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Wed, Feb 08 2012
Bulgarian Roma claim asylum in Finland
Photo: Wikipedia
So far this year, about 200 Bulgarians entered Finland asking for official protection, in spite of the fact that, coming from another EU country, their applications are likely to be rejected, reports Finnish website Uuniset.
"When a EU member state citizen seeks asylum in any member state, it's considered a safe country of origin and we follow an accelerated procedure. And as far as I know we have not yet granted asylum to any EU citizen or any Roma ethnic group who has arrived recently to Finland," says Marjo Mäkelä, from the Finnish Immigration Services.
Most of the Bulgarians in questions are of Roma etnic origin. Although their asylum claims are likely to be declined, the Bulgarians in question can benefit in other ways, as Mäkelä explains.
"They can also work, without a special work permit after three months after lodging the application. They are also eligible for free accommodation. Maybe people also know that the waiting time has been a bit longer because of all the applications. So they know that they have a longer time to be here," says Mäkelä.
"When a EU member state citizen seeks asylum in any member state, it's considered a safe country of origin and we follow an accelerated procedure. And as far as I know we have not yet granted asylum to any EU citizen or any Roma ethnic group who has arrived recently to Finland," says Marjo Mäkelä, from the Finnish Immigration Services.
Most of the Bulgarians in questions are of Roma etnic origin. Although their asylum claims are likely to be declined, the Bulgarians in question can benefit in other ways, as Mäkelä explains.
"They can also work, without a special work permit after three months after lodging the application. They are also eligible for free accommodation. Maybe people also know that the waiting time has been a bit longer because of all the applications. So they know that they have a longer time to be here," says Mäkelä.
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The Sofia Echo
Oh well. Finland. The president who is former Stasi and KGB agent. The prime minister spending all his time to cover up corruption. Can it get any worse than this?
Sad to say, even if the situation, is so bad, like the romas have in Easten Europea today, Finland will don´t do nothing to help my people in need. Thats the policy, in Finland. Even if you are a EU menber, they treat you as a tourist, as the Romanian roma, who cant the right EU right in Finland. We have succied, by soeone, to get a job for them, but its very hard, from the official side, to get the rights, whats need to get a job and socialsecuritenumber e.t.c.
Finland gont want roma, workers and we [...]
Read the full comment need new workers but, you know, Finland is Finland. Good place for the one romas, but not to talk about, other romas. Sad but tru
Only fools let themselves be fooled. In Finland we have many fools - especially in the leading positions...
Some of the roma I know are nice people and none of them have never given me any problems, however I do not allow any of them onto my land and I do not socialise with them. Unfortunately it seems to be a natural state that the majority of Roma do not want to do good things to better their country when they can get anything for free somewhere else. What a shame that people waste time trying to screw other governments and tax payers out of money instead of having the gumption to take a job and support your [...]
Read the full comment family while bettering your own economy.
Mikael,
Don't worry the roma won't do anything productive in Finland also.
Why not do something productive in Bulgaria instead of finland.
You need to be asylum seeker in the UK then you will not pay rent and you can have a BMW also £50 a week pocket money the word asylum in the UK is worth gold.
Can I have some free accommodation please? (especially as where I live in UK costs me 600 pounds per month for nothing particularly luxurious .