Racism & Extremism: Finnish Interior Ministry Says Terrorist Threat Growing

The Finnish Interior Ministry said in a report that a terrorist threat in the country had been growing and violent extremism had become more "visible."

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Thursday, the ministry presented the first ever report on internal security to the country's parliament.

"Racism, hate crimes and violent extremism have become more visible. The threat of terrorism has increased in Finland. The threat has grown because people who have participated in fighting activities in conflict zones have either returned or arrived [in the country]," the report published on Thursday said.

It was added in the statement that the number of people who were interested in extremism had also grown in Finland.

According to the statement, the ties between Finnish radicals and terrorists from other countries has been growing stronger.

Deadly terror attacks such as those in Paris in November, which claimed the lives of 130 people, and in Brussels in March, which killed 31 people, prompted European states to step up security measures and enhance the exchange of information with their foreign partners.