As the Black Lives Matter protests over the death of African American George Floyd at the hands of the US police have gripped Finland, reports of ethnic discrimination and racial profiling by the Finnish police have surfaced.
Aminkeng Alemanji, a postdoctoral researcher in social exclusion at Helsinki University, said that the death of George Floyd and the unrest it has stirred across the globe is a warning to Finland if racism and ethnic profiling are not addressed.
“Finland must wake up and do something before the situation gets out of hand”, Alemanji told national broadcaster Yle, adding that it would be beneficial for the police to recognise and acknowledge the issue of ethnic profiling.
Michaela Moua, a senior officer at the Office of the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, suggested that this problem is being underreported in Finland.
“When discrimination or situations of ethnic profiling are not reported, the ombudsman does not get an overall picture of the scale of the problem. However, research conducted in Finland shows that ethnic profiling does happen”, Moua explained, adding that ethnic profiling has implications for both the individual and society. She emphasised that ethnic profiling reduces trust in authorities, increases the sense of alienation and insecurity, which in turn complicates the work of security authorities.
Moua cited a report highlighting that the Finnish security authorities, such as the police, border guards, and custom officers engage in ethnic discrimination and profiling. In the report, 40 percent of the research participants felt they themselves had been stopped by authorities, or knew others that had been stopped, because of their ethnic minority background.
Ethnic profiling, which is defined by the EU’s Commissioner for Human Rights as “the use by the police, with no objective and reasonable justification, of grounds such as race, colour, languages, religion, nationality or national or ethnic origin in control, surveillance or investigation activities” is outlawed in Finland.
Helsinki Police Chief Jarmo Heinonen told Yle that the negative consequences of ethnic profiling are obvious, but that they can occur, especially if police officers do not have people from different ethnic backgrounds in their immediate circle of friends. This is why special training to prevent ethnic profiling and discrimination is organised.
By his own admission, Heinonen doesn't believe there is a risk that the situation in Finland will develops in the same way as in the United States, and cited as an example the management techniques employed by Finnish police officers to ensure that the risk to life is as minimal as possible.
“The Finnish police don't stand with their knees on a person’s neck”, Heinonen said, but conceded that the risk that people belonging to ethnic minorities would be more easily selected for police measures does still exist.
The Finnish police force numbers some 7,000 officers. On average, 1 to 2 people are injured annually as a result of police shootings.
Last week, thousands of protestors gathered at Helsinki's Senate Square to demonstrate against racism and police brutality against blacks, inspired by the protests over the death of African American George Floyd that have gripped the US. During the event, demonstrators were urged to take a knee. The importance of dismantling racism and white supremacy in Finland and beyond was stressed.
The number of Finns with an African background is estimated to be about 50,000 in a nation of 5.5 million.
