Petteri Orpo – Eye on Islamism

Finns Party minister survives confidence vote over alleged anti-Muslim discrimination Prime Minister Petteri Orpo had voiced support for Mari Rantanen amid controversy that her ministry engaged in religious bias.

March 12, 2025 Unlisted Author

(Yle) Finns Party Minister Mari Rantanen survived a confidence vote in Parliament on Wednesday by a margin of 94–53, with 15 abstentions and 37 MPs absent. The vote was called by the opposition Greens and supported by the Left Alliance. The parties […]

Finland’s Muslim community calls for ‘immediate’ government action on refugee policy reports The non-discrimination ombudsman said last week that the Interior Ministry acted in a discriminatory way by trying to favour refugees from Christian-majority countries over those from Muslim-majority nations.

March 10, 2025 Unlisted Author

(Yle) A joint statement signed by a total of nine Muslim organisations has called on the Finnish government to take “immediate action” in response to reports of alleged discrimination by the Interior Ministry in the allocating of quota refugee places for this […]

Greens submit no-confidence motion in interior minister over alleged refugee discrimination Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) said on Thursday evening that Minister Rantanen continued to have his trust.

March 7, 2025 Unlisted Author

(Yle) The opposition Green Party has submitted a no-confidence motion in Interior Minister Mari Rantanen (Finns), following a report by the non-discrimination ombudsman regarding the ministry’s quota refugee arrangements. The Greens submitted the motion one day after the ombudsman issued a report […]

Ombudsman: Interior Ministry aimed to prevent Muslim refugees coming to Finland 'The government has seriously undermined the rights of asylum seekers and immigrants through several legislative changes,' the non-discrimination ombudsman's office stated.

March 6, 2025 Unlisted Author

(Yle) Finland’s Interior Ministry acted in a discriminatory manner as it prepared the country’s quota refugee plan for 2025, according to a report by the non-discrimination ombudsman’s office. The office found that the ministry favoured asylum seekers from Christian-majority countries when it […]

Finland approves separate law banning female genital mutilation Until now, the procedure was only punishable under Finnish law as assault or aggravated assault.

November 27, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Yle) The Finnish Parliament has voted in favour of a government proposal to draft a specific law banning the practice and preparation of female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM refers to the cutting or removal of some or all of the vulva for […]

Interior Ministry to review refugee quota plans following backlash According to media reports, the Finns Party had proposed reducing the number of quota refugees accepted from Muslim-majority countries while increasing the intake from Christian-majority nations.

November 22, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Yle) Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) has requested that the Interior Ministry review its plans on how Finland’s refugee quota will be allocated next year. Finnish media reported last month that the Finns Party has proposed reducing the number of quota […]

HS: Finns Party aiming to reduce quota refugees from Muslim-majority countries The government has not yet taken a final decision about Finland's plan to accept quota refugees next year.

October 9, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Yle) The Finns Party has proposed reducing the number of quota refugees accepted from Muslim-majority countries while increasing the intake from Christian-majority nations, according to newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. According to sources, Interior Minister Mari Rantanen (Finns) and acting interior minister Lulu Ranne […]

Police suspect woman repatriated from al-Hol of trafficking own children Investigators believe the mother took several of her children to the war-torn region in 2014, but only two have since returned from the al-Hol refugee camp via a repatriation programme.

July 11, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Yle) Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) suspects a Finnish woman of aggravated human trafficking of her own children after she brought them to the ISIS “caliphate” in the region of Syria and northern Iraq in 2014. Detective Inspector Jan Aarnisalo, who […]

Finland proposes new law to stem migration from Russia

May 21, 2024 Anne Kauranen and Essi Lehto

(Reuters) Finland’s government proposed emergency legislation on Tuesday to block asylum seekers entering across its vast and often snow-bound border with Russia which it believes Moscow is promoting due to political antagonism since the Ukraine war. Finland shut the 1,340-km (830-mile) frontier […]

Finland to present plan to push back migrants on Russian border

May 19, 2024 Anne Kauranen and Essi Lehto

(Reuters) Finland will propose a law next week allowing border agents to block asylum seekers trying to enter from Russia, the prime minister said on Sunday, a decision that could cause Helsinki to temporarily breach its international commitments. Finland shut its border […]

Finland will close its entire border with Russia over migrant concerns

November 28, 2023 Jari Tanner

(AP) Finland said Tuesday it will close its last remaining border crossing with Russia amid concerns that Moscow is using migrants as part of “hybrid warfare” to destabilize the Nordic country following its entry into NATO. Finland already had shut seven of […]

Why Finland is blaming Russia for a sudden influx of migrants on its eastern border

November 25, 2023 Vanessa Gera and Jari Tanner

(AP) When Finland joined NATO earlier this year, Russia threatened retaliation. Now, hundreds of migrants from the Middle East and Africa have appeared at Finland’s border from Russia, seeking entry into the Nordic country. Finnish officials say the sudden surge in asylum-seekers […]

Finland’s Islamic community demands government take concrete steps towards ‘zero tolerance’ of racism A total of 26 Islamic congregations and organisations signed the joint statement.

July 17, 2023 Unlisted Author

(Yle) A group of Islamic communities and organisations in Finland have issued a joint statement calling on the government to take concrete steps towards achieving “zero tolerance” on racism. “We call on the Finnish government and especially Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) […]

Ohisalo: Repatriated al-Hol families ‘strongly in hands of authorities’ The interior minister says she understands people’s concerns, but she trusts both the social and security authorities.

December 21, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Yle) Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo (Green) said she understands that the repatriation of mothers and their children from the al-Hol displacement camp in Syria may raise concerns for people, but she emphasised that security will be ensured through strong cooperation between Finland’s […]

Foreign Ministry: Swift repatriation lowers risk of radicalisation Finland says it will continue working to bring home Finnish citizens still living in a Syrian detention camp.

December 20, 2020 Unlisted Author

(Yle) The Foreign Ministry on Sunday evacuated six Finnish children and two mothers from the al-Hol displacement camp. However, some 15 kids and five mothers still remain interned in the camp housing women and children captured after the collapse of the Islamic […]