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

Massive Blow to Russian Artillery: Ukraine Claims 1,644 Pieces Destroyed in March

According to Ukrainian sources, Zelensky’s army has deployed a new type of system consisting of 5 to 10 acoustic sensors placed at regular intervals along the front line. The microphones detect artillery fire originating from the same location and immediately guide Ukrainian artillery or drones to strike the target.

Using this equipment, Ukraine has claimed to have destroyed a total of 1,644 Russian artillery pieces during March, although this information cannot be independently verified. If — and hopefully when — this claim proves accurate, Russian forces will soon find themselves in serious trouble with their offensive. Even though warfare technology is advancing at a tremendous pace, artillery remains a crucial part of virtually every major operation, whether offensive or defensive.

Logically, this should lead to a rapid and significant shift in the situation at the front, but so far, I haven’t seen any news reporting such a change. We will have to wait and see what happens in the coming weeks and months — and how it will affect the peace process initiated by President Donald Trump, which, so far, has only seen stalling tactics from the Russian side.

However, if the situation quickly turns in Ukraine’s favor, even Vladimir Putin might come to understand that a ceasefire would, in such circumstances, primarily serve the interests of his own army. At the same time, President Trump might realize that this would be the moment to push Russia toward a just peace — one in which the aggressor is left without any reward.

Previous thoughts on the same topic: 
Keir Starmer’s Message to Ireland, Spain, and Portugal: This Is About All of Europe
Now It's Putin's Turn to Show His Hand
Estonia is Arming its Military, but Does the Nation Have the Will to Defend Itself?

A Fair Game or Unfair Judgment?

In a primary school located in a medium-sized coastal town in western Finland, seven-year-old girls and boys were tasked with competing to see which group behaved better in class and kept their surroundings tidier. In other words, they were judged on adherence to behavioral norms that were taken for granted in the schools of my childhood.

The girls won the competition and were rewarded with a toy day. This, however, upset the boys’ mothers, whose little darlings couldn’t manage to be tidy or behave properly.

As a result, one mother contacted a national broadcasting company Yle, claiming that “the competitive setup and the criteria seemed unfair, and the group division went against the National Agency for Education's policies on segregation.” She also lamented, “Nobody does things like this anymore these days. Are boys wild and disobedient just because they’re energetic?”

Instead of having boys and girls compete in behavior and tidiness, she suggested rewarding the boys for, say, running a certain distance in the schoolyard as defined by a teacher. This, she argued, would allow them to please the teacher in a different way. Personally, I couldn’t see how this would promote children’s education or learning — unlike the competition at hand.

According to the principal of the criticized school, “The teachers certainly did not intend to act against the curriculum. This was a human error from which we will learn. We are all human and make mistakes.”

Undoubtedly, this was an effort to save face — and perhaps it succeeded. Time will tell.

* * *

To me, however, there was nothing odd or unfair about the competition. Calm and orderly behavior is something that promotes learning in schools. As such, it is an excellent — and learning-relevant — basis for competition, regardless of gender. Moreover, it is an event that especially helps wild boys improve their self-control.

Admittedly, the groups could have been divided without regard to gender, which would have prevented the boys’ mothers from blaming their children’s loss on their gender. But I believe that a competition between genders is the most motivating setup for seven-year-olds — especially for boys.

For this reason, I suspect that the mother who took her complaint to the national media should take a good look in the mirror. After all, the school competition reflected the general perception that mothers have long demanded better behavior and tidiness from their daughters than from their sons. The girls’ victory, therefore, was no great surprise — but hopefully, it offered a valuable lesson not only to the boys in the class but also to their mothers.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Safe Spaces or Freedom of Knowledge?
How to Increase Fertility Rates: A Finnish Solution
The Difference Between Left-Wing and Right-Wing Envy