Yle’s reported Tuesday building a border fence between Finland and Russia. Reporting from Estonia’s capital Tallinn, Yle reporter Rain Kooli said that the wall between Estonia and Russia was to stop migrants – not asylum seekers – and illegal migrants.
The project, which the Finnish Border Guard is spearheading, will cost hundreds of millions of euros and take 3-4 years to build. The fence will be built by border crossing points and 10%-20% of the border with Russia.
Finland’s parliament passed in summer the border guard act that severely restricts the human rights of refugees to seek asylum. European Union Institute professor of international law and human rights Martin Scheinin said the new law would send Finland back thirty years.
While using terms such as “migrants” and “illegal migrants” and publishing pictures of far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* head Riikka Purra and National Coalition Party chairperson Petteri Orpo as a lead picture, the state broadcaster editorializes the topic.
Why wasn’t there any analysis of the effectiveness of walls and if they work?
One analysis by Rand stated:” If a border wall provides the political space for addressing these more systemic problems, then it may still be a worthwhile investment. That said, the proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexico border—like all previous walls—should be viewed as a means to an end, rather than an end unto itself.”
One matter that Yle did not address was people’s welfare and the human right to apply for asylum. Instead of addressing this vital issue, Yle’s reporter in Estonia labeled such people with a single brush as “migrants” and “illegal migrants.”
