Report: Russian-speakers often suffer abuse at school and at work

Finland largely fails to take advantage of skills of Russian-speaking immigrants

print this

Russian-speaking immigrants in Finland often suffer from verbal abuse at school, work, and in the media, says a report commissioned by the Minority Ombudsman.
      “At first it seemed that I couldn’t do anything because I am Russian”, recalls Tatiana Pertseva, describing her feelings from a few years back.
      At that time, in Joensuu, she received frequent abusive comments for being Russian, and the prospects of a single mother speaking Finnish with an accent were not promising.
     
More recently, in the more tolerant atmosphere of Helsinki, Pertseva has managed to turn her Russian origins to her advantage.
      Pertseva is studying her mother tongue at university. She already has a degree in data processing, and now she has plans to set up her own business.
      She speaks fluent Finnish, and she has turned the Russian language into her career.
      However, in the interim, she worked as a shop cashier, and had jobs in a restaurant and in a hotel.
     
Pertseva’s case is something of an exception, however; Finland has largely failed to take advantage of the linguistic skills and other professional talents of its Russian-speakers.
      According to the report, by Jekateriina Tanttu, many of the Russians migrating to Finland are highly educated, but have failed to get work that corresponds to their skills.
      Emigration to Finland constitutes a brain drain from Russia’s point of view, while in Finland, it amounts to “brain squandering”.
     
Russian-speakers report that expressions intended to insult Russians often appear in newspaper articles and on the Internet.
      “Day-to-day harassment takes place at schools and at workplaces. Reactions to the abuse are not prompt”, noted Minority Ombudsman Johanna Suurpää on Wednesday at a press conference announcing the findings of the report.
     
Russian-speakers are Finland’s largest and fastest-growing group of immigrants.
      There are about 50,000 Russian-speakers living in Finland and the number could double in just five years, although the economic crisis might slow the pace somewhat.
      Nevertheless, the Russian language has established itself as the third-largest language spoken in Finland.
      The report called on Finnish officials to set up more websites and produce more written material in Russian.
     
Shortcomings were also noted in language teaching at school - particularly the inadequacies of teaching the mother tongue, and the varying level of education.
      Russian-speaking pupils often avoid speaking Russian and learning their home language for fear of being bullied.
      “Our family had an inferiority complex in the early stages after we moved to Finland because of our lack of knowledge of the language. In my school there are classmates who bully foreigners”, said one of the young people who were interviewed.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finland´s Russian speakers keep to themselves (16.4.2000)
  New Russian Orthodox church gets building permit (2.2.2009)
  Study shows immigrants have good capacity for work (11.11.2008)
  Immigration and tourism from Russia boost economy and population of Eastern Finland (7.3.2005)

Helsingin Sanomat