Why foreigners are so often a topic in the news

oak · Post by **oak** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:44 pm

"Foreigners" is a very popular topic in the news in Finland. Just pick some:

- They report the percentage of crime perpetrators of foreign background
- They calculate how much more expensive foreign students cost than natives
- Police do spot-checks on foreigner based on looks and sounds

...

I do not remember foreigner is such a hot topic in the news back in my home country. Do you guys think so too?

**Sponsor:**

Oombongo · Post by **Oombongo** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:53 pm

because they are afraid that we will steal all of their bunnies?

raamv · Post by **raamv** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:39 pm

oak wrote:I do not remember foreigner is such a hot topic in the news back in my home country. Do you guys think so too?

You come to a country that you want to be a foreigner in and then start this thread...( BTW @#$% your home country in your eyes cos you are not an ulkomalainen there)
and then complain that most of them are the topic of the news.. How does it reflect?
I am foreigner here who expects that the police do those kinda checks so all of us can be safe!!!
I dont give a sh*t about foreign students as they dont bring a lot of revenue to Finland as compared to the expenses
I would rather that Joulu pukki evaluate the percentage as hes seen more people here ..and there

Karhunkoski · Post by **Karhunkoski** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:00 am

Let's look at the last week on the BBC...

Asylum seekers in Bristol could be forced underground because of a squeeze on funding to process their claims. - 4 Mar 2008

Inmates at a west London immigration centre were kept in flooded cells without food, rights group Liberty says. - 4 Mar 2008

About 1,500 illegal immigrants a year could be kept from hiding on UK-bound lorries if fences were fixed, peers say. - 5 Mar 2008

Police put nine illegal immigrants on a train to go to a detention centre but none arrive. - 10 Mar 2008

High wages and decent living conditions have drawn scores of Eastern European people to at least one corner of England. But not everyone welcomes this new workforce, even if unemployed locals themselves refuse to do the same jobs. - 11 Mar 2008

chickensexer · Post by **chickensexer** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:57 am

Karhunkoski wrote:Let's look at the last week on the BBC...

Asylum seekers in Bristol could be forced underground because of a squeeze on funding to process their claims. - 4 Mar 2008

Inmates at a west London immigration centre were kept in flooded cells without food, rights group Liberty says. - 4 Mar 2008

About 1,500 illegal immigrants a year could be kept from hiding on UK-bound lorries if fences were fixed, peers say. - 5 Mar 2008

Police put nine illegal immigrants on a train to go to a detention centre but none arrive. - 10 Mar 2008

High wages and decent living conditions have drawn scores of Eastern European people to at least one corner of England. But not everyone welcomes this new workforce, even if unemployed locals themselves refuse to do the same jobs. - 11 Mar 2008

sounds just like that movie about future of UK (nd the world) - Children of Men.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:04 am

Well its a welcome change to having Matti Nykänen in the news for sure

Karhunkoski · Post by **Karhunkoski** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:21 pm

geniedevil wrote:University students do stay after graduation and work in areas where excellent brains are needed.

You got some figures to support that, or are you just shooting from the hip?

mrjimsfc · Post by **mrjimsfc** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:13 pm

Karhunkoski wrote:
geniedevil wrote:University students do stay after graduation and work in areas where excellent brains are needed.
You got some figures to support that, or are you just shooting from the hip?

I think he's trying to tell us that he has an excellent brain.

blaugrau · Post by **blaugrau** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:45 pm

raamv wrote:
oak wrote:I do not remember foreigner is such a hot topic in the news back in my home country. Do you guys think so too?
You come to a country that you want to be a foreigner in and then start this thread...( BTW @#$% your home country in your eyes cos you are not an ulkomalainen there)
and then complain that most of them are the topic of the news.. How does it reflect?
I am foreigner here who expects that the police do those kinda checks so all of us can be safe!!!
I dont give a sh*t about foreign students as they dont bring a lot of revenue to Finland as compared to the expenses
I would rather that Joulu pukki evaluate the percentage as hes seen more people here ..and there

Since when do foreign students "cost" a lot? They surely are cheaper than Finnish students, since foreign students are not eligible for Kela money, don't get Kela health insurance (unless they work = pay taxes) and don't get housing benefit either (as opposed to Finnish students who get these benefits without being means-tested). They most likely work part-time and the Finnish state didn't have to pay for their secondary education.

I find this whole "I am a good foreigner and it's only just and right they target the bad foreigners"-talk slightly ridiculous.

mCowboy · Post by **mCowboy** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:02 pm

Well foreign students cost in a sense that since money is needed to provide education for students. For Finnish students it's an investment by the government, which will pay back when the students enter working life and start paying taxes. If the foreign students do not enter working life in Finland and start paying taxes, the investment is lost.

Hence the idea that the foreign students would need to pay the tuition, was introduced some time ago. This is not anything new, but a standard procedure in many countries around the world.

raamv · Post by **raamv** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:11 pm

blaugrau wrote: Since when do foreign students "cost" a lot? They surely are cheaper than Finnish students, since foreign students are not eligible for Kela money, don't get Kela health insurance (unless they work = pay taxes) and don't get housing benefit either (as opposed to Finnish students who get these benefits without being means-tested). They most likely work part-time and the Finnish state didn't have to pay for their secondary education.

I find this whole "I am a good foreigner and it's only just and right they target the bad foreigners"-talk slightly ridiculous.

Most of them who come here to study come here for the "Free" education. In terms of what it costs the government to
1) provide the same subsidized housing subsidized food, discounts on transportation etc (2) Invest in Infrastructure and facilities that are provided with Finnish Taxpayers money (3) Pay for teachers(and all other university workers) for which the foreign students' parents have not contributed to the tax system here neither have the students contributed (2) Staying in Finland to do their due diligence of earning and paying taxes.
I am not saying that it is not bad what the System is doing..but the benefits reaped are not there because of the lack on investment in (1) Training and educating those Foreign students to the Finnish Culture ( A lot to learn from our Southern Neighbor) and Finnish work environment.
and I am not claiming to be a good foreigner..I am more than contributing my share of the pay to the system as well as advise foreigners on how to set roots here and will do so in the future as I do plan to live here with my family!!
so dont go around chanting your mantra until you come into the workforce and do something useful for the society!!

Mölkky-Fan · Post by **Mölkky-Fan** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:24 pm

raamv wrote:
blaugrau wrote: Since when do foreign students "cost" a lot? They surely are cheaper than Finnish students, since foreign students are not eligible for Kela money, don't get Kela health insurance (unless they work = pay taxes) and don't get housing benefit either (as opposed to Finnish students who get these benefits without being means-tested). They most likely work part-time and the Finnish state didn't have to pay for their secondary education.

I find this whole "I am a good foreigner and it's only just and right they target the bad foreigners"-talk slightly ridiculous.
Most of them who come here to study come here for the "Free" education. In terms of what it costs the government to
1) provide the same subsidized housing subsidized food, discounts on transportation etc (2) Invest in Infrastructure and facilities that are provided with Finnish Taxpayers money (3) Pay for teachers(and all other university workers) for which the foreign students' parents have not contributed to the tax system here neither have the students contributed (2) Staying in Finland to do their due diligence of earning and paying taxes.
I am not saying that it is not bad what the System is doing..but the benefits reaped are not there because of the lack on investment in (1) Training and educating those Foreign students to the Finnish Culture ( A lot to learn from our Southern Neighbor) and Finnish work environment.
and I am not claiming to be a good foreigner..I am more than contributing my share of the pay to the system as well as advise foreigners on how to set roots here and will do so in the future as I do plan to live here with my family!!
so dont go around chanting your mantra until you come into the workforce and do something useful for the society!!

I am also working here for some time, and certainly paying my way. I am happy here and generally like the Finnish way of life and laws and police, but I must say that as I am paying my way and contributing like any Finn I do not expect to be picked on (because I have brown eyes and speak rubbish Finnish) by the police when shopping in my local shops... in most countries racial profiling is frowned upon, and so should it be in Finland.

mCowboy · Post by **mCowboy** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:32 pm

is foreigners a race?

Mölkky-Fan · Post by **Mölkky-Fan** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:40 pm

of course foreigners are not a race, but they are from different races... hence the racial profiling

mCowboy · Post by **mCowboy** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:43 pm

Mölkky-Fan wrote:of course foreigners are not a race, but they are from different races... hence the racial profiling

what about foreigners who are the same race as Finns? Is it then racial profiling?

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