Baltic and Nordic Region

Baltic and Nordic Headlines

A summary of asylum and refugee-related stories in regional media.

Saturday 4 September to Monday 6 September 2010

Finland

Green MP: Somalis should be helped at home
Green League parliamentarian Pekka Haavisto says Somali refugees should receive more aid in Somalia. According to him, Finns are more concerned with the Somali refugees living in Finland than with the actual conflict. He believes the key issue is for the refugees to be able to return to their homes. He is in favor of introducing a biometric passport requirement for asylum-seekers. It is also important that the EU harmonize its asylum policies to prevent asylum shopping within the union, he says. Haavisto, a former Minister of the Environment and Development Co-operation, is the EU Special Representative for Sudan. Haavisto strongly supports UNHCR and the quota refugee system, among others because quota refugees’ identities are well documented, and prefers this system to spontaneous asylum applications. Haavisto also says that the worst case scenario is that Finland accepts refugees and asylum-seekers who cannot be taken care of properly, adding that there is never a bad time to discuss what the Finnish resources are, and how much help should be given through UNHCR.  

YLE 6 September 2010 (in English)
Suomen Kuvalehti 5 September 2010 (in Finnish)
Helsingin Sanomat 5 September 2010 (in Finnish)
YLE 6 September 2010 (in Finnish)

Practice of imprisoning deportees draws fire
Hundreds of foreign nationals awaiting deportation are held in police facilities due to overcrowding at Finland’s only detention centre. The UN Committee Against Torture has reprimanded Finland for the practice. This year, 500 to 600 such cases have been reported so far. Foreign nationals not guilty of any crime can be placed in the detention center if they are to be deported, or their identity needs to be established. The detention centre can house only 40 persons. This year, stays at the detention center have increased by around a month. Persons at the detention centers should be able to move about, go outside, visit with others, exercise and have access to the internet, whereas the police facilities are more like a prison. Construction of new centres would provide accommodation for dozens of more persons. However, the proposal was cut from next year’s budget.
YLE 3 September 2010 (in English)
YLE 3 September 2010 (in Finnish)
YLE 3 September 2010 (in Swedish)

Norway

Troublemakers still in Norway
Two months after the Nannestad and Lier return centres were set on fire by their residents, only 16 out of 250 have been returned to their home countries, despite all having received negative responses to their asylum applications. Four have been forcibly returned, one is in prison, twelve have returned voluntarily, but the vast majority are now living at other return centres. Most have not been returned either because the authorities have had difficulties in positively establishing their identities, or because Norway does not have return agreements with their countries of origin.
NRK 5 September 2010 (in Norwegian)
Dagbladet 5 September 2010 (in Norwegian)
Aftenposten 5 September 2010 (in Norwegian)

Sweden

Sweden criticised for discrimination against Romas
Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Swedish Arch Bishop Anders Wejryd, state that the population that is most discriminated against in Europe and Sweden is the Roma. Hammarberg and Wejryd criticise the deportations from Sweden of Roma EU citizens this year. The Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, Tobias Billström, supported the forced returns, but according to Hammarberg and Wejryd, the deportations were based on unclear legal guidelines. Hammarberg and Wejryd warn that Roma are portrayed as a danger to society by politicians trying to win votes. They point out that legal protection of Roma should be taken seriously, that anti-gypsyism must be targeted across Europe, and that Roma should not be hindered from enjoying the rights intended for all EU citizens. Hammarberg and Wejryd support the call for a Swedish Truth Commission, for investigation of earlier violations, such as forced sterilizations of Roma women, expulsions of Roma from municipalities, and other forms of discrimination against Roma. Sweden, as well as Germany, Austria and Switzerland have deported Roma asylum-seekers to Kosovo, sending them back to poor living conditions and unsafe surroundings.
Dagens Nyheter 4 September 2010 (in Swedish)
Svenska Dagbladet 4 September 2010 (in Swedish)

Roma discriminated against across Europe
The Stockholm police have so far deported 62 beggars from other EU countries. More than half - many of them Roma - were forcibly returned to Romania. Sweden has criticised other EU countries for their poor treatment of the Roma people, and one of the critics is the Minister of EU Affairs, Birgitta Ohlsson. She claims that Sweden has come further than other countries in improving the “tone of the discourse” on Roma, but admits that Roma are still discriminated against in Sweden. Ohlsson reacts strongly against the anti-Roma rhetoric of politicians in both new and old EU countries, and adds that the UN and the Vatican have criticised the poor treatment of Roma in Europe. Ohlsson recently stated that sanctions against France should be considered for the country’s ill-treatment of Roma, but softened her critique after French reactions to her statement. Ohlsson does not wish to comment on the Swedish deportations of Roma, but states that begging is not a crime, and not a reason for mass deportation. The Minister adds that each case should be tried individually and be open for appeal.
Dagens Nyheter 4 September 2010 (in Swedish)

Centre-Left coalition calls for review of asylum procedures
The three Centre-Left opposition parties believe that the Aliens Act is interpreted too strictly and suggest that the regulations concerning family migration should be reviewed. The Centre-Left parties have agreed on a common migration policy, and want to clarify the meaning of the term ”armed conflict” in the assessment of asylum applications. The opposition parties state that the definition of the term should include its full scope under Public International Law, and provide protection for those fleeing war in their countries of origin. The Centre-Left coalition also wants to clarify the term “severe internal conflict” and make it less restrictive. The changes to regulations regarding asylum for reasons of gender and sexual disposition have not had the intended effect, according to the opposition parties. The changes should therefore be examined, and necessary clarifications should be made. The Centre-Left parties also believe that the term “extremely distressing circumstances” should be broadened for the assessment of asylum applications, and that a change of the term “particularly distressing circumstances” should be considered. The coalition suggests that procedures relating to children and youth should be made less severe, and that so-called apathetic children should not be forcibly returned. Detention should only be allowed in exceptional cases, and for a maximum of three months. Children should never be detained. The Centre-Left coalition also wishes to review financial compensation for asylum-seekers.
Dagens Nyheter

Red Cross and Save the Children demand humane treatment of refugee children
The Red Cross and Save the Children organised a national manifestation for refugee children in eight Swedish cities on Saturday 4 September. The two organizations demanded that refugee children in Sweden should be received in a dignified and humane manner. The Red Cross believes that the issue of unaccompanied refugee children has disappeared from the election campaign. In a recent report, the Red Cross investigates how unaccompanied refugee children are cared for in Sweden. Today 633 children are residing in temporary transit housing, awaiting placement in some of the country’s municipalities. Save the Children demands that unaccompanied children should be appointed a guardian within 24 hours. The organisation criticises many municipalities for not taking responsibility for the children. They now hope that more people will ask their local politicians whether their municipality can accommodate unaccompanied refugee children. Last year, 2,250 unaccompanied children and youth came to Sweden. The estimated number of arrivals for 2010 is 3,000.
Svenska Dagbladet 4 September 2010 (in Swedish)

UNHCR in the news

USAID and WFP aid destined for flood victims sold at markets
Under a photo showing Pakistani flood victims carrying UNHCR-marked assistance material, it is claimed that persons receiving aid from the World Food Program and USAID have been selling the aid items openly at markets. Bags of seeds provided by aid agencies, for example, are high quality and low-price, and therefore attractive for buyers, says one trader. No reference in the article is made specifically to UNHCR assistance material being sold on.
Verdens Gang 4 September 2010 (in Norwegian)

UNHCR bears no responsibility for the accuracy and content of the press summary, which is based on external news services and does not reflect the views of UNHCR.

External Relations Unit
UNHCR Regional Office for the Baltic and Nordic Countries, Stockholm
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