Some of your countrymen are disappointed to find out that Finland was not the paradise they were told and they were looking for.
I’ll tell you the truth. Finland is a cold, dark and rainy country. People here are quiet and distant.
When you apply for the asylum, the reception centre usually in the middle of nowhere is a good place for you – to see, how life is in Finland. If you can stand all the four seasons of inhospitable weather waiting for decision in a small room with nothing to do, you’ll get the picture. That is what it is to live in Finland.
It will be dull, dark, cold, wet and lonely here for the rest of your life. Some people treat you with disrespect. Most don’t even notice you at all.
You’ll never get the same opportunities as the native born Finnish people.
If you still have read this far, I’ll tell you the good news. Finland is a safe, fair, non-corrupt country. You can live here a healthy life for the rest of your days.
Your children will have all the same opportunities as the Finnish children. They’ll have the best education in the world.
My point in brief is: You don’t want to come here for yourself. You want to come here for your children’s future.
And you will be grateful for all the things Finland provides for you. And you should show it.
JOONAS KUIKKA
Journalist, Pohjalainen