In our aid policy, we must promote the rule of law, democracy and the development good, open government. A functioning democracy, human rights and an active civil society are prerequisites for sustainable social development. In its future aid policy, Finland must emphasise the rights of girls and women, including their right to an education.
Our Finland is open and respects everyone. Our asylum policy must follow on from our international duties. We want to have humanitarian protection reinstated as grounds for a residence permit, to ensure that asylum seekers have access to functioning legal aid, and that the family reunification process actually works. We want to boost our international efforts for human rights. Asylum applications must be processed without undue delay in an individual procedure in which legal protection is guaranteed. Vulnerable persons must be identified at the start of the asylum process.
The Sami are the only indigenous peoples of the European Union. It is our responsibility, even in the future, to secure the Sami people’s right to their languages, cultures and livelihoods. Finland must ratify ILO Convention 169.
Finland needs more immigrants and we must become better at integrating those who come here. The best paths for integration are a job or education, through which one can have a sense of fellowship and learn the language naturally. This is why we want all new arrivals to have opportunities for jobs or education as soon as possible. It must be possible to become integrated using either Swedish or Finnish. We combat all forms of racism and discrimination.
WE WANT
- the target for international aid to be 0.7 per cent of GDP, with 0.2 per cent of GDP going to the most vulnerable nations
- the aid policy to be based on human rights, on promoting the rights of children and women to an education, and on reinforcing democracy
- Finland to work for the participation of women in development and peacebuilding efforts around the world
- to work for the ratification of ILO Convention 169 (the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention)
- to have the Act on the Sami Parliament passed
- to ensure that the immigrant quota system makes up a significant proportion of Finland’s international responsibility
- that asylum seekers to the EU be spread more fairly between the member states
- humanitarian protection to be reinstated as grounds for a residence permit
- to make family reunifications easier
- to give asylum seekers the right to the Finnish maternity package
- that persons from third countries who obtain a higher education degree in Finland will automatically receive a permanent residence permit
- companies to commit to respecting human rights throughout their production chains
