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

Do Finns have the patience?

The Finnish economy has been in a mild recession for fifteen years. Now, there seems to be - perhaps - some light at the end of the tunnel once again. This is because, according to preliminary data from Statistics Finland, the seasonally adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) of Finland grew by 0.4 percent from January-March to April-June.

It remains to be seen whether Finland will finally succeed in returning to a growth trajectory that would also allow for balancing the state budget and, eventually, reducing the country's debt. And in time, also increasing the funds available for public services.

In my view, all this is possible, but it requires what former President Urho Kekkonen emphasized in 1952: patience. However, the situation now is different from back then, as the President at that time was urging taxpayers to finance the industrialization of Northern Finland to exploit the region's rich natural resources.

Now, it is more about having the patience to refrain from new public services - and even reduce existing ones - so that the private sector would dare to invest in the country. This applies to both domestic and foreign investors. And workers, who should be willing to follow job opportunities to where they are available.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Balancing the Books
The difficult times for Finland's economy are coming to an end
Why Can't Finland Find Workforce?

Balancing the Books

In recent years, there has been much discussion about the indebtedness of nations. This includes Finland, whose debt-to-GDP ratio is at a middle level compared to other Western countries, although it is rapidly increasing.

This debt accumulation can be attributed to a variety of reasons, but it is often due to the inability of politicians in government to make difficult decisions. In other words, choices that may be unpopular with citizens and whose alternative is to arrange matters by taking on debt, the repayment of which will be handled by future governments and, in the worst case, even by generations yet to be born.

In this regard, Finland is an interesting case, as the country's economic growth has been negligible since 2008, while government expenditures have rapidly increased under several administrations. Consequently, public debt in relation to GDP has risen from 28% to 55% in just fifteen years.

As a result of this development, the public sector is forced to allocate increasingly large sums of money to debt servicing rather than providing services to citizens. Finnish Finance Minister Riikka Purra (Finns Party) highlighted this issue with a few examples.

According to her, Finland’s interest expenses on state debt will be 3.5 billion euros next year. This amount is about 1.6 times the total expenditures of the Ministry of the Interior's administration of internal security. It is also larger than the state subsidies for basic services provided by all municipalities to their residents or half of the operational budget allocated annually to the Finnish Defense Forces.

It is hoped that these examples will awaken the political left in Finland—and in other countries as well—to the understanding that lax economic policies have negative consequences. And for the people who elect their leaders to realize that there are no free lunches, and that expanding public services beyond revenues will only lead to bigger problems.

It seems that the current conservative government in Finland has at least a reasonable understanding of this, based on the Finance Minister's statement. However, it is hoped that this understanding will continue with future governments as well, so that Finland’s economy can be put back on a sustainable footing, ensuring that public services can be maintained in the future.

Aiempia ajatuksia samasta aihepiiristä:
The difficult times for Finland's economy are coming to an end
Finns are backing the government making difficult decisions
Reducing taxes, enhancing export and paying the governmental debt