Rasismi ja syrjintä
"All people are moulded from the same piece of clay."
(German saying)
According to Finnish law, discrimination is a crime.
The Ombudsman for Minorities is an authority with the basic task of advancing the status and legal protection of ethnic minorities and foreigners as well as equality, non-discrimination and good ethnic relations in Finland.
You can contact the Ombudsman for Minorities if, for example, you have experienced or observed ethnic discrimination. In cases of discrimination, or if you have any other questions, please call the customer service of the Office of the Ombudsman for Minorities on (09) 160 43 444 (weekdays between 9.00 and 15.00).
Work discrimination
(työsyrjintä) is a crime. You can report it to the Labour Protection Authority.
A brochure on discrimination is available on the Equality.fi pages in the following languages:
Finnish
Swedish
English
Russian
Somali
Arabic
The Non-Discrimination Act (yhdenvertaisuuslaki) forbids discrimination in recruitment and training. People cannot be discriminated against on the basis of ethnic origin in relation to social services and health care.
Information on the topic in the following languages:
English
Finnish
Swedish
Sami
Russian
Arabic
Somali
Spanish
French
Help for discrimination
See also the Rasmus Network (Rasmus-verkosto).
Racism can mean e.g. discrimination, threats, bullying or violence. If you become a victim of a racist crime, contact the police. Visit your local police station or report a crime online. If your well-being or life is in danger or you need immediate police assistance for any other reason, you can call the national emergency number. The national emergency number is 112.The police will take your details and call you in for a questioning at a later date. You are entitled to have an interpreter and a lawyer present in the questioning. If you inform the police in advance and require an interpreter, the police will organise the interpreter free of charge.
Legal advice is available from solicitors and other lawyers as well as public legal advisers working at the Public Legal Aid Offices (valtion oikeusaputoimisto).
More information on the topic is available on the Rasmus Network website of the Finnish League for Human Rights in the following languages:
English
Finnish
Swedish
Spanish
French
Turkish
Croat
The Finnish League for Human Rights maps the experiences of people who have experienced discrimination, in order to develop support and advice services. Would you like to Report a Racist Crime to the Finnish League for Human Rights?
Who can help in cases of discrimination?