People marching at the "Me emme vaikene" ("End the silence") demonstration against racism and fascism in the centre of Helsinki, Finland in September 2023.
A 2011 poll showed that 66% of Finnish respondents considered Finland to be a racist country but only 14% admitted to being racist themselves.[1] Minority groups facing the most negative attitudes were Finnish Kale, Somalis, and ethnic groups mostly consisting of Muslims.[1] Many Finnish people believe that Finns played little or no role in colonialism, a view known as "Finnish exceptionalism". However, Finns did settle while not an independent people the Sámi land and in the north and were involved in European colonial projects in Africa and North America. Finns at the time were subjects of Sweden and later the Russian Empire, which has been used to excuse their participation in colonialism.[2][3]
In December 2012, the Finnish Police reported an increase in cases of racism and related physical abuse.[4] In February 2013, researchers of racism and multiculturalism reported an increase in the number of threats and abuse.[5] In January 2013, Save the Children reported that immigrant children were facing an increasing amount of racist abuse.[6] In June 2011, a researcher reported an increase in the amount of racist violence targeting children and teenagers.[7]
According to the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe, neither Finland's Non-Discrimination Ombudsman nor its advisory board for Non-Discrimination have the financial and human resources to effectively perform according to their mandates. There is a National Discrimination Tribunal, but it cannot order compensation for victims of racial discrimination.[8] The legal provisions of Finland's Aliens' Act are discriminatory and subject ethnic minorities to racial profiling by the police.[9]
According to ECRI, the majority of people in Finland don't know enough about the Sámi people (an Indigenous ethnic minority in Finland) and are not taught enough about Sámi people and culture in school.[9] ECRI has criticized Finland for not having ratified the ILO-convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples.[8]
The Somali community in Finland as well as the Finnish Roma face discrimination and racism. Russians in Finland are discriminated against in employment.[9]
^ ab"Poll: Majority of Finns see Finland as racist country". Helsingin Sanomat. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013.
^"Finnish Colonial Encounters". University of Jyväskylä. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
^"Finnish Colonial Encounters : From Anti-Imperialism to Cultural Colonialism and Complicity, edited by Raita Merivirta, Leila Koivunen, Timo Särkkä, (electronic resource)". European University Institute Library. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
^"Police report: Increase in racism and abuse". Yle Uutiset. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
^"Unions concerned over abuse of racism researchers". Yle Uutiset. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
^"Immigrant children face racism". Yle Uutiset. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
^"Racism increasingly aimed at children and teens". Yle Uutiset. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
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