Monday there will be a debate about an emergency refugee center in Forssa. The number we are talking about here is 250 people. I expressly say people. Not refugees, not migrants. People! It's good to emphasize this, because there is always a tendency to dehumanize people by putting them into a kind of system. You are this and I am that. This is not the way to deal with people. Not with your neighbor, not with friends, not with people you don't know the last thing about.

kidsWhat is needed is to give the people that are coming here a chance. A chance on a normal life. A chance to prove that they can contribute to a society that is not shot to hell by local bandits and dictators. Do you think that Finland is doing it's duty already? I am sorry to say but when it comes to giving people who have fled from violence a home Turkey is number 1 in the world. The country takes care of 1.6 million people from Syria. Turkey is big, but this a staggering number compared to the number of people that Finland takes in yearly.

What Forssa needs is to be practical about these things. Forssa is a graying town. Forssa "lost" 3000 children in the last 10 years. In order to reverse this process we new people. In this sense 250 people is not nearly enough. The strangers that come here need initially care that helps them deal with their troubles. This will bring employment in the form of doctors, nurses, psychologists and teachers. In the long run the people that come here can exercise their skills in return. Art, technology and language skills will provide a base for innovation and opening up new markets. Smart business people can make use of their skills. This is not the first time in history. Amsterdam only became a major town after it took in people fleeing from the south. There is no reason that Forssa can't do the same.