughts drift to George W. Bush and his proclamation that the United States is on a crusade against terrorism. Juan Cole, an expert on Middle East politics, asks an important question on his blog: Having American troops occupy it [Baghdad] for 8 years, humiliate
Read on »UPDATE (December 5): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
How does the Finnish media give politicians that spread xenophobia and racism inflated respectability and importance? How can they spread their prejudices and lies about immigrants and minorities without the help of the media? Migrant Tales will begin to collect stories from January 7 written by careless journalists that have been taken for a ride by such
Read on »Defining white Finnish privilege #15: Case Halla-aho and the PS
It’s clear that the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* are trying to regain their balance as their popularity in the polls continues to plummet. This week MEP Jussi Halla-aho, who was sentenced for ethnic agitation, tells his party that a tougher stand on immigration is needed to regain voter confidence. “It would be good that the party leadership understands
Read on »Migrant Tales (September 14, 2013): The Finnish and European media still have a lot to learn about racism and intolerance
One matter that is interesting to note when looking at the media before the historic victory of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party in April 2011, is the present controversy surrounding the Youth League of the National Coalition Party’s program. Is the media giving racists, radical anti-immigration groups and voices inflated respectability and importance? The whole Susanna
Read on »Sweden Democrats openly attack cultural diversity – will the PS of Finland follow their example?
In a clear attempt to cash in on the anti-immigration sentiment, Sweden Democrat party secretary Björn Söder said that minorities like the Saami could never be Swedes and was willing to pay immigrants to leave the country, reports The Local. The mere suggestion that Sweden is only a country of white Swedes reveals the racist
Read on »Homophobic Finland? Thank the Perussuomalaiset
Some weren’t too worried when the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* won their historic parliamentary election victory in 2011 by raising the number of MPs to 39 from 5. “They’ll implode like the Rural Party did in the 1970s,” and “This is only a passing [political] fad” was what one heard. One matter is clear after almost four
Read on »When youth leaders of parties like the NCP of Finland are in the dark about cultural diversity
It is sad, even unfortunate, that some of our future political leaders of the National Coalition Party (NCP) see Finland’s ever-growing cultural diversity as a threat and the adaption of these newcomers and their children as an ethnocentric one-way affair. One of the first matters that these youth leaders would learn about the over 1.2 million
Read on »Finnish anti-immigration sound bites + near-silence of society = peril
Some soap operas are so sweet and melodramatic that they form cavities in your brain. In the same way, the message of anti-immigration and xenophobic parties is so outrageous that they leave a whole in your head. Timo Soini and the Perussuomalaiset (PS),* which became Finland’s third-largest parliamentary bloc in 2011, are appealing to
Read on »The PS of Finland: When a morally bankrupt party crosses the line
The Tom Packalén case is not only a reminder of what Finland can expect if the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* ever get into government, there is the real threat that we are in danger of forfeiting our successful Nordic welfare state for populism, nativist nationalism and xenophobia. In the face of this threat, it is the near-silence
Read on »PS MP of Finland ready to patrol streets and take law into his own hands
Remember what people said when the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* won their historic election victory in 2011? ”Nothing is going to happen you’ll see…they’ll soon implode like the Rural Party did in the 1970s…” some said playing down the whole matter. After almost four years, the PS continues to polarize society by instilling fear and fueling racism
Read on »Defining white Finnish privilege #12: Case Tom Packalén
Just like his colleague Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, MP Tom Packalén is another good example of white Finnish privilege. His example is in the same questionable league as National Coalition Party MP Pia Kauma, who falsely accused migrant mothers of buying new baby carriages with social aid while Finnish mothers buy used ones. If you are
Read on »The PS has found its political role model in the Sweden Democrats
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Tom Packalén is an example of how the good election result of the Sweden Democrats has invigorated him and the PS to start scapegoating migrants in Finland. Taking into account the poor result of the PS in the last presidential, municipal and EU elections, it’s clear that some PS MPs will do anything to get attention and hopefully votes.
Read on »What will the April 2015 elections of Finland reveal about ourselves as a country?
It’s clear that the parliamentary elections of April 2015 in Finland will reveal a lot of matters about this country. In many respects it’s like strip tease joint where women or men, disguised as political parties, take off their clothes. Sexuality isn’t being shown in bare flesh but in political ideologies such as racism, whiteness,
Read on »Too many Finnish politicians and parties are ignorant of their country’s migrant and refugee history
-titta, en finne igen i fyllan! -satans finjävlar! -look, (a) drunken Finn! -damn Finnish devils! The infamous saying, en finne igen, yet another Finn, can be found in Urban Dictionary. The statement was used by Swedes to claim that Finns are “violent, primitive savages” because some have issues with learning Swedish and alcohol. After World
Read on »Defining white Finnish privilege #11: Case Teuvo Hakkarainen
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Teuvo Hakkarainen is a good example of white Finnish privilege. Here’s an MP that has issues with alcohol, racism and now dates teenagers as well as allegedly takes minors to bars. He has sent on his work phone pictures of his phallus and Image magazine claims in its latest issue that the PS MP drove
Read on »Will the Sweden Democrat victory give a boost to the PS in Finland?
The Swedish election result not only showed a shift and set for a minority-left government, but historic gains made by the far-right Sweden Democrats. Conservative Moderat Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, who conceded defeat late Sunday, said he will hand in his resignation Monday after eight years in power. Just like the anti-immigration Peerussuomalaiset (PS)* in
Read on »National Coalition Party and Perussuomalaiset lead anti-immigration drive in Finland
With parliamentary elections nearing in April, topping the anti-immigration rhetoric list are two parties with representatives in parliament: National Coalition Party and who else but the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*. We’ve been reading almost daily about National Coalition Party MP Pia Kauma’s crusade against migrant women with baby carriages. The PS are another hostile party to migrants
Read on »Finland’s parliamentary elections of April 2015 have begun
Even if parliamentary elections will take place on April 19, 2015, it’s clear that they’ve begun. Rumbles can be already heard from political parties such as the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, Muutos 2011 and the National Coalition Party, which are vying for media attention and voters. Who are they targeting? Who else but migrants and minorities. National Coalition Party
Read on »Muutos 2011 election campaign exposes the contempt and hatred some Finns have for migrants and minorities
Muutos 2011, which has one MP in parliament, is a good example of a xenophobic party in Finland. They are a good example of the racism, contempt and hatred that some Finns have for migrants and minorities. Behind all the Muutos 2011 rhetoric you will find a hostile message: keep Finland white. James Hirvisaari, who
Read on »Finland President Niinistö’s “information-gathering exercise” about dual citizenship should worry us a lot
President Sauli Niinistö has asked Christian Democrat Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen, an anti-gay an anti-immigration politician, to look into the possibility of tightening Finland’s dual citizenship laws or ending the practice altogether, according to YLE in English. Prime Minister Alexander Stubb was, however, quoted as saying on YLE in English that plans to end dual citizenship are not
Read on »Helsingin Sanomat poll shows the PS heading south
A poll published today by Helsingin Sanomat reveals that the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party is at its lowest point (15.9%) in two years. The most popular party in Finland continues to be the National Coalition Party (22.1%) followed by the Center Party (19.9%). The Social Democrats, which are still struggling, are in the mid-teens (14.9%) with
Read on »Let the ballot boxes speak in 2015 and send the PS back to the minor political leagues
I’m certain that when historians and political observers study the present parliamentary term 2011-15, they will come to a conclusion: Never since the 1950s have our Nordic institutions and values come under such a threat. Who will they name as the culprit? Wrong, not the Perussuomalaiset (PS),* but our indifference and lack of leadership. How can
Read on »The PS of Finland once again reveals its hostility towards migrants and cultural diversity
One of the most interesting matters to watch about the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party is how their explanations and arguments change to hide their hostile and xenophobic stances against migrants and Finland’s ever-growing cultural diversity. PS party secretary Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo was quoted as saying on YLE that Finland should stop development aid and end welfare to refugees
Read on »Four in five Swedes express concern over xenophobia
Swedes are more worried about the rise of xenophobia in their country than the ever-growing number of immigrants, according to The Local, citing a study by the SOM Institute of Gothenburg University. The survey revealed that while 49% expressed concern over immigration levels, 78% were worried about the rise of xenophobia. Read full story here.
Read on »Is Finland a good country for migrants and minorities?
Finland gets a lot of international recognition for being one of the most competitive countries in the world, for press freedom, women rights, scores high on the good country index, having one of the best educational systems in the world and the likes. The latter raises a question: How inclusive of a country is Finland to
Read on »Marine Le Pen fails to form the far-right European Alliance for Freedom
There was great news today when we read that far-right Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders failed to form a European Parliamentary group called the European Alliance for Freedom (EAF)., reports the euobserver. After the gains that the far-right made in the Euro elections of May, Migrant Tales welcomes Le Pen’s and Wilders’ failure to form
Read on »MP Olli Immonen reinforces that the PS is a xenophobic and racist party
After the EU election victories of the National Front of France, UKIP and the Danish People’s Party, Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Olli Immonen lashes out against Muslims on a blog entry, claiming that Europe is being overtaken by Muslims. This latest attack by Immonen against Muslims, migrants and non-white Finns, is a good example that the
Read on »The PS of Finland makes its post-election debut in the European media with labels like “xenophobic,” “far right” and “MEPs with criminal records”
It has been quite a rough two weeks for the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party after the May 25 EU parliamentary elections: accusations of being far-right in the company of neo-Nazi parties like the Golden Dawn of Greece; and speculation by a senior Finnish official in the Financial Times that it was unlikely that the PS would
Read on »The political record and chicanery of the PS of Finland is what has estranged so many voters from politics
While some are still scratching their heads about the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* joining the European parliament’s European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group this week, it shows why so many voters have become estranged from politics. Read full story here. Before the historic 2011 parliamentary elections for the PS, when 39 of its MPs got elected
Read on »Financial Times: Finnish and Danish MEPs “with criminal records” join Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron’s group
While some speculated that the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and the Danish People’s Party (DPP), both with MEPs with criminal records, would be given the cold shoulder by UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, the opposite happened, writes the Financial Times. The two MEPs with criminal records are PS MEP Jussi Halla-aho
Read on »Der Spiegel International interviews National Front leader Marine Le Pen
Der Spiegel International published an interview with Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front. While her views on the EU and cultural diversity don’t surprise us, what she says should concern us. One matter shines through in Le Pen’s message: France must leave the EU and stop immigration to realize her greatness as
Read on »Counterpoint: How to compare European populist parties
There’s been a lot of talk as of late in the media about far-right and populist parties that were elected to the European parliament. One way to assess these parties is a chart by Counterpoint, a research group. Gathering from the chart below, European populist parties are mostly racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic and sexist. Their democratic
Read on »Migrant Tales insight on EU elections: Win some, lose some
As the political dust settles after the Euro elections last Sunday, can we claim like the media that the hard right made important gains? How did anti-EU, anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* of Finland fare compared with the previous elections in 2009? Apart from the UKIP and National Front of France’s impressive
Read on »The PS of Finland is named again on a list with other far-right and neo-Nazi European parties
On Monday the Huffington Post listed the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* as one of the nine scariest parties to be elected to the European parliament in the “good” company of xenophobic and neo-Nazi parties like the National Front of France and Golden Dawn of Greece, respectively. On Tuesday, PolicyMic listed the PS as “one of the reasons we should
Read on »Disingenuous Finnish PS MEP-elect Jussi Halla-aho fears image would suffer with parties like far-right National Front
In an interview on YLE, Perussuomalaiset (PS) newly elected MEP Jussi Halla-aho said that it was doubtful that the anti-immigration party would form part of a parliamentary group with far-right parties like the National Front of France “because the party’s image would suffer.” What a disingenuous statement by a politician who has based his career
Read on »Huffington Post: The PS of Finland is one of the nine scariest parties elected to the European parliament
Is it surprising that The Huffington Post named the “True Finns,” or Perussuomalaiset (PS), in the same far-right league as the National Front of France, Danish People’s Party, Lega Nord, Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom and neo-Nazi Golden Dawn? Nigel Farage’s UKIP is not on the dubious list. Unfair? Not really if we look at PS
Read on »The EU elections are a call for migrants and minorities to raise their voices and take charge of their future in an ever-hostile Europe
What does the election victory of anti-EU and anti-immigration parties reveal for the future of the EU, immigrants and minorities in Europe? The bad news is that matters will get worse before they improve, even if these parties didn’t get a clear mandate in the EU elections. Writes the Guardian:”But not by as much as
Read on »Pew Research Center survey: Anti-immigration and anti-minority sentiment runs high before Euro elections
Pew Research Center, a Washington-based “fact tank,” reveals in a survey just before the European parliamentary elections on May 22-25 that anti-immigration and anti-minority sentiment runs in countries like Poland, Germany, France, UK, Spain, Italy and Greece. Euro MEP candidates like Jussi Halla-aho and Juho Eerola of the PS have used anti-immigration sentiment to attract
Read on »Sune Kymäläinen: How some politicians try to capitalize on anti-Russian sentiment in Finland
MPs throughout Europe are opportunistically using the xenophobia card to boost their chances of getting reelected. This is the case of Suna Kymäläinen, a Social Democrat (SDP), who is eyeing the April 2015 parliamentary elections in Finland. Read full story (in Finnish) here. Kymäläinen is a sad example of how politicians who don’t belong to anti-immigration
Read on »Institute of Race Relations: UKIP – legitimised by the media?
MT insight: UKIP’s Nigel Farage and Perussuomalaiset party’s Timo Soini are close ideological allies. The only difference between these two politicians in the cultural and national context. If Farage lived in Finland he’d speak like Soini and vice versa. Thus to understand the PS you would have to understand the UKIP. _________________ John Grayson examines
Read on »Why do we consider Timo Soini to be “a good cop” if he brought all these “bad cops” to power?
Doesn’t Perussuomalaiset (PS) leader Timo Soini bear responsibility for giving people like Jussi Halla-aho, James Hirvisaari, Teuvo Hakkarainen, Olli Immonen and a very long list of others a platform to spread their hatred and intolerance? Why does the media let Soini get off the hook so easily? Is Soini the culprit for anti-immigration sentiment and
Read on »Passage of draft bill to prohibit real estate purchases by non-EU citizens would expose Finland’s xenophobia of Russians
Politicians that fuel nationalism and intolerance forget to tell you one important fact: They carry a high price tag in the form of lower economic growth and less jobs. If passed, a draft bill spearheaded by Social Democrat (SDP) MP Suna Kymäläinen would not only hit businesses in eastern Finland that depend on Russian tourists,
Read on »Espoo city council votes against racism
A proposal by the Perussuomalaiset (PS) to rewrite the City of Espoo’s multicultural programme because it stated that city residents “don’t tolerate racism” were voted down 64-10, reports Länsiväylä. Two PS councilmen, Simon Elo (left) and Teemu Lahtinen, loathe Muslims and cultural diversity. Read full story (in Finnish) here. If one reads closely the position of the PS, an anti-EU, anti-immigration
Read on »Why is the PS the only party in Finland commissioning opinion polls about migrants?
Here’s the question: Why is the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party the only one in Finland commissioning opinion polls about what Finns think about migration policy and migrants? They did this in 2010 with a no-brainer question that would give them the result they sought. Read full story here. The latest poll commissioned by the PS, an
Read on »How tabloid Ilta-Sanomat spreads and reinforces “us” and “them” in Finland
A Migrant Tales reader* gave us the heads-up today of a story he read on tabloid Ilta-Sanomat, one of the worst of the worst when it comes to spreading prejudice about migrants and visible minorities. A story published Tuesday about a woman who tried to smuggle her Turkish boyfriend to Finland is a case in point.
Read on »Anti-immigration populist parties are a menace to democracy, ethnic and cultural diversity
Migrant Tales has never hid its criticism of parties that base their message on populism, scapegoating minorities and nationalism. If such political parties ever got power, it’s doubtful that they’d know what to do with it except polarize our society more than before. Anti-immigration and nationalistic parties are masters at scapegoating because they are incompetent at doing
Read on »The new look of anti-immigration parties: Over-simplify complex social issues like cultural diversity and racism
Observing for a number of years the language and behavior of how anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam parties operate in Europe, it’s clear that the codewords used by such parties has changed in countries like Finland. Eyeing power, the compromise that parties like the Perussuomaliset (PS) have made recently is to look more mainstream by toning
Read on »Institute of Race Relations: How the Swedish media bought into the myth-making of the far Right
Maria Tjader The leader of the far-Right Sweden Democrats wants to portray himself as the victim of anti-white racism. Read full story here. A televised interview on 23 February with Jimmie Åkesson, the leader of the far-Right Sweden Democrats (SD), has generated much controversy over the alleged claims made by Åkesson with regards to his
Read on »How to tell someone they sound racist
Here’s a very good video clip with Jay Smooth that I found thanks to Racism Review that will help you challenge a person who makes a racist remark. The first and foremost thing you must do is stick to the that-sounded-racist conversation as opposed to they-are-racist conversation, according to Smooth. Read original blog entry here. The
Read on »The Ukraine-Russia crisis can spark ethnic hatred across Europe
The crisis and standoff between the Ukraine and Russia is worrying for many reasons. One of these, which isn’t being covered enough by the European media, is how the crisis is fueling xenophobia and age-old diehard ethnic hatred. There has been, however, a lot of coverage of the ethnic crisis between the Ukrainians and Russians.
Read on »MPs fear that the Ukrainian crisis could fuel anti-Russian sentiment in Finland
The present crisis between the Ukraine and Russia could fuel anti-Russian sentiment in Finland, according to Social Democrat MP Pauliina Viitamies and MP Lenita Toivakka of the National Coalition Party, reports Mikkeli-based daily Länsi-Savo. Read full story here. “I fear that [the Ukrainian-Russian crisis] could raise anti-Russian sentiment especially in the eastern border area,” said
Read on »Why are Europe’s Islamophobic politicians and parties so “pro-Israel?”
Are you sometimes surprised to read about how many far-right anti-immigration groups are so pro-Israel? Some, like anti-Islam Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Juho Eerola of Finland, may go as far as to draft a written question to parliament demanding that Muslims renounce publicly their hatred of gays and Jews. A posting by Migrant Tales reposted on
Read on »Burst the hate bubble of anti-immigration groups
When you listen to anti-immigration politicians and groups, there’s one matter that exposes them to the tee: Constant whining without any solutions. They don’t give you the solution to the problem because they simply have none to offer. Read full story here. The Nazis were questionably pro-active on ethnic issues. As we saw from 1933,
Read on »What’s really being discussed in the ongoing debate about immigration in Finland?
After taking part actively in the ongoing debate about immigration and immigrants, some crucial points always expose themselves in the debate. I personally believe that there is one very important issue that few care to admit: accepting our cultural and ethnic diversity and how some white Finns accept the latter. I’m overjoyed that there are
Read on »So a PS councilman of Lieksa, Finland, wants a “Somali-free” room…
Roble Bashir We need a Somali-free meeting room today in the eastern Finnish town of Lieksa, according to a Perussuomalaiset (PS) councilman Esko Saastamoinen. Somali-free town tomorrow or Somali- free country after tomorrow? Why do they hate us so much? Illustration by Sebastian L. Jackson for Migrant Tales. Many times I wonder what is wrong
Read on »Extremist Suomen Sisu is extremist Suomen Sisu no matter how you word it
One of the characteristics of extremist groups in Finland is that they want to convince you that they’re “mainstream and normal.” A good example of the latter is Suomen Sisu, a Finnish white supremacist association, which announced on Yle that it wants to sharpen its mission statement, which it claims leaves too much room for
Read on »Draft law that aims to prohibit Russians from purchasing land is a sad sign of the times
In a country like Finland, which has a small migrant population compared with other European countries, intolerance and xenophobia usually reveal themselves as déjà vu. One of these real illusions came in the form of a draft bill in parliament that aims to prohibit real estate purchases by Russians, according to Joensuu-based daily Karjalainen. The same fear-mongering to
Read on »Two anti-immigration politicians “doing their hate thing” in Finland: One former, one present PS MP
Has anyone asked what the election in 2011 of 39 MPs of the anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS) party has done to poison the political atmosphere for immigrants and visible minorities in Finland? To show how much in denial we still are in a country, take a closer look at some former and present PS MPs. Where’s
Read on »Is Suomalaisuuden liitto a narrow-minded, hate-mongering, one-sided association that spreads hatred of minorities?
Perussuomalaiset (PS) Euro MP Sampo Terho, who is also the chairman of Association of Finnish Culture and Identity (Suomalaisuuden liitto), claims in a recent blog entry that his association has been the target of vicious attacks by the media, which have accused it of being narrow-minded, hate-mongering, one-sided association that spreads hatred of minorities. Surisingly, Terho
Read on »How does the PS plan to keep Finland “white?”
Even if an anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam party like the Perussuomalaiset (PS) is trying its hardest to look as mainstream as possible with the Euro MP and parliamentary elections of 2014 and 2015 approaching, respectively, a crucial question is being left out of the picture: How do they plan keep Finland white and undermine our ever-growing
Read on »The shadow of the former USSR and its spell on Finland and source of xenophobia
In the spring 1989 I was planning to travel to the Western African countries of Mali and Niger. Mali was cut out of my journey thanks to the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo), which revealed to the honorary consul of Mali in Helsinki, Karl Jalkanen, what was written on my secret Interpol file. Here’s an
Read on »How Kirkko & kaupunki sees far-right anti-immigration PS MP playing with fire
Ville Ranta’s cartoon below published on Helsinki Lutheran Church weekly, Kirkko & kaupunki, of Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Olli Immonen, is a good example of how Finland is waking up to racism and to a party that preaches intolerance. Immonen is in the same anti-immigration league as MP Jussi Halla-aho, Juho Eerola and many others who
Read on »Migrant Tales (July 21, 2012): Somali-Finn Abdulah -living in no-man’s land (Part 2)
When Abdulah*, 30, talks to you about his twenty-two years in Finland, one of the first questions that arises is how has so much suffering escaped our attention. For Abdulah, acceptance isn’t only virtually impossible from white Finns, but can be just as hard to get from the Somali community. “I have decided to live
Read on »The story behind “Finland is a racist country” is in the comments
There were quite strong reactions among some Finns and immigrants to Maryan Abdulkarim’s interview on Helsingin Sanomat. Those who strongly objected to the article, appear to want to deny Abdulkarim’s right to express herself on a touchy subject like racism. It’s ironic, but those who want to deny Abdulkarim her right to speak out are
Read on »Isolationism, petty provincialism and nationalism: social ills with far-reaching consequences
In the backdrop of Finland’s independence day celebrations Friday and as the world mourns Nelson Mandela’s death yesterday, our country is at a major crossroads contesting whether it wants to be a closed or open society. The historic victory of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party in 2011 is one example how this country has taken a perilous
Read on »How does Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) empower us?
The death of Nelson Mandela, who was branded a terrorist by countries like the U.S. and Great Britain, is a sad day full of mourning but full of hope as well. His struggle and triumph over apartheid, a toxic offshoot of white European colonialism, proves that no matter how oppressive a government is, change is
Read on »Maryan Abdulkarim: “Finland is a very racist country”
Is there racism in Finland? In order to find the answer to that question, we’d have to ask visible migrants and minorities. Maryan Abdulkarim, 31, is a Finn who was born in Somalia, had the opportunity on Friday’s Helsingin Sanomat to answer that question. “Finland is a very racist country,” she said. “It always has been.”
Read on »Sweden is right, Finland wrong in its strategy against anti-immigration parties
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt reiterated to Helsingin Sanomat the government’s plans to isolate Sweden Democrats despite the latest polls in Sweden, which show the anti-EU and anti-immigration party making gains. Even if the Sweden Democrats have tried break free from their neo-Nazi and racist image, the party led by Jimmie Åkesson has suffered a number
Read on »Beating intolerance at its own game requires a reaction, leadership and a voice
Beating intolerance at its own game is easier than you think. There are many good examples in Finland, like International Mikkeli Day (IMD), where people from a grass-root level take action and seek solutions. Since intolerance and racism are based on lies and generous quantities of ideological fools gold, truth is the light that exposes
Read on »The PS are now hoping that Kouvola stops receiving asylum seekers and quota refugees by 2016
If you believe that the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party has toned down its xenophobia and loathing towards refugees, check out what they are doing in the municipality of Kouvola. According to the local daily, Kouvolan Sanomat, the PS wants the city council to stop receiving asylum seekers and quota refugees by 2016. While the PS blame
Read on »Is your attitude towards racism determined by your upbringing and where you grew up?
Some immigrants and visible minorities fight against intolerance their own way. Others, however, shy away from such a challenge by preferring to live in denial. Is the way you fight against intolerance dependent on what you learned at home and in your home country? If a white Russian learned to hate blacks and Muslims in his society,
Read on »Finland and Europe must not be lured into populism and xenophobia
Denials by party leaders like Timo Soini that the Perussuomalaiset (PS) isn’t a xenophobic party, and the meek response of Finland’s mainstream parties to such a threat, speak volumes of the present state of this country. Who helped the political careers of xenophobes like Jussi Halla-aho, James Hirvisaari and others? Soini and the PS. Why
Read on »Henrik Dettmann: Finland is an “extremely intolerant” country
Is Finland a racist country? Henrik Dettmann, head coach of the Finnish national basketball team, agrees and claims that Finland is an ”extremely intolerant” country that isn’t a favorable place for foreigners. Read full story here. “Yes [Finland is a racist country],” Dettmann is quoted as saying on Verkkouutiset. “If I compare what I have
Read on »Time has shown us that our anti-racism efforts in Finland haven’t been in vain
It was only a few years ago when Migrant Tales was openly challenged by some for speaking out against racism in Finland. According to the more hostile commentators that posted on our site back then, racism didn’t exist in this country. If it existed, it was minor and exceptional. Even after the anti-immigration and anti-EU
Read on »Lieksa, Finland, councilperson who wanted a “Somali-free” meeting room gets sacked as the PS’ town council leader
Esko Saastamoinen, the Perussuomalaiset (PS) councilperson from Lieksa who demanded that a ”Somali-free” meeting room for his delegation, has been sacked as the PS’ town council leader, according to Karjalainen, a Joensuu-based daily. Saastamoinen was, however, able to retain his post as the party’s Lieksa town board first vice president. The PS councilperson faces as
Read on »Lieksa town secretary caves in to PS demands for “Somali-free” meeting room
An earlier story, which claimed that a Perussuomalaiset (PS) Lieksa town council leader doesn’t want to be in the same room where a Somali group meets once a month, has been corrected by Karjalainen, a Joensuu-based daily. It is not the PS town council leader, Esko Saastamoninen, making such a demand but the PS councilpersons
Read on »PS leader of Lieksa, Finland, refuses to be in the same room where Somalis meet
Taking into account all the problems and positive solutions that have been found in the town of Lieksa in the region of South Karelia concerning its over 200-strong Somali community, it is disturbing that a city councilmen like Esko Saastamoinen, Perussuomalaiset (PS) town council leader, states he doesn’t want to be in the same room
Read on »Is silence an effective response to racism?
One of the questions we should ask ourselves is what should our response be to those that are hostile to migrants, visible minorities and our ever-growing cultural diversity. Should silence be the answer? One of the matters that I have learned through my many years of studying and writing about cultural diversity, is that silence
Read on »Columnist Eric Erfors of Sweden’s Expressen: What do Halla-aho and Räsänen say about the state of Finland today?
Finland needs every now and then a wake-up call from the outside world. Columnist Eric Erfors of the Swedish tabloid Expressen, asks how is it possible that a person like Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Jussi Halla-aho, which he calls a ”pure racist,” was eligible to become a deputy member of Finland’s delegation to the Council of
Read on »Reija Härkönen: Jussi Halla-aho’s actions in parliament
Reija Härkönen When Jussi Halla-aho was getting prepared for the parliamentary elections, on the last day before the election day on April 16, 2011, he once again urged the anti-immigrant voters to act, thanked his own people (meaning the anti-immigrant circle) for their good work and the True Finns (Perussuomalaiset) of Helsinki and the neighborhood
Read on »Alleged white Finn attacks Helsinki church dressed as a Muslim
What would you say if a white Finn dressed like a Muslim attacked a Lutheran church in Helsinki by breaking its windows, yelling and obstructing window repairmen from repairing the damage he caused? What would you say if this happened on Tuesday night, when YLE aired A2 Islam debate on television? Would you say it was
Read on »Well-groomed politicians and making racism in Finland “normal”
In general terms, there are two types of politicians in Finland that spread intolerance: those that let it all hang out and another type that speaks to you politely and is well-groomed. In the latter group, you’ll find PS MPs like Jussi Halla-aho, Juho Eerola, Teuvo Hakkarainen, Juho Eerola, even Timo Soini; James Hirvisaari is
Read on »Magneettimedia editor and owner fined 45,000 euros by court for anti-Semitic writings
Magneettimedia editor and owner Juha Kärkkäinen has been fined by a Finnish court 45,000 euros for publishing anti-Semitic writings of Ted Pike, David Duke and others as well as cartoons that bear a striking resemblance to the former Nazi tabloid, Der Strümer (1923-45), reports Lahti-based Etelä-Suomen Sanomat. Read full story here. The court ruled that the writings
Read on »Migrants’ life in Finland: Some endure intolerance better than others – some hit back, others don’t
The ocean is a desert, with it’s life underground And a perfect disguise above. Under the cities lies, a heart made of ground, But the human will give no love. A Horse with No name, America Intolerance, bigotry, racism, prejudice and a list of other social ills strike their victims in different ways. Some of
Read on »Cultural diversity is unstoppable – it exposes Finland’s white privilege and intolerance
A Silminnäkijä television program exposed Thursday something we all knew: how you are treated in Finland depends on the color of your skin and ethnic-national background. Should this surprise us? What is more incredible? Is it the indifference of the police, bouncers and near-silence of society as people are openly discriminated right before our very
Read on »The ogre of racism in Finland is learning how to wear a three-piece suit and tie
Matters appear to have changed after the April 2011 election, when the Perussuomalaiset (PS) rose from relative obscurity to become the third-largest party in parliament. The well-known scandals and publicized vicious attacks by the racists of the PS against immigrants and visible minorities appear to have changed their tune. Apart from the row that
Read on »Jussi Halla-aho gets cold feet – another lie exposed
Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Jussi Halla-aho announced that he will not take part in a live A2 televised debate on Islam, reports YLE. The MP, who has been convicted for ethnic agitation, said that the debate doesn’t serve the issue. He would, however, be ready to take part in a debate with fewer people. Read full
Read on »Pressiklubi exposes MP James Hirvisaari’s fabricated lies and ignorance of immigrants and minorities
MP James Hirvisaari, who got expelled from the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party last week, appeared on Ruben Stiller’s Pressiklubi Friday. Compared with his appearance on Enbuske & Linnanahde Crew’s talk show the previous day, the new Muutos 2011 MP’s fabricated lies and ignorance were exposed in the raw. See full program (in Finnish) here. Just like the
Read on »Why does the Finnish media give so much attention to anti-immigration politicians and parties?
I was invited on Tuesday to speak at a seminar on immigration* for YLE journalists. One of the questions I asked was why do Finnish journalists give so much space and attention to far-right anti-immigration politicians? Why do some give racists inflated respectability and importance? A recent story about Finland accepting 500 refugees from war-torn Syria
Read on »Two important stories this week that may have far-reaching implications for Finland
This week was marked by two important news stories that will could have far-reaching consequences on our country: Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP James Hirvisaari’s expulsion from the anti-immigration and anti-EU party, and positive words about immigration by Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen. Verkkouutiset is published by the National Coalition Party. See full story here. While the first
Read on »Nazi salutes and the growth of far-right ideology in Finland
In two weeks, two Perussuomalaiset (PS) politicians got their fingers burned badly after one made a Nazi salute with a Hitler mask while another took a picture of another one who made the same salute in parliament. One of the reasons why some Finns can do this in public is because they have a blind
Read on »Analysis: Is sacking MP Hirvisaari the beginning of the end for the PS?
One of the interesting questions that the sacking of MP James Hirvisaari raises is if it is the first visible crack that will force the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party to implode, eventually. Is Timo Soini’s PS a ticking time bomb and Hirvisaari a time counter indicating that we’ve got ten seconds to seek cover before the bomb
Read on »How Syrian refugees fleeing war show how the Finnish media gives (again) racists inflated respectability and importance
Migrant Tales published a while back a story about how the media gives racists and radical anti-immigration groups inflated respectability and importance. Why should we care what a Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP like Jussi Halla-aho, who was on top of it convicted for ethnic agitation, thinks about giving asylum to Syrian refugees? Verkkouutiset is run by the
Read on »Government talks in Norway are a preview of what may happen in Finland in 2015 with the PS
Take a close look at Norway if you want to see what may happen in Finland after the 2015 parliamentary elections, when the right-wing populist Perussuomalaiset (PS) may be in government.The populist anti-immigration Progress party (FrP) of Norway will form part of a coalition government with the Conservative Party (Høyre), Christian Democrats and Liberals. If the Conservative Party
Read on »Former Perussuomalaiset councilman convicted for ethnic agitation shows no remorse
Who can forget Black February 2012, when three Muslims lost their lives in a span of about three weeks in January-February? The last one, which was horrific, ended with the cold-blooded killing of a Muslim at a pizzeria in Oulu. A former Perussuomlaiset (PS) councilman wrote on Facebook that a medal should be awarded to
Read on »YLE in English: Lifting visa requirements from Russians would create thousands of jobs
This has got to be one of the strangest stories I’ve read on YLE in English. It claims that lifting visa requirements for Russians would create thousands of job in Finland. Is xenophobia so ingrained in some Finns that they still think that foreigners and Russians are such a threat that they don’t grasp that tourism, never
Read on »Susanna Koski: “The Youth League of the National Coalition Party has zero tolerance to racism”
Susanna Koski is quoted as saying on Helsingin Sanomat that the Youth League of the National Coalition Party that she is president of has zero tolerance to racism. “We don’t accept racism in any form or shape,” she said. Read original story (in Finnish) here. Right, Koski, you don’t tolerate racism but want to
Read on »Immigrants and visible minorities will defend Finland’s Nordic welfare society
Putting aside the far right opinions of the Youth League of the National Coalition Party and others that want to change this country for good and for their personal benefit, who’s out there to defend our Nordic welfare state that took so long to build? Two important groups that will certainly fight for our Nordic
Read on »The shadow of Anders Breivik’s mass killings hang over coalition talks after Norway elections
The landslide victory of Norway’s opposition Conservatives (Høyre) on Monday was short-lived after the country’s next prime minister, Erna Solberg, faced tough coalition talks with the anti-immigration and populist Progress party (Fremskrittspartiet) of which Anders Breivik was a member and whose cold-blooded killings continue to haunt the country, reports Reuters. Visit Wikipedia site here. Outgoing Labor Party
Read on »Youth League of the National Coalition Party sees no evil in hate speech
The president of the Youth League of the National Coalition Party, Susanna Koski, surprised even members of her party Monday by proposing, among a long list of other things, that the Ombudsman for Minorities office should be scrapped together with the quota refugee program and ethnic agitation law. The proposals for 2014 by the National
Read on »Zuzeeko’s blog: MPs ignore bigger fish to fry in Finnish society
Zuzeeko Tegha Abeng Public discourse in Finnish online forums and blogs written by far-right elements and Finns Party MPs suggest that immigration is the biggest problem in Finland, but a closer look at Finnish society reveals more pertinent issues that people on the far-right of the political divide ignore, including domestic violence, family killings and
Read on »Racism in Finland: The media is part of the problem
A party like the Perussuomalaiset (PS), which has capitalized politically on xenophobia and racism, claims that the Finnish media picks on it unfairly. The fact is, however, that the PS could have never achieved what it did in the April 2011 election without the help of the media, which gave its racists inflated respectability and
Read on »Old Finnish national social constructs still fuel intolerance and exclude visible minorities
The Association of Finnish Culture and Identity (Suomalaisuuden liitto) is an association founded in 1906 to “strengthen the sense of national identity, to promote Finnish education and culture.” While this statement may appear innocent at first, the association endorses the intolerance white Finnish speakers have today against Swedish speakers never mind immigrants and visible minorities. In
Read on »Institute of Race Relations: The shameful ‘Go Home’ campaign
By John Grayson The rhetoric on migrants shows how politicians and the media have created, and embedded, racism in British politics. Read original blog entry here. Recent controversy over the Home Office ’Go Home’ campaign on ‘illegal’ immigrants highlights the way in which politicians try to outdo each other to win over the ‘racist’ electorate
Read on »Let’s play fill in the blanks with far-right Finnish MP Teuvo Hakkarainen
Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Teuvo Hakkarainen attacked immigrants and Muslims in a latest blog entry, where he accuses them of living off social welfare and Muslims of taking over Europe. In order to understand how ludicrous and racist the PS MP’s arguments are, Migrant Tales will play “fill in the blanks.” Migrant Tales has “played” fill
Read on »PS MP Hakkarainen of Finland launches new attack against immigrants and Muslims
Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, who suggested two years ago that homosexuals, lesbians and Somalians should be relocated to the Åland Islands, has launched a fresh attack against immigrants and Muslims on a blog entry. Sensible people understand that generalizing about different groups, like Hakkarainen does, is not only wrong but racist. Migrant Tales strongly condemns
Read on »Switzerland restricts the movement of asylum seekers in the town of Bremgarten
The Swiss town of Bremgarten, located about 16km from Zurich, has banned asylum seekers from swimming pools, sports facilities and other sites, according to Spiegel Online International. The agreement, which has been criticized by human rights groups, was made by the Swiss Office of Migration (BfM) and the town. Read original story here. It’s
Read on »Victimizing and labeling immigrants for political profit
UK’s David Cameron is one European PM who is using immigration to bolster his Conservative Party’s poll ratings. It’s a recurring and worrisome political story across Europe: let’s get tough on immigration so we can gain a few percentage points in the polls. This type of campaigning is not only cowardly, but racist and disgraceful.
Read on »Why aren’t we outraged enough by intolerance?
Finnish department store J. Kärkkäinen’s Magneettimedia writings are a disturbing sign of how anti-Semitism, like anti-immigration and anti-Islam sentiment, have gained a foothold in Finland. And why shouldn’t it find fertile ground to grow in this country? During the past years, the genie of intolerance has been let out of the bottle and it shows. We’re
Read on »Will anti-immigration rhetoric boost the PS in the upcoming Finnish elections?
Two important questions arise in light of the upcoming Euro MP and parliamentary elections in Finland in 2014 and 2015, respectively: How many parties will use immigration as an election issue, and will the next two elections reveal the ugly face of intolerance of other political parties in Finland? If we look at the United
Read on »Death threats and the PS threat to our Nordic way of life
Perussuomalaiset (PS) chairman, Timo Soini, reveals in a recent blog that he got four death threats recently. Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen’s Christian Democratic party received a bomb threat as well, which was reported by tabloid Iltalehti. The death threats are similar to what Swedish-language journalists received a while back. Migrant Tales has been a victim of
Read on »When will the PS sack MP James Hirvisaari?
Recent tweets and Facebook comments by Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP James Hirvisaari reveal how racism, fascism and right-wing populism have spread like a cancer in Finnish society. Hirvisaari now praises Seppo Lehto and claims the ultimate far right narcissist, like him, is a nice person. Would you praise a man who gives Nazi salutes, likes swastikas, insults immigrants and
Read on »Migrant Tales (July 22, 2012): What have we learned after Norway’s 22/7
What goes around comes around. Exactly a year ago (2012) Anders Breivik carried out his mass killings, which ended up causing the death of 77 innocent victims. Have we learned anything from that tragic Saturday that shook the Nordic region and changed it permanently? In order to answer that question, we’d have to travel back in
Read on »Migrant Tales (September 30, 2010): Populist chatter and a tale of elk flies
MT comment: This is Migrant Tales’ first story on Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP James Hirvisaari published on September 30, 2010. The extremist anti-immigration politician was spreading is views back then. Like today, his pet topics were rape and far right nationalism. ____________ There is a True Finns candidate in the April 2011 elections that spreads elk
Read on »PS MP James Hirvisaari claims journalist “masturbated wildly” in phone interview
Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP James Hirvisaari is the best gift that anti-racists could have in this country. If there is a loose cannon in parliament, it’s Hirvisaari. The PS MP has a pretty one-track mind. When he opens his mouth, he usually talks about Muslim rapists, skid marks on toilet bowls and now his latest topic, masturbation. Here’s
Read on »Interior Minister Räsänen disagrees with findings of police report on the Romany minority
Migrant Tales asked Monday what kinds of arguments will politicians now come up with to criminalize begging after a police report didn’t reveal any links between Romany beggars and human trafficking and organized crime. The police report not only exposed shameful urban legends used to victimize poor Romanies from Romania and Bulgaria, who make 10-20 euros a
Read on »Why we must challenge anti-immigration parties across Europe
A political party that bases its popularity on anti-immigration and populist rhetoric is like playing a risky political game of Russian roulette. The game continues until the only bullet in the revolver goes off in your head. Higher bets are placed each time that the revolver doesn’t fire: more xenophobia, more hate speech, more racist
Read on »What does the PS’ new party secretary mean by “tightening [Finnish] immigration policy?”
Left Alliance MP Risto Kalliorinne asks Perussuomalaiset (PS) new party secretary Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo to elaborate what she means by ”tightening immigration policy?” Apart from labeling herself a chauvinist, Slunga-Poutsalo “demanded” that Finland should tighten immigration policy. Read original story here. While Left Alliance MP Kalliorinne poses an important question, we all know the answer that Slunga-Poutsalo
Read on »European Court of Human Rights will not review PS MP Hirvisaari’s conviction for ethnic agitation
The European Court of Human Rights has turned down a request by Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP James Hirvisaari to review a conviction for ethnic agitation in December 2011 by the Kouvola Court of Appeals, which was upheld last year by the Finnish Supreme Court. There was no doubt that far right PS MP Hirvisaari stood a chance
Read on »Finnish Defence League strikes Mikkeli, Finland
I was quite surprised to find this rude sticker of the far right Finnish Defence League (FDL) near my home today. That follows another one placed on a lamppost in front of my house in March 2012 by the neo-Nazi Kansallinen vastarintaliike (SVL). The good news is that the FDL stickers, which erroneously claim the
Read on »PS’ Slunga-Poutsalo is “extremely concerned” about Finnish immigration policy
In a short interview on A-Studio Monday, the new party secretary of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) reinforced her anti-immigration stance. “I’m not annoyed by anything concerning immigration,” said PS secretary Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo, “but extremely concerned about the immigration policy we pursue in Finland.” Don’t be fooled, the PS’ new party secretary, Riikka SLunga-Poutsalo, is in the
Read on »The PS’ not too public love affair with the Danish People’s Party
The DPP is an anti-migration, ethno-nationalist, anti-Islam,populist anti-elitist and anti-EU party that wants welfare only for native Danes. The PS is the a carbon copy of the latter. If you want to know what kind of a Finland the Perussuomalaiset (PS) want to turn the country into, take a good look at their political mentors
Read on »About half of the PS MPs want to deny Finland’s cultural diversity
Roughly half of the 39 Perussuomalaiset (PS) MPs have signed a draft law that would in effect deny Finland’s ever-growing cultural diversity in the youth law. If PS MP Olli Immonen had his way together with twenty other PS MPs, Finland would go into denial mode and conveniently brush its immigrants and visible minorities under
Read on »How the Finnish police and media spread prejudice against Romanians and the Romany minority
Here is a good example of how the police and media treat certain immigrant and ethnic groups publicly. A story on YLE tells us that the overwhelming amount of grand larceny cases committed by foreigners in Finland are by Lithuanians. The majority of suspected grand larceny cases in Finland are committed by Lithuanians. Why
Read on »When Timo Soini and the PS cross the political point of no return
When do you know when Timo Soini and the Perussuomalaiset (PS) have crossed the line and passed a political point of no return? The 50,000-euro ad on the front page of Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest-circulation daily, blasting the government’s euro bailout policy is one of many examples. While more voters are turning their backs to the
Read on »Calling Timo Soini’s bluff
The Perussuomalaiset (PS) is a desperate party and Timo Soini’s claim over the weekend, that the Social Democrats had abandoned working-class men, is another example of how this populist anti-immigration party bluffs at the political poker table. The type of attack by Soini on the Social Democratic Party is in line with how the party
Read on »Statement by the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner: “Europe must combat racist extremism and uphold human rights”
Migrant Tales comment: This statement by the the Council of Europe’s Human Rights commissioner, Nils Muižnieks, is a good example of how racist anti-immigration groups are gaining more power in Europe. In Finland we saw the spectacular rise of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party in 2011. Finland’s anti-EU, anti-immigration and anti-Islam voice got stronger in parliament. Matters
Read on »DNA, Saunalahti, IF, Nordea: “Backward-looking” rules and laws mirror Finland’s anti-foreign sentiment
A comment on Migrant Tales by Chef summed up pretty well how “several backward-looking” rules used arbitrarily by mobile phone and insurance companies continue to discriminate and make life difficult for immigrants. Why does this still happen in Finland, a Nordic welfare state country that promotes and bases its values on social equality (tasa-arvo)? The suspicion that
Read on »Does PS MP James Hirvisaari have any idea what racism is?
Migrant Tales aims to publish on the same day news that appears in the media. There was one opinion piece written on March 21 by Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP James Hirvisaari commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that should have received our attention. Our intention is not advertise James Hirvisaari, who was
Read on »Abdulah: Healing the wounds inflicted by intolerance and regaining balance
Abdulah, who has appeared in a number of postings on Migrant Tales, hasn’t yet rallied enough courage to speak without the veil of anonymity. Like many who are scorned in Finland because of their ethnic background, regaining one’s balance and healing the wounds inflicted by intolerance can be a long process. “I have learned a
Read on »Migrant Tales (July 22, 2012): What have we learned after Norway’s 22/7 and the Boston bombings?
Comment: As the manhunt for one of the two suspects continues in Boston, what should our reaction be to the two Chechen killers? This blog entry written on the first anniversary of the horrific killings in Norway by Anders Breivik could shed light on that question. ____________________ What goes around comes around. Exactly a year