Finland: Does Minister Meri Rantanen, a Finnish far-right party member start county and municipal elections campaign from Somalia? Delving deeper into this issue

Source: by Horn Observer Contributor | 26 January 2025 19:18

Somalia prime minister and Finnish interior minister in photo after meeting in Mogadishu,. Photo: Finland in Somalia

Finland’s minister of interior affairs and far-right party member Meri Rantanen visited Somalia to find a way to deport Somali asylum seekers from Finland, according to a statement published on the Finnish Interior Ministry’s home page, in what many see a move to target the ethnic paperless Somalis for election propaganda.

In the statement, Rantanen affirms that Finland wishes to develop a functioning partnership with Somalia that serves both countries’ interests.

“Finland’s top priority is to establish effective return arrangements and develop related cooperation with Somalia. This means that the Finnish far-right Party has a mechanism to deport Somali citizens staying in Finland as asylum seekers.” The statement added.

In return, the Finnish government will reassume its country (Somalia) program for bilateral development, which was suspended under the decision of Minister for Foreign Trade and DevelopmentVille Tavio, who hails from the Finnish far-right party(Finns).

Minister elucidated that development cooperation is conditional on countries’ agreement to repatriate their citizens upon Finland’s request.

Apart from a post on Somalia’s Office of Prime Minister’s Facebook page, Somalia has not issued any official statement clarifying the Finnish Interior minister’s official visit to Somalia so far and whether they discussed returning arrangements. The minister met Prime Minister of Somalia Hamza Abdi Barre and Minister of Internal Security of Somalia Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail.

In Finland, the number of undocumented people is unclear, but it is estimated to be about 3000-6000 individuals according to the Finnish Refugee Council. Undocumented Somali nationals are perhaps 100-200 individuals in Finland.

Thus analysts believe that this number is not a burden to the Finnish Governmental and social system, but the aim to bring this Somalia topic right now is solely to advance Finns Party’s campaign for the upcoming county and municipal elections in April 2025.

Riikka Purra, Chairperson of the Finnish far right Party, Finland’s Finance minister welcomed Minister Rantanen’s move to arrange some kind of return mechanism for the undocumented Somali nationals in Finland to Somalia and she said in a statement in her X account. “Minister of the Interior Rantanen visited Somalia. Promoting returns Bilateral development cooperation in the Somalia Country Program is at a standstill because returns have not worked.” Riikka Purra, Chairperson of the Finnish far right Party said