People at the Puhos shopping center in Helsinki. LEHTIKUVA
- Next Article Yle poll: Finnish governing parties gain support as SDP declines
Nine Muslim organisations in Finland have called on the government to take immediate action following reports that the Interior Ministry discriminated against Muslim refugees when preparing this year’s quota allocations.
In a joint statement released on Monday, the groups backed the findings of the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, who last week said the ministry’s political leadership favoured asylum seekers from Christian-majority countries while seeking to block those from Muslim-majority nations.
“We agree with the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman’s view that the Ministry of the Interior’s policy was not based on humanitarian needs or integration criteria, but solely on religious discrimination,” the statement said.
The organisations urged Prime Minister Petteri Orpo to introduce measures to safeguard equal treatment and combat Islamophobia. They also called for Interior Minister Mari Rantanen to be held accountable in parliament.
“This is not just a matter of discriminatory guidelines — it is a conscious, politically driven attempt to change the basic principles of Finland’s refugee policy in a way that violates the Non-Discrimination Act and Finland’s human rights obligations,” the statement added.
The opposition Green Party has already filed a motion of no confidence in Rantanen following the ombudsman’s report.
The Interior Ministry said last week that it would review the report and was awaiting an assessment from the Chancellor of Justice, who oversees the legality of government actions.
Rantanen has denied that religious affiliation played any role in the quota refugee plans. Speaking in parliament on Friday, she insisted that decisions were made on the basis of security and integration factors, not religious background.
HT
- Next Article Yle poll: Finnish governing parties gain support as SDP declines
Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
