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11/02/2024 11:37:49 am

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Middle East Refugees Have Been Attacked: Finland Condemns Racists

A woman bystander booing at the demonstrators who are against the Middle East refugees, in Helsinki on Sep. 19.

(Photo : Youtube) A woman bystander booing at the demonstrators who are against the Middle East refugees, in Helsinki on Sep. 19.

The bus wherein the Middle East refugees' were aboard early on Sep. 18, Friday, in Lahi, has been attacked by racist protesters including one wearing an American Ku Klux Klan outfit.

The asylum seekers that were mostly families with children were aboard a bus when a racist protest in which the demonstrators attacked the said vehicle by using burning torches and throwing fireworks at it, wherein the refugees were received in the southern city of Lahti, according to Telegraph.

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The Finnish government condemned the act of the protesters, mostly because the latter also threw stones at Red Cross volunteers. However, the Finish Prime Minister failed somehow to send a strong enough signal of disapproval against such an act of violation of the fundamental human rights. On a significant note, however, there was no one that was hurt at the accident.

Juha Sipila, Prime Minister of Finland, said on this tweet that the violence and threat against the Middle East asylum seekers and migrants were absolutely not acceptable. He added that Finland's government condemned the racist protesters---of about 40 of them altogether---on Friday's action against the refugees. It was an act of violence and threatening behavior, which was indefensible.

There were two protesters held by Finnish police who were still young and were also from Lahti. They will likely face fines after the incident.

The noble-minded gesture of Sipila for taking in the refugees at his home this month has been a great move that naturally attracted both international attention and criticism within the country.

Jaana Vuorio, head Finland's immigration agency, informed the media that early 2015 alone has over 11,000 people that have already sought asylum in Finland compared to 2014's only 3,600 and on Thursday, there have been 521 that entered through Sweden---the highest number yet since 2014, mostly Iraqis.

In line with the attack on Friday according to Yahoo News, another incident took place late Thursday in Kouvola, which is in the southeastern part of Finland, when a 50-year old man was arrested after attacking an emergency housing facility for Middle East refugees by throwing a petrol bomb. The blaze was quickly extinguished and has been reported that no one was hurt by the said attack.

Nevertheless, three more buses are expected to arrive from the northern Finland border, in the town of Tornio on Sep. 25, Friday, and new reception centers around the country were built up, which has forced the authorities to quickly set up.

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