Finland Times

 

Asylum seekers in reception center Photo – Lehtikuva.

The threat posed by the flow of refugees to Finland's security has been grossly exaggerated, said Inspector of Police Board Timo Kilpeläinen.

 

“We do not see it as a huge risk, that asylum seekers coming to Finland are particularly dangerous for people,” Kilpeläinen continued.

 

In Europe and in Finland, warnings have perpetuated that ISIS and other extremist militant groups could infiltrate the continent among the crowds of refugees. 

 

Also, protesters against the refugees have hoisted signs decrying, among other things, ISIS. 

 

According to experts specialising in terrorism from IHS Jane's research center, it is possible but highly unlikely that dangerous people would come to Europe posing as refugees.

 

“We have had for a few years concerns about those who return to Iraq and Syria to fight and the risk they pose in returning. However, this group is able to travel to Finland legally. We consider the risk of a large-scale infiltration through asylum seekers to be very small,” said Kilpeläinen.

 

“For example, during the Somali crisis several years ago, it was alleged that the extremist group Al-Shabaab recruited fighters from refugee camps to infiltrate Europe. There is no evidence of that now,” he pointed out.

 

Photo – Lehtikuva.

The perspectives of the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (SUPO) is slightly pessimistic than that of the Police Board. 

 

SUPO is responsible for screening those individuals who could jeopardize national security.

 

SUPO communications manager Jyri Rantala said that terrorist connections have long been observed among refugees.

 

“It is natural, because most of them will support areas of radical Islamist terrorism. There are indications that the proportion of radicals among populations of asylum seekers grows with the number of asylum seekers,” said Rantala.

 

According to the Police Board's Kilpeläinen, there may be individuals among the refugees that have perpetrated crimes in their home country. According to him, however, this does not mean they would commit crimes in Finland.

 

The backgrounds of asylum seekers are clarified when they register for asylum and their identities known to authorities.

 

Registration and background checks are slow processes, and there are at present a number of undocumented refugees in Finland.

 

Registration and monitoring immigrations has employed many police officers and other authorities.

 

Photo – Lehtikuva.

Reports of offenses and incidents, however, have remained relatively the same, even with the influx of refugees in such a short time.

 

Some disturbances have happened within the reception centres or their vicinity. 

 

In Turku, two dozen refugees burst into the main police station's registration halls. Some acted aggressively, and the police arrested two. 

 

Some Finnish citizens have taken up defence of racist movements in response.

 

According to Kilpeläinen, internal security is not threatened by asylum seekers.

 

“If the situation continues like this for a long time, with the number of applicants remaining high, and the process stretches on, and people are stuck for a year or two in the reception centre, then certainly over time, the risk of disturbances may rise,” he feared.