Refugee situation some extent threat to security: Survey

The majority of Finns felt that the asylum seeker situation was to some extent a threat to internal security, according to a survey report.

The survey conducted by the University of Vaasa and commissioned by the Interior Ministry also said that the respondents were concerned about e.g. conflicts between different population groups, said a press release issued by the Ministry of Interior.

At the same time, the respondents, however, stated that they wanted to help those who really need it and wanted to invest a great deal more in development aid, crisis management and the quota refugee system.

The majority of respondents also felt that the authorities should see that the persons who were in Finland illegally are deported.

The respondents to the citizens' survey were critical of the right of churches, ideological non-profits, or individual citizens to protect those in the country illegally.

They also wanted to reduce the duration of the asylum process and improve the employment of those who had received residence permits.

Finns would like to be able to discuss asylum policy without the fear of being stigmatised; the discourse should be relevant and fact-based, said the survey, adding that the issues that were highlighted in the discourse on asylum policy were social polarisation, promotion of integration activities during the asylum seeking process and the impact of the asylum seeker situation on security.

The electronic survey as well as discussion events held in five locations formed the basis for this qualitative and quantitative research

The answers given by those who took part in the survey highlighted the need for direct communication by the authorities. At present, not all official information is readily available or people do not know how to utilise it.

The respondents also felt that the media's perceived bias and the polarisation of public debate were problematic. Extreme opinions in one direction or the other have received a great deal more visibility than their relative share of the population would indicate.

The purpose of the opinion survey was to compile as comprehensive an image of Finns' views, experiences and opinions on the asylum seeker situation as possible as well as generate ideas for developing activities in the future.

The respondents comprised 16-70 year old women and men from different parts of Finland.