A new survey has revealed strong opposition to citizen street patrols that have sprung up around Finland in recent months, but also a stubborn minority that supports them. Almost one in four respondents expressed positive views about the patrols, some of which have links to racist and far-right organisations.

The arrival of more than 30,000 asylum seekers in Finland in a relatively short space of time has tested the mettle of Finland’s mostly homogenous society. The magazine weekly Suomen Kuvalehti turned to pollster Taloustutkimus to see how Finns felt about the situation, especially given reporting on alleged crimes by a small number of the new arrivals.

The pollster’s online survey panel revealed that some 36 percent of respondents felt a weakened sense of security specifically related to the rapid increase in the number of people fleeing conflict areas.

“The number is striking,” Taloustutkimus research chief Juho Rahkonen told Suomen Kuvalehti.

“Although people haven’t had any contact with asylum seekers, a sense of general unease has spread via the media. The paradise thinking has been shaken up,” Rahkonen added.

More here.Yle, Suomen Kuvalehti

NOTE: Cluebat for the ace reporter, you don’t have to ”personally know an asylum seeker”, to figure out for yourself just how much there is wrong in bringing them here, are men of fighting age, not from areas of conflict (or at least identified coming from areas of immediate danger), have loads of cash on hand to party hardy and ferry themselves around in taxis, and according to official records, 2/3 of their numbers are pure frauds.

Knowing one, or a few of them does not negate the facts, most are unable to communicate with Finns, in English or even in Finnish. So stop lecturing people to ”not believe their lying eyes”.