Mayor Pajunen wants new law to ban begging
Book by Kimmo Oksanen puts phenomenon in European context
By Jussi Pajunen
A new book by journalist Kimmo Oksanen, Kerjäläisten valtakunta – Totuus kerjäävistä romaneista . . . ja muita valheita (“The Beggars’ Kingdom - the Truth of Begging Roma and Other Lies”) is a book to my liking.
It is not a proclamation. It does not contain any single truth.
It puts a phenomenon which exists in front of our eyes into its European frame of reference. And, above all, it tells about begging Roma, who are people among us. It is up to the reader to draw conclusions.
The text is divided into two parts: Finland and abroad.
For myself, events in Helsinki and in Finland open up in approximately the same way as I have experienced them in my role as Mayor of Helsinki.
The events themselves started at the beginning of 2007 when Romania and Bulgaria became members of the EU. A group of beggar Roma from Romania had made landfall in Helsinki.
On our streets we are forced to witness a foreign phenomenon. It is something that is familiar to everyone who has travelled, but at the same time it is so strange to see it on our own sidewalks.
Many feel that it is an affront to the welfare society that we appreciate so much. “Nobody has to beg here.”
Oksanen gives faces to the begging Roma. They are people just like us. People who have developed their own model for survival over the centuries. Begging is their profession. Begging is not illegal in Finland.
Not all Roma are beggars. Most of them are ordinary citizens who suffer poverty and discrimination.
This is apparent in the part of the book that deals with Romania. There are also groups of Roma who commit crimes.
According to Oksanen, there are no signs of a more extensive invasion of Roma crime. In other European countries it is a fact of life.
An interesting part of the book involves a comparison of our own actions with the reality of certain European countries. It is estimated that there are about 200 Roma beggars in Finland. In Italy, estimates are that there are 70,000 Roma from Romania alone.
Fear and racist phenomena targeting immigrants shake the foundations of democracy in that country. Here in Finland, and in Helsinki, we are still a long way from that.
The beggars on our street are but a faint whiff of the reality in Italy. Fortunately for us.
The book details the story of the beggars on our streets. On the one hand, it is a story of people who beg, and on the other, of reactions of officials to this phenomenon.
The various departments of the City of Helsinki are in a key position in this. I can say that I feel a mild sense of pride that many city officials have reacted at an early stage to the strong growth of the immigrant population in our city.
It is a good idea to be proactive. If we do this, we can be prepared to confront an increase in crime. On the other hand, simply taking the matter strongly into consideration can have a direct effect on preventing the phenomenon of begging from increasing further.
Oksanen describes the reactions of various groups to the beggars that arrive in our country. Resistance is coming from many quite unexpected quarters.
The fact that they do not seek to avail themselves of our welfare services, is hard for many to understand.
I stopped to think how much of our welfare model has inadvertently turned from being a benefactor to being a gatekeeper.
Kimmo Oksanen gives extensive consideration in his book to the question of helping the Roma in their own countries. It is easy to agree with the thought. The Helsinki City Council recently approved the strategy for the current electoral term, calling for the drafting of a programme fo global responsibility for the city. Oksanen’s statement serves as a good impetus in the preparation of the programme.
My own view of begging on the streets is clear. I do not want this kind of profession to take root here. It is not part of our culture.
It would be good if begging were against the law. It is unfortunate that we do not have the tried and tested city ordinances at our disposal any more. it would be a much more flexible tool. “No begging or soliciting”.
But ... every Roma beggar must have the same value as a human being that all of us have. Every one of them could be one of us. Every one of us could be one of them.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 16.5.2009
The writer is the Mayor of Helsinki.
More on this subject:
 Helsinki residents say beggars more assertive than before
Helsingin Sanomat
|
|
