Living in nowhere
Introduction
At a reception centre in the Finnish countryside, the landscape separates the centre from the other buildings, while a white flag with a red cross flutters near the top of the flagpole. The Finnish Red Cross (along with local municipalities) assists the authorities in housing asylum seekers: it establishes and maintains reception centres in various parts of the country. The organization’s international emblem, the white flag with a red cross, is familiar to emergency areas and is used for catastrophic images in magazines and in news broadcasts. The flag does not seem to fit into the peaceful image of the Finnish countryside. But then again, many people who have escaped conflicts, persecution, war, and hunger have found shelter within Finnish country landscapes. And here, in the northern corner of the Earth, they wish to be safe, at least for a moment, under the protection of such a flag.
In this chapter, we first ponder, based on an empirical study (see Suoranta, 2011), how asylum seekers are treated in Finnish reception centres and what problems they experience. Then, based on their experiences and insights, we offer concrete ideas on how life in the centres could be improved to create a more inclusive and hospitable atmosphere.
The year 2015 became a game changer in Finland. In just a few short months, from September to December, thousands of migrants came to Finland through Sweden and from Russia. During that year, Finland received an unprecedented number of applications for international protection - 32,000 in total.1 Many Finns felt that the country was faced with its own migrant crisis, and that the sudden situation was compromising basic welfare structures, such as the health care system, as well as people’s general safety. In the media and in public discussion, the situation was framed as a natural phenomenon and described using such expressions as “human avalanche” or “flood of asylum seekers.” Of course, when compared with the neighbouring countries of the real crisis flashpoints and war areas in the Middle East, from which most of the people escaped to Europe in the 2010s, the term “crisis” was a gross exaggeration, and yet attitudes were hardened. On the one hand, there were those Finns who sought to help the migrants. They volunteered for the Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and set up informal aid groups. They also gave donations for food and clothes. On the other hand, the political attitudes became unwelcoming and the right-wing populist Finns Party gained support among the electorate and entered the government in 2015. Furthermore, extremist organizations attempted to capitalize on the situation, patrolling the streets of various towns and cities where the migrants were placed to keep the Finns “safe” from asylum seekers. Finnish social media was abuzz with racist reactions. There was also a certain amount of fear, especially among young women who worried for their safety, after hearing rumours of assaults and rape in the Finnish press and social media. Against this background, the country became somewhat polarized in attitude and understanding.
New reception centres were quickly set up to house the migrants. Remembering those moments in Finland, we can recall the reactions of some of the people living close to the centres: both welcoming and hardened atmospheres co-existed. The situation was new for many Finns, because such migration was quite unheard of. Many migrants who had come to Finland in the past came through either a more organized process or were so small in numbers that the Finns’ reaction was limited. Thus, the “crisis” of 2015 sent a shock wave through the life pulse of Finnish society, a country with a tenuous immigration history. However, after the year 2015, the situation returned to normal in terms of applications for international protection; their number varies from 3000 to 5000 per year.2
Reception centres are the primary places in which asylum seekers live in Finland. Centres are located across the country, from Helsinki, the capital of Finland, on the south coast, to the city of Rovaniemi in the north. There were a total of 38 reception units in operation for 7000 people in September 2019. Besides the centres, asylum seekers live in private accommodation, especially in the Helsinki area. In total, almost 9000 adults or family members were part of the reception system in Finland in September 2019.
