Donald Trump Called a Shooter an Animal

This morning’s news feed reported that a 29-year-old Afghan who moved to the country in 2021 has shot two members of the United States National Guard. The incident took place in Washington, the capital of the USA – and reportedly very close to the White House.

President Donald Trump has called the event an act of terror and referred to the perpetrator as an animal. In addition, he has vowed that the Afghan will pay a very high price for his actions.

It remains to be seen what the criminal investigation will ultimately conclude regarding the shooting incident. However, it is already generally clear that the case can be linked to the broader issues associated with the migration of Muslim people from developing countries to Western democracies.

It is equally certain that this case will not halt the so-called humanitarian immigration policy, but that it will continue as before. As a result, Western culture will gradually transform into a more polarized society, in which the ethno-cultural character of the population differs significantly from what it was before the turn of the millennium.

It should be noted, though, that this development is ultimately the result of political decisions. Therefore, the development I described above is not a law of nature, but rather the choice of Western people themselves. And as such, it – and its outcome – can be changed, should that be desired.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Just Another Case of Multiculturality in Manchester, UK
The Cost of the East Jerusalem Attack for Palestinians — and Its Echo Worldwide
Understanding of European Terrorism by Left-wing and Value-liberal Politicians

The original blogposti in Finnish:
29-vuotias afgaani ammuskeli

A Professor’s Ten-Point Plan to Fix Europe’s Immigration Policy

Finnish emeritus Professor Vesa Kanniainen has made a list related to immigration policy.

1. The EU member states must abandon the universal social security model throughout Europe.

2. The processing of asylum applications must be moved outside Europe.

3. Financial aid must be stopped for those countries of origin of refugees that refuse to take back their citizens who have not been granted asylum and whose return would therefore not violate the Geneva Convention.

4. Those who have received a negative asylum decision must be required to cooperate and be housed in return centers while waiting for their journey home.

5. Crossing European borders by land, sea, or air must be criminalized when a person does not have a positive asylum decision or valid travel documents.

6. Transport vehicles (such as boats in the Mediterranean) financed by criminal organizations must be confiscated.

7. International cooperation with various countries must be strengthened in order to relocate refugees outside Europe.

8. Visits by those who have been granted asylum to their home country must be prohibited.

9. Family reunifications of asylum seekers must be prohibited or frozen.

10. All foreigners who have received an unconditional or conditional prison sentence must be deported, regardless of how long they have lived in an EU country.

I think the professor’s list is quite good. So good, in fact, that it should be implemented as it is. For that reason, all its points should serve as guiding principles both in the humanitarian decisions of the current European Commission and in Finland’s immigration policy program after 2027.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Two Men Sentenced for Raping Underage Girls
Is Immigration Driving the Nordic Countries Apart?
Why is Somalia unwilling to meet Finland’s conditions for continuing development cooperation?

The original blogpost in Finnish:
https://professorinajatuksia.blogspot.com/2025/11/vesa-kanniaisen-lista-kannattaisi.html

Two Men Sentenced for Raping Underage Girls

Huge cruise ships operate between Finland and Sweden, serving not only as a means of transportation but also as venues for leisure and entertainment. In other words, they are not just vehicles but massive entertainment centers.

A recent news report states that prison sentences have been handed down as a result of rapes of underage girls that took place on such a ship. Farid Asghar, now 37, was sentenced to 1 year and 2 months in prison for sexual abuse of a child. 

Asghar was also sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in prison for aggravated child rape and aggravated rape committed in a remote parking lot. Altogether, he was sentenced to 7 years and 8 months in prison for sexual offenses. His friend Mujtaba Adam Khan, now 40, was sentenced to 3 years and 7 months in prison.  

As the first names of the convicted indicate, both men are immigrants who came to Finland as humanitarian refugees from developing countries.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Finnish Immigration Policy Aims to Maximize Benefits and Minimize Drawbacks
Sweden's Rapid Demographic Shift Causes Challenges
Why Is the Case of Issam Rafil, Convicted of a Sexual Offense in Finland, Important for Britain?

Is Immigration Driving the Nordic Countries Apart?

The bigger Nordic countries – Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland – are generally seen as a highly unified group of states, where democratic decision-making works exceptionally well. At the same time, however, they have undergone major demographic changes as a result of humanitarian immigration, which will likely have a significant impact on their future.

Sweden, as a former great power, is the largest Nordic country, governed by the local EPP together with a smaller EPP party and a liberal RE party. The government is also supported in parliament by an ECR party outside the coalition, whose immigration policy goals have been included in the government program.

This unusual arrangement stems from the fact that Sweden’s immigration policy has been extremely liberal, which has made the country’s population more multicultural than in the other Nordic countries. At the same time, the related challenges have also been greater.

This is reflected in the support for Swedish parties. The largest party in the country is still the Social Democrats (S&D group in the European Parliament), with around 34% support, but a party belonging to the ECR group that is critical of multiculturalism has risen to compete with the EPP for second place, with about 20% support. The country’s other parties are small.

Denmark is currently governed by a three-party coalition consisting of the Social Democrats (S&D) and two RE parties.

Unlike in the other Nordic countries, Denmark’s S&D has long pursued a strict immigration policy, which has reduced immigration-related problems. This helped their support rise a few years ago to very high levels – even around 35% – but in recent years it has dropped to about 20%. Despite this, the party remains clearly the most popular in the country.

Denmark’s second most popular party has been the Greens (G/EFA), with support around 15%. They are followed slightly behind by the RE-affiliated Venstre party, and behind them an ECR party at about 10%, which is slightly higher than the Danish PfE group, whose support has risen significantly this year. In addition, a large number of smaller parties influence Danish politics, including the smallest RE party in government.

In Norway, the country is currently governed by a minority government of the local S&D party, but parliamentary elections are being held today and tomorrow, after which a new government will likely be formed.

Humanitarian immigration in Norway has been more limited, and thus the related problems have been smaller than in Sweden. Nevertheless, the local ECR group has in recent years competed for the position of the country’s largest party alongside the S&D and the EPP. Meanwhile, the far left (SV) has lost support.

In my home country of Finland, the government is formed by two EPP parties, an ECR party, and an RE party representing the interests of the Swedish-speaking population. The government has pursued a strict economic policy driven by the larger EPP party, while also following the relatively strict immigration policy demanded by the ECR party in its government program.

During the current parliamentary term, the support for Finland’s EPP parties and the language-based party has remained relatively stable (around 20%, 3%, and 4%, respectively). By contrast, the Finns Party’s support collapsed under government responsibility, falling from around 20% in the 2023 elections to about half of that, though in recent months it has started to rise again.

Among the opposition parties, support has grown for the S&D party, which has risen to 26%, making it clearly Finland’s most popular party at the moment. Another recent gainer has been the former agrarian party (around 15%), which for some reason belongs to the RE group in the European Parliament. Meanwhile, the Greens’ support has long been in decline (8%), while the far-left party belonging to the LEFT group has remained fairly stable in 10%.

As this brief overview of Nordic politics shows, there are significant political differences among these countries regarding immigration. It remains to be seen how these differences develop in the future – and especially whether Sweden’s long-standing open immigration policy will lead it to diverge from the other Nordic countries.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
No Low-Hanging Fruits Among Russian Neighbors
Nordic Police Announce: Spread of Gang Violence Cannot Be Stopped
Nordic Nations Unite Against the Growing Threat of Cross-Border Organized Crime

Why is Somalia unwilling to meet Finland’s conditions for continuing development cooperation?

Finland suspended its development cooperation with Somalia last November. At that time, Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Ville Tavio (Finns Party), made it a condition that Somalia must begin taking back its citizens who are residing illegally in Finland and/or who have committed crimes. The minister did not specify in more detail what kind of change would be sufficient for cooperation to resume.

According to media reports, however, Tavio has suggested that one condition for development aid would be the return of one hundred Somalis to Somalia, although this has not been officially recorded. Last Monday, the minister reiterated that development aid to Somalia will remain suspended, since the repatriations of Somalis have not progressed as hoped.

Some progress has nevertheless been made, as Somalia had previously refused altogether to accept any of its citizens deported from Finland. Since the suspension of development cooperation, Finland has returned 11 Somali citizens, three of whom went back voluntarily.

* * *

In Somalia, the government has expressed a desire to refuse compliance with Finland’s demand to take back its citizens, showing irritation and describing Finland’s conditions as blackmail. The background is thought to lie in the fact that Somalis do not want to receive back citizens deported from abroad, some of whom have committed crimes.

This year, the Finnish Immigration Service has issued only 128 removal decisions for Somalis, meaning the number of people to be returned is not particularly large. Nevertheless, Somalia has accepted less than ten percent of the citizens who were intended to be sent back.

If the pace does not improve, it means that Finland will not spend the roughly nine million euros earmarked this year for cooperation with Somalia. That money was intended to support the improvement of the status of girls and women in difficult situations in Somalia.

That is why I, at least, cannot help but wonder whether Somali politicians’ reluctance stems more from the goals of the development cooperation itself than from the potential problems caused by Somalis who are to be returned. Hopefully, of course, I am wrong about this, and the Somali government does—in contrast to the suspicion that crossed my mind—have a genuine desire to improve the position of women in the country.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
A New Beginning: Economic Independence in the Hands of Developing Nations
Finland Suspends Development Cooperation with Somalia
Could Kenyans serve as a model for Somalis and Iraqis?

Attitudes Toward Immigrants Are a Problem in Schools

In recent decades, it has long been known that humanitarian immigration has had harmful effects on Western societies. For example, the link between immigration and increased gang, drug, and sexual crime is quite clear (example, another).

Less has been said about other impacts of people from developing countries on Western nations. In Finland’s case, however, this is one of the reasons why, according to PISA tests, the country’s school system is no longer anywhere near the best in the world.

The matter was written about by a local Helsinki newspaper, which interviewed Ulla Talvensaari, who has worked as a primary school teacher for 25 years. To understand her views, my esteemed reader must know that in many Helsinki schools, the proportion of pupils with an immigrant background can exceed half of the student body.

According to the experienced teacher, insufficient Finnish language instruction for pupils with an immigrant background threatens to weaken the entire education system, from primary school to vocational studies. This is reflected in the fact that “today only the sharpest quarter of pupils can manage tasks that, at the start of my career around the turn of the millennium, were routine for the majority.”

This has led to a situation where “secondary school teachers wonder why children with such weak skills have been allowed to pass through primary school to higher levels. In vocational studies, people then question secondary school assessments. Eventually, in vocational schools, standards are lowered and incompetence becomes a burden for working life.”

Schools also do not take immigrant pupils’ lack of competence seriously, but instead “it is now difficult for a teacher to hold anyone back a grade or to give conditional passes. Many teachers end up lowering standards just to get everyone through the system.” In this way, they avoid being branded as racists for prolonging immigrant pupils’ time at school.

Thus, the teacher raises the question: “Is it really equality if there are huge gaps in skill levels within classrooms? We used to talk about the Gaussian curve. Most pupils were average, with only a small number being particularly weak or highly gifted. Now the middle group has almost disappeared, and classrooms consist mostly of extremes—either capable pupils or those with major learning challenges.”

As one way to improve the situation, the teacher also calls for more parental responsibility. In her view, “we [Finns] should demand that immigrant parents also practice Finnish regularly at home with their children.”

One can only hope that this teacher will be listened to both in Finland and elsewhere in Europe, and that society will abandon woke dogmas and instead uphold children’s right to learn at school—including those with immigrant backgrounds. This should remain the case even if their learning takes longer than that of the native population’s children.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Unintended Consequences of Modern Value Shifts
Finland Denies Blanket Asylum for Gazans, Confirms Tighter Immigration Policies
Has Modern Education Strayed Too Far — and Is It Time to Change Course?

High Rewards in Humanitarian Immigration Attract People to Illegal Businesses

The attempt by people from developing countries to enter the EU by lying about their situation is in itself illegal and thus condemnable. However, the biggest beneficiaries of this activity are the networks of smugglers, who profit large sums from those seeking a better life.

An example of this was provided by a news report stating that the German federal police arrested five Syrian nationals, aged 26–37, who, according to the prosecutor, were involved in at least 40 human smuggling operations, transporting up to 480 people in a single day via the so-called Balkan route.

For these journeys, the criminals charged an average of €2,500–€4,500 per person, depending on the route and risks, and earned at least €1.4 million between 2022 and 2025. According to the prosecutor, the total could even exceed €10 million.

It’s no wonder, then, that so-called humanitarian immigration attracts people to illegal business. After all, the risk of getting caught appears to be quite low, while the rewards are astronomical compared to, for example, the average salary for honest work in Syria.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Eviction of Inhabitants for Incoming Immigrants Sparks Controversy
Finland to Cut Off Taxpayer Money for Immigration
Western Countries Have Neither a Reason Nor a Need to Accept Asylum Seekers from Syria or Gaza

Instability Returns to the Balkans

I begin this blog post with a look back 111 years. At that time, on June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, which was then part of Austria-Hungary.

The reason behind the assassination was that the Bosnian Serbs wanted to join Serbia and pursued this aim through political murder. As a result, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914.

Serbia soon gained Russia as an ally, while Austria-Hungary was supported by Germany. In an effort to avoid a two-front war, Germany attacked France through Belgium. This, in turn, led to Britain entering the conflict — and thus the First World War began. Around 16 million people lost their lives in that war.

* * *

In his recent column, retired Major General Harri Ohra-aho warned Finns about the smoldering powder keg of the Balkans. According to him, Bosnia and Herzegovina is teetering on the brink of a deep crisis, with the actions of the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik — the leader of the federation’s Serbian entity — at the core of the issue, as he pushes for Serbian independence.

Under Dodik’s leadership, Republika Srpska has passed laws that prevent federal authorities from operating within its territory. In addition, his administration has demanded a separate constitution for the Serbs — a step toward splitting Bosnia and Herzegovina into two separate states.

Behind this lies the strong support of Serbia itself and, lurking behind Serbia, that of Russia. Unfortunately, Hungary — an EU member state — and its president Viktor Orbán have also joined in, sending special forces to conduct joint exercises with the Serbs. In other words, this is part of Vladimir Putin’s broader strategy to shift Western Europe’s attention from Ukraine to the Balkans.

For now, however, the situation remains calm, and most Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs hope for stability and envision their future in the EU. Even within Republika Srpska, Dodik does not enjoy unanimous support. But as we well know, people’s opinions can be easily influenced by the right kind of propaganda.

* * *

For us Finns, the matter is significant in several ways. First, every military-political victory for Putin increases the risk that Russia might test the military readiness of a NATO border country through a suitably crafted special operation. Perhaps not on Finland’s border specifically, but quite possibly somewhere in our neighborhood.

Second, Bosnia and Herzegovina has served as one of the routes for humanitarian migration, and if it falls into chaos, it could lead to an increase in the number of people arriving in the EU. This, in turn, could further destabilize the internal situation in the EU countries most affected by such flows — such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, or Sweden.

For these reasons, Ohra-aho ended his column with the following hope: "Europe must therefore act wisely but decisively. Words must be followed by actions: more support for constructive forces in Bosnia, a clear message against separatism, and concrete steps toward NATO and EU integration. Stability does not arise by itself, and in the Balkans its value is often only recognized once it has already been lost."

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Russians in Finland Include Both Putin’s Supporters and Loyal Citizens
Ukraine’s Justified Exit From the Ottawa Convention
NATO Sounds the Alarm on Illegal Immigration

EU Commission Should Take Migration and Related Crime Seriously

A Finnish district court has sentenced Kerime Örcel, 30, and Johan Araf Josef Otterdahl, 22, to long prison terms in a criminal case involving the manufacture of a thermos bomb and aggravated drug offenses. In a press conference, the police stated they suspect the planned bombing attack was commissioned by a Swedish criminal organization.

Otterdahl had agreed to detonate the thermos bomb at the entrance of an apartment building in an immigrant-dominated suburb in the Helsinki region and had received the assignment from a Swedish criminal group, which had promised him a reward for carrying out the act. The bomb had a lethal blast radius of approximately three meters and could have caused shrapnel injuries within an 11-meter range.

Örcel was apprehended at the end of September when she transported 157 kilograms of amphetamines and 20,000 ecstasy tablets across the border into Finland. This is the largest single amphetamine seizure in Finnish criminal history. Otterdahl, on the other hand, was arrested later in the autumn.

* * *

The above case is just one example of how the problems of Swedish society are also spreading to Finland as immigrant-background criminals expand their territory across the Baltic Sea. So far, the Finnish police have succeeded quite well in preventing larger problems, but time will tell how long this can continue.

That is why it is important that Swedes also take their problems seriously and prevent them from spreading across the Baltic. Toward Denmark, however, it is already too late, as Swedish criminals now move rather freely across the Danish straits to commit crimes (example).

All of this also demonstrates that the migration-related problems faced by European countries are by no means local, and therefore cannot be resolved solely through local measures. That is why the EU Commission and politicians should take migration into Europe and the related crime seriously—unlike what has happened in recent years.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Getting Populists to Govern Responsibly: What the Netherlands and Finland Can Teach Us
Police to Finnish Graduates: Leave Fireworks, Blades, and Booze at Home
Why Integration Policy Must Confront Cultural Conflicts

The Increasing Criminality Among Swedish Students Stems from Their Values

Sweden has for decades been a "superpower in humanitarian immigration", which has significantly altered its demographic structure. At the same time, the country's security situation has deteriorated year by year, and there are fears that criminal immigrant gangs will spread to Finland – a concern that the Swedish police have also warned their neighbors, including us Finns, about.

Against this background, it was interesting to note that the Swedish government is planning a law that would allow schools to search students' bags if they are suspected of carrying a weapon. Additionally, Swedes are prepared to invest approximately 27 million euros in school security and locking systems, as well as other similar safety measures.

Furthermore, the government is planning to impose an obligation on schools to report suspicious incidents and threats to the police. This would prevent the tendency to overlook or downplay unpleasant issues that have taken root in society.

Even more striking was the finding in a report published by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå) at the end of 2024. According to the report, 38.7% of ninth-grade boys and 23.3% of girls consider it completely or fairly acceptable to hit someone who has said something offensive. Moreover, as many as half of ninth-grade students—approximately fifteen-year-olds—have, according to their own reports, committed a crime within the past 12 months. The proportion is the same for both boys and girls.

As a consequence of these attitudes, violence has increased by more than 150% over the most recent measured ten-year period (2013–2023). According to criminology professor Olof Wikström, these crimes are not committed "despite knowing that they are wrong, but rather because they perceive them as right from the perspective of their own values and morals."

These facts should be acknowledged across the entire European Union. At the same time, it is essential to understand that Sweden serves as a cautionary example of failed policies, and its experiences should be heeded throughout the Union.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Sweden is Soon Set to Surpass the One Million Mark for Illiterate People
Sweden's Rapid Demographic Shift Causes Challenges
100 percent of the violence is related to migration

Finland to Tighten Citizenship Requirements Further

The requirements for obtaining Finnish citizenship are being tightened by introducing a citizenship test. The aim is to ensure that only immigrants who have successfully integrated, follow the rules of Finnish society, and earn their livelihood through work can become citizens of the country.

With this reform, Finland follows the example of several other EU member states, where citizenship applicants are already required to demonstrate language proficiency—which is already tested—as well as knowledge of society, but goes even further. Sweden, which has suffered increasingly severe immigration-related problems year after year, is also taking similar measures.

Additionally, the Finnish government plans to tighten the requirements for a clean criminal record and self-sufficiency, as well as make it easier to revoke citizenship from those who fail to live according to the norms of Finnish society. In other words, immigrants who have committed crimes or lived solely on social welfare will no longer be eligible for citizenship. Moreover, citizenship may also be revoked if an individual turns to criminal activities.

In Finland, the required period of residence for citizenship eligibility was previously extended to eight years, and only legally documented time is counted. For example, the period during which asylum seekers await a residence permit is not included in this time frame.

These changes are expected to ensure that Finland continues to attract work-based immigration while discouraging those who seek to live off the Finnish welfare system. At the same time, the reform is hoped to encourage all newcomers to integrate as constructive members of Finnish society.

In other words, the Finnish government's goal is to make immigration a positive factor for Finnish society rather than merely a growing burden in the future. As a Finn, one can only hope that this objective will be achieved.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Finnish Immigration Policy Aims to Maximize Benefits and Minimize Drawbacks
Immigration Policy Should Be Based on Evidence
10% of Foreign Students in Finland Failed to Meet Residence Requirements

The Swedish Immigration Catastrophe – A Cautionary Tale

Sweden has long been plagued by crime and violence perpetrated by immigrant-background gangs. However, since the turn of the year, this phenomenon has intensified even further, with more than 30 bomb attacks carried out since New Year's, most—if not all—of which are linked to disputes between criminal gangs.

As a result of all this, the country's Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson (Moderates), has stated that "yet another wave of violence is underway, that is clear. Bombings are happening practically every day; on the other hand, fatal shootings have decreased. But before this is resolved, the entire 2020s will pass by."

He also admitted that "we are clearly unable to control this wave of violence right now." And the problems are only exacerbated by the fact that the uncle of a Kurdish-background gangster has been murdered, which is likely to escalate the violence even further in the coming weeks and months.

All of this should be carefully noted in other Western countries that practice so-called humanitarian immigration. The intention may, of course, be excellent, but as Sweden’s example shows, the danger is that sooner or later, it could lead to a complete disaster.

One indication of this is the violent suppression of freedom of speech. One of its literal embodiments was the murder, carried out last night by gunfire, of Salwan Momika, an Iraqi-born man known for burning Qurans in protest against the rise of Islam in Sweden.

* * *

Finland has closely followed Sweden’s struggle against immigrant-background crime and has taken lessons from it. As a sign of this, the Finnish government has proposed changes to the criminal code to impose harsher penalties for crimes committed by street gangs and for acts of humiliation violence.

Additionally, the use of a child below the age of criminal responsibility to commit a crime would be explicitly criminalized and punished more severely. This proposal has been driven by the fact that in Sweden, gangs lure preteen into carrying out violent acts they deem necessary, as these minors are not legally accountable due to the age threshold.

One can only hope that these proposals will pass in Parliament. If they do, implementing Swedish gang tactics in Finland will become more difficult—or may not happen at all.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
A Murder in a Well-Known Finnish Immigrant Neighborhood
Nordic Police Announce: Spread of Gang Violence Cannot Be Stopped
Managing Societal Change with a Growing Muslim Population

Trump’s Tariff Weapon Worked, but Will Finland’s Development Aid Strategy Succeed?

The leftist government of Colombia decided not to accept undocumented immigrants deported by the United States. As a result, President Donald Trump threatened the country with tariff increases: first to 25 percent and later to 50 percent.

This strategy worked, and Colombia's President Gustavo Petro reversed his decision, agreeing to accept its citizens. It remains to be seen whether any other country will refuse to take back its citizens if the U.S. deports them.

At the moment, however, it seems clear that Trump will not back down on this issue. The scope of the challenge is enormous, as millions or even tens of millions of people currently live and work in the U.S. doing low-wage jobs after arriving from developing countries in search of a higher standard of living.

This means that many individuals and businesses depend on undocumented labor. The big question, therefore, is how this labor will be replaced—if it is even possible. And if it is not, what will follow?

* * *

Finland also has a significant number of immigrants. Among them, those who have primarily arrived as refugees from North Africa and the Middle East have both struggled with employment and committed a disproportionately high number of crimes. In contrast, e.g. Ukrainians, Russians, Indians, Chinese, and Vietnamese are considered desirable and legal labor.

This is likely one reason why Finland is tightening the criteria for humanitarian immigration and aiming to remove undocumented individuals as well as foreign nationals who have committed crimes. As a small country, Finland does not have access to Trump’s “tariff weapon,” but by cutting development aid to uncooperative countries, it hopes to achieve the same result.

It remains to be seen, however, whether this “development aid weapon” will be as effective as Trump’s “tariff weapon.” Or will Finland have to develop additional measures before it can rid itself of unwanted individuals from developing countries?

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Greenland's Future: A Battleground of Global Powers?
Finnish Immigration Policy Aims to Maximize Benefits and Minimize Drawbacks
Finland Suspends Development Cooperation with Somalia

Mediterranean Taxi Service is Coming to an End

I just noticed information on social media indicating that Doctors Without Borders has decided to end its Mediterranean operations. The organization’s activities have essentially involved taxi-like operations, transporting people from the southern Mediterranean to EU territory instead of taking them to the nearest port on the African side. This has encouraged Africans and Arabs to attempt crossing the Mediterranean in unseaworthy boats, leading to thousands of unnecessary deaths.

The organization is funded through various fundraising efforts, where its activities are described as rescue operations. These appeals attract well-meaning people who want to support the cause without understanding its fundamental nature as a business.

According to the message thread reporting on the cessation of the Mediterranean taxi operations, “We have been forced to discontinue our activities with the rescue ship Geo Barents. Italian legislation and policies have made it impossible to continue in their current form.”

Unfortunately, the organization does not appear to be giving up and simultaneously announced that “We will return to the Mediterranean as soon as possible.” However, one can only hope that Italy and the rest of the EU maintain their now proven approach and ensure the final burial of Doctors Without Borders’ business described here.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The Fall of Germany’s Government Could Open the EU’s Path to a Better Future
Change of immigration policy and development cooperation
175 happy winners

Immigration Policy Should Be Based on Evidence

Finland is one of those countries where the native population has, on average, just slightly more than one child per family. As a result, the number of ethnically Finnish people is set to decline rapidly over the coming decades.

This poses a problem for the demographic structure of society, as the number of working-age people decreases while the number of elderly individuals in need of care increases. This fact is often cited as a key reason for the need for immigration to Finland—a position supported by both the liberal right and the green-left political spectrum.

Only the national-conservative Finns Party has clearly disagreed, advocating for stricter controls on humanitarian immigration, particularly from developing countries, as well as on forms of labor-based immigration where wages are insufficient to support the newcomers, leaving taxpayers to cover part of the costs.

This discussion has been further influenced by the immigration minister of Sweden, a country that has pursued even more open immigration policies than Finland. According to the minister, "there is a dramatic difference between receiving 100,000 asylum seekers and 100,000 highly educated labor migrants."

This fact has often been overlooked by Finnish proponents of immigration. For this reason, I hope they will carefully examine Sweden’s experiences with its immigration policies, listen to the relevant Swedish government minister, and draw the correct conclusions from all of this. 

The fact is that even in immigration policy, Finland does not need polarization but rather an acknowledgment of the facts. And after that, decision-making based on evidence.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
10% of Foreign Students in Finland Failed to Meet Residence Requirements
Finland’s Minister of Finance Believes Not All Cultures Are Equally Good
Immigration Policy Must Take Artificial Intelligence and Robots into Account

Former President Donald Trump is Also the Upcoming President – But What Does It Mean?

Former U.S. President Donald Trump (Rep) won the election against his opponent Kamala Harris (Dem) and is now also the upcoming president. This offers Europe some food for thought.

In economic terms, Trump is expected to strongly advocate for the interests of American businesses and workers. This will likely manifest in the form of increased tariffs, making it harder for other countries to export their products to the U.S.

Europe – and other regions as well – will thus need to consider whether to respond with their own tariffs or simply criticize the Trump administration for its anti-free-trade stance. The former seems more likely, which could ultimately slow down global economic growth.

Trump is also expected to take a firm stance on the humanitarian migration flow from Mexico to the U.S.. This aligns with policies in some EU countries aiming for similar goals. However, it remains to be seen whether either will ultimately succeed in halting the flow of people from developing countries, driven by rapid population growth and a large standard-of-living gap with destination countries.

It is important to note here that, in the U.S., one must work to get by. In many European countries, on the other hand, it's been sufficient to collect social benefits and live off them comfortably.

In military terms, Trump’s overall stance is clear. He demands that NATO’s European members increase their defense spending, without which he won’t commit to guaranteeing their security in the same way the U.S. has done for decades.

Taiwan and Ukraine, of course, are special cases, and I haven’t quite grasped Trump’s stance on them. However, I assume he won’t leave Taiwan at China’s mercy, though Ukraine remains a bigger question mark.

My dear readers will undoubtedly recall that Trump promised to bring peace to Ukraine within a day. However, it’s unclear how he could even achieve that. Unless Trump issues Vladimir Putin an ultimatum to withdraw his forces from Ukraine or face the U.S. military.

Such an approach might indeed work, but in that case, there would be a risk that Russia’s cornered dictator would resort to nuclear weapons. And that would be disastrous for everyone in this world.

Be that as it may, Donald Trump is taking responsibility for U.S. policy, and others must accept that. For Finland’s part, President Alexander Stubb summed up the situation by stating that Finland will get along with the U.S. regardless of who leads the country. On this, I have no further comments.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
A Message From and To Vladimir Putin
Finland Will Thrive with Any US President, Trump Survived the Assassination Attempt
Trump is leaving Africa

 

A Homosexual Rape Underscores the Need for Change in Immigration Policy

A strange case occurred in Finland, for which the Court sentenced Muhammad Yusri Bin Jaafar, 34, to three years in prison for rape and unlawful threats. The crime took place at the end of November 2023 in Helsinki.

The victim, a man, had been partying exuberantly with his friend at a nightclub and met someone there whom he assumed to be a woman. This person lured the victim to their home, where both undressed.

At that point, the victim realized that the "woman" was actually a trans man and stated that he was not interested in having sex with him. Despite this, Bin Jaafar pulled him into the bedroom and forced him to perform sexual acts.

The victim was distressed, groaned, and begged the perpetrator to let him leave. Eventually, he managed to push the rapist off and ran back to the nightclub to tell his friend about the incident.

The rapist had also demanded 200 euros from his victim, threatened him with sexual acts and violence, and said he would call attackers if he did not receive the money. The newspaper article reporting the incident did not specify at what point this threat was made.

* * *

I wrote about this case because it shows that immigrants pose a sexual threat not only to women but also to men. After all, there are naturally homosexual individuals among them, just as there are in other population groups.

And based on this case, they do not seem to behave any differently from their heterosexual counterparts, whose - immigrants' - share of rapes in Finland in 2021 was as high as 30.6%, while their share of the population at the time was around eight percent.

For this reason, it is great that 17 EU countries have demanded a change in the Union’s immigration policy, so that those who have unjustly applied for asylum can be effectively deported back to their home countries. Finland has signed the initiative.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The Role of Ukraine Aid in the Elections of Thuringia and Saxony, Germany
Sweden's Rapid Demographic Shift Causes Challenges
A Finnish police officer is afraid to speak about the problems of immigration

Managing Societal Change with a Growing Muslim Population

Of the "vulnerable" refugees who have come to Sweden, 79 percent have returned to vacation in the country they fled from due to distress and persecution. Additionally, 81 percent of those who have arrived from outside Europe intend to remain in Sweden for the rest of their lives, regardless of how the human rights situation develops in their home countries.

There are no similar statistics for Finland, but I believe they would be quite comparable. Thus, it is clear that both Sweden and Finland - as well as most other European countries - will have to continue living with a growing Muslim population that tends to avoid adopting the Western way of life.

It would be wise for the political leaders of these countries to recognize this issue, so they can take corrective measures. In my view, key steps include reducing the pull factors for those considering coming from Muslim countries and improving the conditions for societal success for those who have already arrived in the Nordic countries.

In this regard, I consider the most important issue to be reducing the prevalence of consanguineous marriages - which are typical in many immigrant groups - through education and legislation. This is because it would reduce the mental and physical health problems that - due to recessive gene traits - occur more frequently in immigrant communities than in the general population.

It is also important to ensure that special attention is paid to women’s rights and status in the education of immigrant children. This should start in preschool and continue in schools, making it clear that all people are equally entitled to the same rights.

As a sign of this, the wearing of face-covering garments should be banned, and there should be no special services for women, such as separate swimming times, which are in reality aimed at Muslim women. These services are specifically rooted in gender inequality.

Third, I would address immigrant crime by ensuring that any immigrant convicted of a crime with a maximum sentence of over a year in prison is always and without exception deported back to their country of origin. This should be done even if the person has already acquired citizenship in their new home country. This could reduce the disproportionately high rates of drug, sexual, violent crimes and homicides among immigrants.

Fourth, I raise the issue mentioned at the beginning of this article about refugees vacationing in their home countries. Such behavior should naturally be seen as an indication that the person no longer needs refugee status, and it should be revoked. 

This is especially important if children have been taken back to their former home country to learn the customs of their own culture — and, in fact, to experience violence and/or be married off to a relative. In these cases, however, I would not send the child back to their home country, but would instead arrange for the parents themselves to return to their childhood homeland.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Society, Genetics, and the Impact of Consanguineous Marriages: At the Intersection of Education and Heredity
Drugs, Zombies, Girls, and Killers, as well as Swedish Deportation Flights
Important Changes Ahead: What You Need to Know About Finland’s Quota Refugee Selection

Important Changes Ahead: What You Need to Know About Finland’s Quota Refugee Selection

Yesterday, I blogged about how Finland plans to enhance the use of its development aid funds. Additionally, two weeks ago, I wrote that even in the long term, Finns do not benefit from humanitarian immigration from developing countries.

Today, Finland's largest newspaper reported that the second main party in Finland's government, the Finns Party, plans to reduce the proportion of Muslims among the quota refugees. This would mean, for example, that Venezuelans would be prioritized over Afghans when selecting newcomers.

In practice, Finland will take 500 quota refugees next year. This happens in such a way that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) presents a group of individuals, from which Finnish authorities ultimately select the quota refugees for Finland, based on the government's defined regional allocation.

The decision-making process in Finland proceeds as follows: under the leadership of the responsible minister from the Finns Party, a draft proposal is prepared and will be discussed by the government's Ministerial Committee on Internal Security and Justice at the end of October. Finally, the parliament will decide on the refugee quota based on the government's proposal toward the very end of the year.

One can hope that the Finns Party's proposal goes through, and that fewer individuals with a poor assimilation outlook will arrive in Finland this year. As a result, the societal burden related to quota refugees will hopefully decrease – or even turn into a positive outcome. 

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Responsible Development Aid and New Priorities: Finland's Development Cooperation Reforms
The attractiveness of Finland to welfare-seeking economic migrants reduces
Humanitarian immigration does not provide a solution to Finland's demographic dependency ratio

Humanitarian immigration does not provide a solution to Finland's demographic dependency ratio

Finnish people are no longer having enough children for the population to renew itself. Therefore, humanitarian immigration has been justified by the demographic dependency ratio.

This idea works if the incoming population, along with their descendants, performs equally well in the labor market as the native population. However,  individuals coming from developing countries—often illiterate and at least less educated than Finns—are unable to do so.

However, the situation could—at least in principle—be saved by their descendants, who attend the same schools as the native children. Additionally, they are fluent in Finnish, unlike their parents.

Unfortunately, recent data indicates that a large portion of immigrant-background students in Finland are considered weak performers according to the PISA definition. In mathematics, as many as 58 percent of first-generation immigrant-background students and 43 percent of second-generation students are weak performers. Among native students, the percentage of weak mathematics performers was 22 percent.

The literacy rates do not look any better either. A staggering 61 percent of first-generation immigrant-background students and 39 percent of second-generation students have poor literacy skills. This means that, according to OECD definitions, they do not possess sufficient knowledge and skills to participate fully in societal functions, such as further education and the labor market.

Finland's Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz (Swedish People´s Party) considers these results concerning. There is reason for concern, as a varying number of people from developing countries have been accepted annually since 1990.

From the perspective of the dependency ratio, as mentioned above, it is also problematic that the employment rate of individuals with foreign backgrounds is about 10–15 percentage points lower, and the unemployment rate is approximately 5–10 percentage points higher than that of native Finns. And these figures include not only humanitarian immigrants but also foreign workers, among whom a significantly larger proportion is likely engaged in the labor market than among humanitarian immigrants.

Based on the above, it appears that humanitarian immigration is not a solution to the demographic dependency ratio in Finnish society. Nor can it be assumed that they will be able to maintain Finland's standard of living at the same level as it has been in recent decades.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Sweden is Soon Set to Surpass the One Million Mark for Illiterate People
The Stabber Killed Three People in an Extremely Multicultural City
Sweden already in trouble - Finland following