OPINION: Reforming Finnish Asylum Procedures: Why Applications Should Be Submitted in Writing Outside the State

Dear reader,

Before you go any further, let me ask you four simple questions. When you go to bed at night, do you leave your front door wide open so that everyone can come in? And when a complete stranger from another country asks for your bank details - do you just hand them over? Accordingly, when a stranger asks you to pay for their medicine and doctor’s visit, do you simply give them the money? Or would you rather pay for healthcare for your elderly parent or grandparents?

Sadly, our beautiful country of origin seems to appreciate the foreigners more. Accordingly, you wouldn’t expect to be sexually harassed in broad daylight, right in front of a police station - or to be followed and stalked by a foreigner in Itäkeskus. Where is the legendary Finnish stamina, "Sisu", that carried this nation to independence?

It's All About the Money in Finland – But Not for Asylum Policy

While taxes and fees are being increased in Finland for native Finns and taxpayers, and savings are sought from the services to elderly Finns, there are foreign asylum seekers and refugees
who face no financial worries or consequences. Finland continues to have extensive government debt, and its spending is now monitored by the EU. And yet, we take further loans. It is thus very hard to understand how we can afford the current policies for other nationals, as our own national seniors who worked their whole life cannot afford to pay their hospital bills and
medication.

In a figurative sense, Finland often appears to treat asylum seekers and refugees like small children and places them in “a daycare”. Accordingly, many of them do not appear to have any
accountability for becoming productive members of society, although so young and healthy. Based on the information from a local integration and educational institute, they also seem to have no obligations. Something is seriously wrong when, with the right hand, more money is taken from those who have always been
made liable for (tax) payments, and with the left hand, the tap is wide open when it comes to asylum matters.

Understanding the Distinctions: Immigrant Workers vs. Asylum Seekers and Refugees

To be clear, people applying for asylum are different from people who honestly come to our country to work. I have seen amazing people at the local hospital with a strong work ethic, speaking the national languages and following the laws. When looking at those
who apply for asylum, it is incomprehensible how it is permitted to apply for asylum in Finland, because they travel through so many safe European countries. Accordingly, the transportation price is approximately 10,000 to 15,000 euros, meaning that only wealthy individuals can afford to come to Finland seeking asylum. It is also absurd that the Finnish border officials control those who, e.g. fly here, but asylum seekers can come by walking without any controls, just by using the magic word “asylum”. Therefore, we cannot be certain of their identity or whether they are genuinely in need of asylum. Passports can also “disappear” after arriving in the country to avoid employment.

Refugees Have Limited Accountability for Becoming Productive Members of Society

Refugees and asylum seekers receive comprehensive support, including housing, utilities, healthcare, food, transportation, and legal assistance. They are typically not required to cover legal expenses or pay financial penalties, even in cases when they are
convicted of a crime. Some asylum seekers and refugees appear to believe that native Finns receive the same level of support and that all the financial assistance asylum seekers and refugees receive comes from the European Union. However, there is limited awareness of the fact that Finland contributes more to the EU budget than it receives in return. Unfortunately, native citizens do
not appear to benefit from similar support systems, which can make these policies appear discriminatory and create a sense of inequality among the local population.

The Finnish society has been built in a way that even women work to broaden the taxation base. Our social security system is also one of the most expensive in the world to manage and maintain.
Therefore, it offends my sense of justice that everything is free for asylum seekers and refugees. And since only about 50 per cent of them are employed, the created structure is economically unsustainable. Equality is not realized when those who have always contributed to society are demanded for more and
more. At the same time, those whose backgrounds cannot be verified are allowed to walk into a system that’s already set for them. This does not create more (tax) contributors. NB. I am not referring to work-based immigration, which I believe is overly regulated in Finland.

The Formal Finnish Education for Integration is Not Working

In a project I led to help elderly people in senior homes, the idea was to give the refugees the possibility to learn Finnish by speaking the language. It appeared that some participants
displayed arrogance and a lack of work ethic, despite being compensated for their involvement in the integration program. A related study found that their capacity to work or study remained low, even after many years of education. Naturally, there are governmental barriers to their employment: first, many require a work permit if they are not yet fully integrated into the system, and second, minimum wage requirements can discourage employers from hiring individuals with limited skills. Many studies also provide information on how employment is a good integrator.

A Growing Concern: Has Finland Forgotten Its Duty to Protect Its Own Citizens?

As an international and European lawyer, I am keenly aware - as should Finland also be - that every state has the responsibility to protect its own citizens under International Law. Our former and highly respected President Sauli Niinistö has expressed difficulty
in understanding how asylum seekers in Finland can contribute to a deep insecurity. Sadly, incidents such as the terrorist attack targeting women in Turku and multiple rapes allegedly committed by some asylum seekers and refugees have heightened public concern. We have also infiltrators. All this raises important questions: Is this the right approach to managing asylum and
integration? And are crimes against women less important?

When Profit from Asylum and Refugee Policies Leads to Ignored Problems

On the one hand, the current asylum procedures offer significant advantages to various groups, such as lawyers taking care of their legal cases, religious or minority communities seeking to increase their membership, housing owners hosting immigrants and refugees, and NGOs and institutions responsible for their reception, integration, and education. On the other hand, it is well-known how costly alleged criminals can be for Finland, including the extensive police resources required and the government compensation programs in place. For instance, the government paid a substantial sum to the Iraqi twins after failing to secure a conviction.

Furthermore, as a Member State of the Rome Statute, Finland is not obligated to accept international cases indiscriminately. According to Article 17(1)(a) of the Statute, a case is deemed inadmissible if the State is “unwilling or unable genuinely to carry out the investigation or prosecution.” Should Finland fail to convict an alleged international criminal, the State may face significant financial liability in the form of compensation to the suspect. This is a high risk, and a change is extremely required for these policies.

Concluding words: proximity helps in the country in question

To sum up, the existing procedures for international protection require comprehensive reform and the development of new mechanisms to effectively support individuals in need. Accordingly, 114 Somalis could be helped in Somalia for the price of one Somali in Finland. As Paul Collier states, people in distress need to be assisted within their countries or regions of origin. Thus, asylum applications must be submitted in writing to be sure we have the correct person, not a war criminal or a drug dealer. We already have a sufficient number of these criminals.