Eila Kännö (1921-2009)
Eila Kännö (1921-2009)
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Eila Kännö, regarded in her time as the personification of Finland's strict policy towards foreigners and immigration when she headed the Ministry of the Interior's Aliens' Office from 1970-1984, has died at the age of 88.
Her death in Helsinki last month was reported at the weekend.
Finland's less than welcoming approach to foreign immigrants in the 1970s and early 1980s prompted much criticism in the media at the time, and often the barbs were directed personally at Eila Kännö.
Kännö joined the Finnish police in her 20s and later graduated in law.
From 1961 she was appointed to head the information office of the National Bureau of Investigation, Finland's central criminal police arm. Before long, the Finnish press gave her the nickname "Mrs. Interpol".
She handled Interpol matters for 16 years, attending Interpol meetings as the Finnish representative and drawing widespread admiration for her language skills.
Her work as the only ranking female police officer of the time attracted considerable attention, and indeed she became internationally famous for it.
In 1970 Kännö was named as the head of the Ministry of the Interior's Aliens' Office, handling the residence permits and work permits of all foreigners coming into the country. She retired from this position in 1984.
Kännö was to some extent herself the victim of a situation in which immigration into Finland was growing apace while the relevant legislation was woefully obsolete, dating from the 1950s.
Immigration policy was searching for a new direction, and the subject was often discussed at the highest levels of government, though without any meaningful new measures being introduced.
The press was a strong critic of Finland's policies towards foreigners at this time, and the criticism often fell squarely - and not always fairly - on Kännö's shoulders.
She followed the principle that a civil servant should adhere to the letter of the law without compromise, and that the law should be the same for all.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 11.5.2009 - TODAY |
 Eila Kännö (1921-2009) |
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