The recently passed käännytyslaki, or Deportation Law — which allows asylum seekers to be turned away on the Eastern border of Finland under certain poorly defined circumstances — makes a mockery of Finland's human rights obligations, and will make us no safer. Asylum seekers deserve our empathy and kindness, especially when they are being exploited in a cruel geopolitical game — a game in which Finnish anti-immigrant rhetoric already plays neatly into the hands of dictators and far-right movements worldwide. Now more than ever we must strengthen our commitment to a free and inclusive society, in which all sorts of people are welcomed.
The threat posed by Russia is very real and must not be minimized. But that threat must be countered effectively and without compromising our values: by strengthening our defenses, building climate-friendly, domestic alternatives to foreign resource dependencies, and redoubling our military and civil support for Ukraine. Anti-immigration policies work against this goal, not for it, as they deprive us of much-needed workforce and further damage our reputation on the world stage. Immigrants, including asylum seekers, are a net benefit for Finland, and the quicker they can settle and find work, the more effectively we will be able to build — or, should it come to that, fight.
Asylum seekers pose no threat to us. The vast majority are ordinary people facing catastrophic circumstances who arrive seeking a better life, and will get jobs, start businesses, and pay taxes as soon as we give them the opportunity. A pluralistic, forward-looking Finland has room for everybody, and we must not let racism win out over compassion and empathy.