DEBATE: “Time running out on immigrant integration”
Heads of Security Police and Immigration Service warn that failure of assimilation into Finnish society lays the groundwork for radicalisation of immigrants
By Ilkka Salmi and Jorma Vuorio
In Finland several ethnic minority groups are growing rapidly. In 2008, 4,035 people sought asylum or other protection in Finland. This is 2,500 more than in the previous year. The growth has continued this year, and the Finnish Immigration Service estimates that by the end of December there will have been about 6,000 applicants.
As a result, the number of immigrants coming into Finland will increase many times over on the basis of family unification. This especially applies to asylum-seekers from Iraq and Somalia. They are being driven to Finland especially by the tighter immigration policies of our neighbouring countries, and by the good level of Finnish social welfare.
From the point of view of security officials, there are risks inherent to a strong increase in immigration, which could lead to serious problems for security.
Risk factors include increases in crime, gang formation, violence, and disturbances of the peace.
Such events have been seen in Europe - in Sweden and France, for instance.
To prevent the risks from coming to pass, the integration of immigrants requires significantly more input from Finland.
According to the prevailing opinion of European security officials, another danger in immigration is the infiltration of terrorists into the flows of immigrants.
This threat ties down a significant amount of resources of security services.
An additional challenge stems from the fact that asylum-seekers who constitute a threat cannot always be sent back to their countries of origin; their security situations can be so bad that sending them back is impossible for humanitarian reasons.
In certain suburbs of Helsinki and Turku, the proportion of foreigners in the population has risen as high as 30 per cent. According to some studies, such a large concentration of immigrants can lead to uncontrolled ethnic isolation of the communities.
To prevent such problems there have even been proposals of enacting a partial curfew, which would be truly exceptional in the Nordic countries. These suggestions underscore the seriousness of the problem. The unrest caused by an atmosphere of marginalisation, rootlessness and anger are compounded, and spread to other similar suburbs.
The risk of radicalisation of immigrants is increased by the rootlessness that they experience in their new home countries. This, in turn, is fed by the problems of integration. Second-generation immigrants often find it hard to identify with their parents’ culture and home country. They lack the kinds of anchor points of life that normally create security and balance.
Failures in integration establish a foundation for radicalisation, and in extreme cases, for terrorism. At the same time, concern increases over confrontations between the native population and immigrants, and over the disappearance of the values that are a part of democracy.
This can result in increased racism, and an increase in the number of mutually hostile groups. For that reason, the importance of the ability of officials to react quickly is underscored.
The Security Police (SUPO) is not currently aware of any individuals in Finland who would be actively involved in terrorist activities. On the other hand, there are strong indications that groups and networks involved in conflicts in Muslim countries get support from Finland.
Practical responsibility for integration efforts is with local authorities. Contrary to what is claimed on the basis of isolated cases, local authorities have succeeded well in their task so far.
The illiteracy, ignorance of Finnish society, and large families of many immigrants pose challenges to local authorities.
Language skills and adapting to Finnish society and its rules are central factors in successful integration. Only in that way can immigrants eventually get work.
The challenges of integration will increase in the coming years as numbers of immigrants grow. For that reason, language teaching for immigrants should be increased significantly. If immigrants are to have a realistic and correct image of Finland, assimilation should start already in the country of origin, by coaching them in advance on the rules and mores of Finnish society.
Increasing the efficiency of assimilation requires considerably more personnel in the social affairs and health sector, in interpreter services, and in education, especially in language teaching. The availability of rental housing also needs to be increased significantly.
There are also positive sides to the increase in immigration. Work-based immigration is an important additional resource for Finland and its future.
Finland also has to take care of its international humanitarian obligations, and to offer protection for the persecuted.
If integration is successful, the native Finnish majority of our population will accept a growing foreign minority.
However, there is no time to wait in increasing the efficiency of how immigrants can become "new Finns": the window of opportunity will only remain open for a few years.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 8.9.2009
Ilkka Salmi is the chief of the Security Police (SUPO) and Jorma Vuorio is the director-general of the Finnish Immigration Service.
More on this subject:
 REBUTTAL: “Alarmist worst-case scenarios do not promote integration”
Previously in HS International Edition:
Government prepares changes to asylum policy (3.6.2009)
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 9.6.2009 - THIS WEEK |
DEBATE: “Time running out on immigrant integration”
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