The Non-Discrimination Ombudsman violates the law on openness

In Finland, there is an authority named the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, which operates to provide statements related to its field and also comments on matters through social media. In messaging service X, this authority has most recently conveyed information stating, "The Non-Discrimination Ombudsman assesses that the closure of almost all eastern border crossing points and the concentration of seeking international protection at the Raja-Jooseppi border crossing endangers the right to seek asylum."

If one attempts to respond to the message, it is not possible, and comments can only be given from accounts specifically mentioned by the ombudsman. I am not one of those account owners, and neither is Minister of Justice Leena Meri.

This is perplexing, as the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman is a publicly funded entity serving taxpayers and should cater to the entire population. However, as evident from the above, this is not the case, prompting the question of why.

The issue at hand is why this particular authority is not inherently open to public discourse—or even public dialogue with the government of the country—but instead predefines with whom it is willing to engage.

Therefore, it is pertinent to inquire how this operational model aligns with the purpose stated in the Act on the Openness of Government Activities, which, in clear Finnish language, articulates that "the purpose of the statutory right of access to information and the obligations of authorities is to implement openness in the activities of the authorities, provide individuals and communities the opportunity to monitor the use of public authority and public funds, freely form their opinions, influence the exercise of public authority, and monitor their rights and interests."

Finally, it is worth noting that the current Non-Discrimination Ombudsman is Kristina Stenman, who previously served in the Refugee Advice Centre, assisted far-left professor Martin Scheinin and worked as a city manager. She assumed office on August 1, 2020, having been appointed by the government of Prime Minister Sanna Marin.

The original thought in Finnish:
Yhdenvertaisuusvaltuutettu ja laki viranomaisen toiminnan julkisuudesta

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
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Demonstrations cause trouble in Helsinki and Sweden

The University of Helsinki is by far the largest contributor to higher education and research in Finland, enjoying the trust of the entire nation and receiving financial support through tax revenues. In this role, it is institutionally politically neutral, and, for example, protests within its premises are prohibited.

However, this prohibition has recently been violated. A few months ago, a group of students protested against decisions made by the Finnish government, and just a few days ago, a demonstration against Israel was held at the university.

These predominantly politically left-wing orchestrated protests have not been strongly intervened against but have been allowed to take place. Thus, a kind of precedent has been established, which future protesters may also refer to.

It is possible that in the future, there may be different types of demonstrations on the university premises, including those that provoke reactions. In Finland, this practically means far-left counter-protests against socially conservative demonstrators, which often involve violent elements.

Therefore, it would be important for the University of Helsinki to decisively state that it will not allow any political demonstrations on its premises in the future. If such events occur, the university should demand that law enforcement immediately stop the gathering.

By saying this, I do not mean to undermine the importance of people's right to organize protests as a crucial aspect of a democratic society. On the contrary, when organizing such events, respect for the wishes of venue owners and property managers should be observed by ensuring that protests take place in open spaces.

Finally, it is worth noting that Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden initially announced a ban on political demonstrations in all its premises and campuses but later reversed its decision. The fears caused by protesters targeting Jewish individuals were behind the original decision, which the university should, of course, never condone.

It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold at Chalmers University. Will all segments of the population feel safe in the future, or will the situation become untenable again?

It is hoped that Finland and its universities will never find themselves in a situation similar to Sweden's, and that students and all people can live their lives without fear of danger due to their opinions or religious-ethnic backgrounds.

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In Germany, immigration policy changes are being planned

Angela Merkel's Germany acted as the driving force in 2015 in a process in which approximately 1.3 million people from developing countries were admitted to the EU's territory. As a result of this event, the internal security situation in Germany and many EU countries deteriorated significantly.

As a consequence of this, and with the resurgence of mass migration from developing countries, Germany has  measures to curb the ongoing wave of immigration. This involves various well-intentioned actions.

Among the proposed measures are the following: setting an upper limit for immigration, reducing Germany's attractiveness by replacing cash benefits for newcomers with payment cards, distributing asylum seekers evenly to all EU countries, reinstating border controls in Germany, strengthening the control of the EU's external borders, detaining asylum seekers during the processing of their applications, adding new states to the list of safe countries, negotiating return agreements with countries of origin, outsourcing asylum processing to third countries, and increasing the number of quota refugees instead of individual asylum applications.

It remains to be seen to what extent the above-mentioned list will be implemented in Germany. If it is implemented, it is uncertain whether it will have any impact on the desire of people from developing countries to enter the EU for the purpose of enjoying a safer society and higher living standards than in their home countries, or the impact it has on eroding these factors, as seen in Germany, France, and Finland, and particularly in the humanitarian migration powerhouse of Sweden.

The original thought in Finnish:
Saksassa suunnitellaan maahanmuuttopoliittisia muutoksia

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
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Could Kenyans serve as a model for Somalis and Iraqis?

Finnish immigration policy is somewhat unsuccessful in the sense that people from major refugee-producing countries - excluding Ukrainians - have adapted poorly to the job market. Consequently, a significant portion of them relies on social welfare, and many also turn to criminal activities. These facts have led to a negative perception of immigration from elsewhere than Western or East Asian countries by a substantial portion of Finns.

Therefore, I read with great interest an article about a company operating in Kenya that acquires and trains healthcare personnel for Finland. In practice, these individuals have existing education in the healthcare field, and they also receive additional training, including independent study of the Finnish language. The latter is intended to gauge their motivation.

Foreign nurses are welcome in Finland because the country is facing a severe shortage of healthcare professionals. Kenyans have already proven to be good workers, with an employment rate even higher than that of EU citizens.

The facts I've presented above have left me thoughtful, as it seems strange that if Kenyans are thriving in Finland, why can't Somalis or Iraqis achieve the same and settle for living off society's support without making an effort for their own success? If we exclude politically incorrect factors such as genetics and culture when seeking an answer, what remains?

When searching for an answer, it's important not to overlook the possibility that Finns may be doing something fundamentally wrong when trying to ease the lives of people from major refugee-producing countries coming to Finland without expecting them to contribute. Could the solution lie in requiring them to take responsibility for their own lives in the same way Kenyans do when they come to Finland?

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
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