Interesting Stats: Foreigners In Finland

Nadja · Post by **Nadja** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 3:41 pm

Hank W. wrote:Well, you just need to do your maths on it. Only place Somalis didn't need a visa for was USSR, and they had a service from Mogadishu with Aeroflot. In the "good old days" of the USSR the Somalis would have been quickly steel workers in Krasnoyarsk or some other quaint Siberian village chopping wood in a gulag. But after the fall of the USSR the Russians really didn't give a thought where they went - as long as they didn't stay - or they didn't care if they stayed - illegals don't get any pampering in Russia - the first "western" country they could easily reach was Finland. So one morning there was all of a sudden a ferry from Tallinn full of Somalians in the harbor...

Something about USSR/Russia never signing some agreement; if someone comes say from Sweden or Germany, they're booted back as they are "safe countries".

Somalis working in Siberia ..? Doing what ? Gulag was closed in late 50s though ... No visa to USSR ??? Even peeps from USSR-best friend-Bulgaria needed visa ... And the only two places where you possibly could find Somalis in USSR were probably Moscow and Petersburg, where "politically correct" people from african countries "attended" different universities. So theory describing "massive" escape of Somalis via USSR looks more like pulpfiction. Up to 100 illegals via Tallinn Harbour ... looks more like real figures.

Nadja

**Sponsor:**

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 4:00 pm

Well, I was - after all - referring to the "good old days", you know. UKK & YYA times.

Basically, the Somalians shocked the Finnish society in the 1990's. They actually came over and not just in ones or twos. Nothing like that had happened before since the 1940's, refugees in Finland were taken from UNCHR camps around the worls, so-called "quota refugees". After that, we've had all kinds of people show up so now it isn't anything new really. A lot of people from the former soviet union too actually. Thing is the Finnish system still works as it did in the 1980's that someone asking for asylum was rare. Now the people sit around 2-3 years waiting for some bureaucrats to be incompetent. So then there is all kinds of people doing it just for the heck of it giving the real refugees a bad name. And everyone wants to go to Sweden anyways.

Now just wondering what was so bad in Tallinn, they couldn't stay there... I mean if we just dumped 5000 patagonians into Muuga harbor out of the blue next week , I bet you couldn't complain about a "massive" exodus... would you? But now with the EU coming up I guess Tallinn will be a lot more active than ever. ... well, atleast all us 'finski vodka turist' flocking over...

Nadja · Post by **Nadja** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 9:51 pm

[quote="Hank W."]
Basically, the Somalians shocked the Finnish society in the 1990's...
Sure they did ...they are "too different to look like locals" in everything from way of arranging things to cultural backgrounds.
In hmmm 1998 in Espoo black guy from Somali/or may be Yemen asked me "Where are you from ?" and when he heard that i am from Tallinn he responded "Good place. It is so cheap"
Nothing wrong with Tallinn ... can be described as a paradise full of cheap vodka, makkara and "mies soita heti" chicks. Although "põdrad"
visiting us for shopping/sex tour makes our retail/entertainment sector going. But for people who dreams of "warm climate" or "state support"-
hmmmm none of those.
Tell the patagonians from me - Tallinn is a port ships love -vessel is waiting on Muuga Roads ready to pick those who can sample metals or argue with Muuga Harbour operators( no special skills required - you just need to scream loudly )

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 10:32 pm

Nadja wrote:Nothing wrong with Tallinn ... can be described as a paradise full of cheap vodka, makkara and "mies soita heti" chicks. Although "põdrad"
visiting us for shopping/

Kas sa luuled ma olen üks tyhmät pekkat ja?

Yes, funny how some part the Tallinn economy is all based on "milking the reindeers".

too much 'business ladies' and taxicabs charging triple. I still need to practice the accent a bit not to be ripped off so bad

But yes, I am so ashamed of the people sometimes on the ships... brrrr...

Nadja · Post by **Nadja** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 11:06 pm

Kas sa luuled ma olen üks tyhmät pekkat ja?

Naaaaah ... you are skinny intellectual ... i can feel it.

Yes, funny how some part the Tallinn economy is all based on "milking the reindeers".

too much 'business ladies' and taxicabs charging triple. I still need to practice the accent a bit not to be ripped off so bad

You can find "milking" everywhere ... No milking in Spain ??? My home town is unique actually in its own way ... its a place where "milking" perfectly combines with "being non-friendly while milking".

But yes, I am so ashamed of the people sometimes on the ships... brrrr...

Ferry crowd ??? come on ... i bet you never saw from your window 2 swedish and 2 finnish men peacefully peeing together in the corner
between 2 buildings, although i dont live in ghetto ...its a central street , view to the backyard.
Just to summarize - i like finns at least for 3 reasons : Nokia , Ville from HIM and Helsinki is the closest place to Tallinn where Body Shop is located.

Nuku hyvin, I am off to bed

Nadja

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 11:42 pm

Nadja wrote:My home town is unique actually in its own way ... its a place where "milking" perfectly combines with "being non-friendly while milking".

Ah, so now I know where they hire the border guards to check the passports from - its natural talent! We always thought they had to take a separate course on not smiling and looking like they just ate a sour pickle

Caroline · Post by **Caroline** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 12:07 am

I totally agree with you ... in this picture they are making foraigners look like mafia guys, which in some cases is true, but personallly this is offensive, cause I came here to study, I work, I maintain myself, and as finnish people think, that foraigners come here to live from the finnish goverment, which I'm not, and I won't.
I'm smart, and I can find my way thru; I've always have.[/quote]

Same here Homie Azteca- I get a little offended when local Finnish people find out that I am a foreigner (expatriate), and automatically assume that I am here to take all I can get from the social system before going "back home". Many people seem confused when I explain (in Finnish) that my husband is Finnish and that I am a new entrepreneur here. When I came here, I already had a university degree plus years of extra training in various subjects from my home country, and one Finnish female entrepreneur I met seemed almost shocked to consider that it is possible to get an education outside of Finland.

I think that the country's overall acceptance of foreigners would be a bit more open if people started asking foreigners "what can you give us", rather than always "what do you want from us?" because the latter attitude often invites suspicion and resentment, which is not good for the growth of the country.

Nadja · Post by **Nadja** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 11:04 am

Hank W. wrote:
Nadja wrote:My home town is unique actually in its own way ... its a place where "milking" perfectly combines with "being non-friendly while milking".
Ah, so now I know where they hire the border guards to check the passports from - its natural talent! We always thought they had to take a separate course on not smiling and looking like they just ate a sour pickle

Come on there are plenty non-smiling ( must be terrified by foreigners invasion ) people in Suomi too.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 12:04 pm

Yes, but the passport controllers in Tallin harbor have an extra-sour face. The ones in Helsinki look sometimes even human! I mean coming from a non-smiling culture to notice that is something they need to be extra sour... nowadays finding a grudgy service person though is more and more rarer. Some places you get really suave treatment and I am always getting a shock - sometimes you get very friendly service, but it is sometimes not so very efficient - some of the sales staff is hired just to stand around and look good. And this in both Helsinki and Tallinn...

BTW Nadja, what do you think about the joinin to the EU - is Estonia going to benefit or just have more drunk Finns and Swedes watering the plants in your back yard? What do you see Tallin being like in 2013?

Nadja · Post by **Nadja** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 12:35 pm

Some places you get really suave treatment and I am always getting a shock - sometimes you get very friendly service, but it is sometimes not so very efficient - some of the sales staff is hired just to stand around and look good. And this in both Helsinki and Tallinn...

You definetely never met huge woman in local Kaubamaja food department - every time I am there - she shows up as well with heavy trail - and every time : she hits me with a trail and continues her sad way to the pickled cabbage...face showing no emotions at all.

BTW Nadja, what do you think about the joinin to the EU - is Estonia going to benefit or just have more drunk Finns and Swedes watering the plants in your back yard? What do you see Tallin being like in 2013?[/quote]

Good question - after my 8 day war with all-civilised-european manager from abroad - i can say "I hate all males from european countries" !
3 months prior to Euro-Referendum there were so many discussions in the press, unfortunately many people here are very badly informed and easily manipulated. Best argument for "NO" was that "price of sugar will be higher". Best argument for "YES" was smth like a-la "there will be some benefits". Estonia is far from super power ... we are just a tiny spot on a globe. Our economy depends on finnish/swedish/dannish investments - i doubt that there are companies with local ownership at least in production sector. In 2013 means in 10 years ??? Dont know ...i dont think it will change tremendously. It will be same sized with less than 500 000 people in it town. What will get a real boost is logistic sector - so more logistic/transportation companies from Europe will base here. What we can offer to EU countries is - local cheap workforce, more or less favourable position near Russia, some IT guys and etc.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 1:13 pm

Nadja wrote:Good question - after my 8 day war with all-civilised-european manager from abroad - i can say "I hate all males from european countries" !

I'm putting on the Patagonian disguise

Nadja · Post by **Nadja** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 1:27 pm

Hank W. wrote:
Nadja wrote:Good question - after my 8 day war with all-civilised-european manager from abroad - i can say "I hate all males from european countries" !
I'm putting on the Patagonian disguise

Ohhh Ruoho Hame by Marimekko ???

daikkunen · Post by **daikkunen** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 1:59 pm

But, since I am from another EU-country, that doesn't apply for me.

Funny to hear, but that ain't true...go and ask the local Finn he/she will tell you. As long as u are not full blooded Finn, forget about it. YOU ARE ULKO...whatever they label it as

Post by **neil** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 9:38 pm

Actually, the person who wrote that statement was taking about something completely different to the generalisation of foreigners.

What was said was:

Tom & Jerry wrote:There gives sometimes confusion in the Finnish language since one word (ulkomaalaiset) is used for all. So, you may read for instance today in the newspaper: the law on foreigners will be changed (ulkomaalaislaki). But, since I am from another EU-country, that doesn't apply for me.

He was saying that the changes in the law are confusing because in Finland the word ulkomaalaiset is used to describe anyone who is not Finnish and that the changes in the immigration law do not differentiate between individuals originating from the EU and people who were non-EU. Since he originates from an EU member state, those not apply to him.

Please also note this is a very old discussion (it was started almost 2 years ago)

Finland Forum

Find information about moving to, living in and life in Finland

Interesting Stats: Foreigners In Finland