Immigrants in Paris and Helsinki have a common problem: unemployment

Foreigners want work and equal treatment

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By Jarkko Jokelainen and Samuli Leivonniemi
     
      Everything is not all right here.
      The sight at the Myllypuro Metro station is a stunning one. On the edge of what appears to be a sleepy part of Helsinki, hundreds of people are standing, holding numbers. It is a food queue.
     
A large proportion of the people waiting in the area are native-born Finns, but in the murmur of voices, languages such as Somali, Russian, and Estonian can be heard. East Helsinki is known for its relatively high population of immigrants, and here, among the poorest, their proportion appears to be even higher.
      "An immigrant is always the one to get work last", sighs Deaconess Liisa Rautala, standing in the middle of the group. "It seems to be truly difficult for them to get work, and if there is work, it is often part-time, and at the minimum wage."
     
The riots in France have been a topic of discussion around the world for two weeks. The events were sparked by the deaths of two boys, but deeper in the background is the frustration felt by immigrants over unemployment, among other things.
      But surely, nothing like that can happen in Helsinki?
      According to the Ministry of Labour, one third of the more than 100,000 immigrants living in Finland are unemployed, and the figure is much higher if those who have been given subsidised work or who are in training are taken into account.
      "If immigrants do not have work, it is no wonder that unrest breaks out", says Sinikka Backman, who is responsible for food distribution in Myllypuro.
     
Kari Jallinoja, who runs a kiosk at the Vuosaari Metro station, believes that rebellion might be possible in Helsinki suburbs as well.
      "Sure, it's possible, if more and more people keep coming here. In France, and here, it is stupid to put immigrants in one heap."
      Jallinoja believes that idleness is the greatest cause of the problems. "Immigrants should have everyday routines. This is probably where the problem is. If people work, they do not have the strength to cause trouble at night."
      Pensioner Eeva Keinonen stands at the Metro station of Helsinki's main railway station, waiting for the next train to Vuosaari.
      Keinonen feels that immigrants in Finland have it better than in France.
      "They take care of immigrants pretty well. I don't think that something like that could happen in Finland."
     
Ahmed Mohammed, an 18-year-old Somali, is waiting for the Metro in Itäkeskus. He speaks fluent Finnish and studies chemical technology. Nevertheless, finding a job is not easy for him.
      "As soon as they hear that the applicant is a foreigner, they say that the job has already been filled", Mohammed says. "I think that there should not be any separation between foreigners and Finns. They are all people."
      The problem is a common one in different parts of East Helsinki.
      "I have been looking for work since the summer and have not found any", says Somali-born Ahmed Ali Hirsi, also 18. "One of my friends is a cleaner, and all others are unemployed."
      "It is a problem not to have work", says Russian-born Natalia, age 63. "I have a diploma from the Sibelius Academy. I play the piano."
      Nigerian Smart Ikhu Omaregbe, 32, pushes a cleaning cart at a shopping mall in Vuosaari. He has a job, but not exactly the kind that he would like. Omaregbe studies at the Helsinki University of Technology. He has applied for jobs at Nokia, and at a data security company.
      "I have been waiting for them to call back for eight months."
     
A floor-washing machine at the Metro Station at Helsinki's main railway station is run by Sanni Be, a good-natured man who came to Finland from Gambia 17 years ago. Be has not thought much about recent news about the rioting in France.
      "You can't compare Paris and Helsinki. Paris is so much bigger", Be ponders.
      Be is satisfied with his life in Finland. "I have work, and I can pay for my own meals. Give people work. That is the solution to the problems."
      Be feels that Finnish society is "90% good and 10% bad". The bad part is racism, and he has come across it now and then: people stare at him or resort to verbal abuse. "It feels bad."
     
Hassan Yussuf, a Somali drinking coffee at the Mellunmäki Metro station, also wants equal treatment for immigrants. He feels that officials are in an important position, if an outbreak of dissatisfaction is to be avoided in Helsinki.
      "When a foreigner does something bad, it is turned into a big issue, but if a Finn does something bad, it is not so big", Yussuf says.
      Mohamed Ibrahim, who works as a youth counsellor in Vuosaari, agrees.
      "A few Somali groups commit crimes, but the whole community is labelled. There are 3,500 of us in Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa, but only about 20 of us cause problems."
     
Kristian in Myllypuro appears to know all about racism. He says that he used to be a neo-Nazi, but after a religious awakening, his views changed completely.
      "My thoughts about immigrants were very extreme. Now I feel that everyone is equal", Kristian says.
      "But the worst racists are often ordinary Finns, even though they don't look like it."
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 13.11.2005


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finnish employers fail to take advantage of immigrants´ skills (11.11.2005)
  Attitudes of Finns towards immigrants more positive than previously (27.10.2005)
  Finnish plumber seeks employment (18.10.2005)
  City of Kajaani to root out racism and prevent further outrages (10.10.2005)

JARKKO JOKELAINEN AND SAMULI LEIVONNIEMI / Helsingin Sanomat
jarkko.jokelainen@hs.fi, samuli.leivonniemi@hs.fi