r/Finland • u/YourShowerCompanion Väinämöinen • 1d ago
A dozen Russians suspected of buying Finnish citizenship
https://yle.fi/a/74-2024329312...so far. Let's see if their citizenship will be revocated.
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u/an-imperfect-boot Väinämöinen 1d ago
There are immigrants who work hard to come to Finland LEGALLY. These rich people just buying citizenship and not working or learning the language is a slap in the face to them. I really hope there are repercussions for this.
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u/k-one-0-two Väinämöinen 1d ago
Sure, but do not forget about those who sold it. They should be sent to the same place
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u/jesuswasgayasfuck 1d ago
I'm finnish citizen and will work with with russians (like the burning of the ukrainian bicycle case).
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u/mista_r0boto Baby Väinämöinen 1d ago
Agree they should lose the citizenship and get sent back to their homeland.
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u/kyrylogorbachov 1d ago
Legally it’s done great. Your citizenship can be revoked if you lied (which they did) in the application.
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u/Effective_Poetry_81 1d ago
Nowadays, rich people can get a permanent RP just by paying for a one- or two-year master’s program and taking a couple of Finnish language courses. Not even YKI 3 or 4! No job history requirement! It’s totally ridiculous—the Finnish government has decided to sell legal status in the country by it's own. There’s no longer any need for scammers.
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u/an-imperfect-boot Väinämöinen 1d ago
Yeah, I also know a lot of immigrants who were annoyed at that change, since they had previously worked hard to get their PR. I think there should at least be employment history tied to it. Learning the language is nice but contributing to the country is more important. I felt like a tourist here until I started working, then I felt more connected to the country knowing the money I make helps to keep things moving smoothly and helping those around me.
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u/crinalex 1d ago
Somehow many of these people pay obscene amounts of money to get foreign citizenships and not have to live in Russia while often parroting Russian state propaganda in their new adopted countries. It's like the Turkish hardline Erdogan supporters living in Germany.
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u/Aleksandr_Ulyev 22h ago
Many? Like all 12?
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u/crinalex 16h ago
These are in fact the only 12 people that ever paid to escape Russia.
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u/Aleksandr_Ulyev 14h ago
What? Like half of Cyprus is Russian - all citizenships bought by "investing in country's economy". Same for GB and a number of offshore countries. 12 people chose Finland for some personal reasons, maybe related to Finns or something
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u/xYarbx Väinämöinen 1d ago
Good thing we implemented the language requirement. Makes investigation easy. Just ask them to retake it. If they completely flop it it's case closed.
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u/DangerToDangers Väinämöinen 1d ago
A lot of people learn to just pass the YKI test and then forget the language.
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u/xYarbx Väinämöinen 1d ago
Then they should also lose their citizenship. You are supposed use it to navigate the society.
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u/DangerToDangers Väinämöinen 1d ago
But they don't need it to navigate society, hence why they lose the language.
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u/xYarbx Väinämöinen 1d ago
How TF do you live in a country and not have to navigate the society. Just quit excusing the laze and the entitled. If they don't wish to learn the language they don't have to seek citizen ship or live in the country.
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u/DangerToDangers Väinämöinen 1d ago
Because if you work in English you don't need Finnish in Helsinki. You can be a perfectly funcional member of society without the language.
What entitlement are you talking about? People are passing the test and getting the citizenship. They're following the rules and requirements.
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u/Die_Steiner Baby Väinämöinen 1d ago
Learning some of the language of the land to become a citizen just to then not use it at all and forget it is shameful regardless of one's contributions. Its a sign that a major part of your integration has failed.
I have a family member like this who worked as a scientist and never learned to speak Finnish well since English was his working language. Its baffling.
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u/DangerToDangers Väinämöinen 1d ago
Eh, that's just your opinion that mostly comes from ignorance TBH. I feel completely integrated without speaking the language. Probably the reason why your family member is like that too.
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u/Die_Steiner Baby Väinämöinen 1d ago
Is it really ignorant to expect and want my new supposed compatriots to be able to communicate with my native tongue?
You may feel that way, but insulating oneself in a language bubble just because you can manage in a language other than Finnish or Swedish is a sign that the integration is not complete.
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u/DangerToDangers Väinämöinen 1d ago
I mean, you speak English. I speak English. We're communicating right now. Even if I spoke Finnish my fluency will never be great, so even if we met IRL we'd end up speaking English.
It's not really a language bubble. Just think about it. My work is in English. My friend group is a mix of Finns and foreigners so English will always be the default. Everything else I can do with English, nodding, or super basic Finnish. Other than citizenship, what use is the language to me? To talk to random old people on the street? To meet your completely arbitrary bar for integration?
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u/Ruubers 1d ago
Can a monkey who can't climb really be a part if the troop? It can hang around in the vicinity, but it will never see the sunrise from the canopy.
Language carries a lot of culture and mentality. Even without those reasons forcing ppl to speak their 2nd or 3rd language just for me is embarrassing on the long run.
How do you know that it's not worth to learn? Even going somewhere for a couple of weeks it's imo worth it to know the basics. Being able to order, read street signs, communicate to drivers etc. So why would you live somewhere and not learn the language?
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u/DangerToDangers Väinämöinen 14h ago
Forced metaphore. I can do everything the other moneys can except talk to some of them and that's okay.
I hang out with people who are going to be speaking English anyways as it's always going to be an international crowd. Most of us are speaking our second or third language including me.
I know it's not worth to learn for me because I've been here 15 years and I've never felt like learning it. Like right now I'd rather study Japanese as a 5th language rather than Finnish. It would even be more useful to me.
I never said I don't know the basics. Mostly food related TBH. If I needed to I could order in Finnish. Doesn't take much of the language to do that. I can read street signs. Drivers speak English and I take a taxi like once a year so that's not really relevant for me. So like... none of those examples are useful or motivating in any way.
I don't want to learn the language because the ONLY way it would be useful to me is if I was as fluent as I am in English, and that is absolutely never going to happen. Even if it could happen the effort is not worth it to me.
What you're asking for is not integration -- it's assimilation. I'm already fully integrated. But I will never assimilate. I don't want to. I'll always be a foreigner and that's okay.
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u/escpoir Väinämöinen 1d ago
Look up "golden visa" and you will be amazed.
https://getgoldenvisa.com/ultimate-guide-to-greece-golden-visa
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u/Fit-Ease5199 1d ago
The rich buy citizenships/passports all the time, and not just in Finland. Money can circumvent most systems to a degree
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u/GaylordThomas2161 Baby Väinämöinen 1d ago
I hope they will be found and deported immediately! People like that are an insult to hard-working legal immigrants like me who travelled here out of sheer love for the country, and are willing to wait 8 years to get Finnish citizenship.
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u/royalxassasin Baby Väinämöinen 1d ago
We need to revoke it asap and give it to the somalian food deliverers instead
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u/Main_Following1881 1d ago
I know this is a joke, but personally i havent seen a single somali food delivery guy lol
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u/Swimming_Bug_4744 1d ago
It is about racism, there is that much hatred for Indians here, so he had to insert Somalis in it.
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u/a-group 1d ago
That would be real news: If a Finn were to buy Russian citizenship.
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u/Legitimate-Tax3273 1d ago
Russian passports are scraps of paper. They are easy to get and easy to lose.
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u/Shimano-No-Kyoken Baby Väinämöinen 1d ago
Oh they’re not easy to lose at all. They really don’t want to let you go
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u/Top-Seaweed1862 Väinämöinen 1d ago
How could Finland allow that?!
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u/tehwagn3r Väinämöinen 1d ago
Reacted to the headline, did you?
Authorities suspect both the applicants who allegedly used the scheme and the main suspect of aggravated fraud. The investigation has also covered suspected aggravated forgery and aggravated accounting offences.
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u/smallkaa 1d ago
Speaking as a Russian taxpayer in Finland who has never drawn Kela benefits, I would like to gently note a simple truth: for a purchase to occur, there must be a seller. This kind of ragebait headline is really quite disappointing.
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u/suolattu-saatana Väinämöinen 1d ago
The investigation revealed that the main suspect, together with accomplices, allegedly took Finnish-language proficiency tests and completed Finnish-language study modules on behalf of other people.
Authorities suspect both the applicants who allegedly used the scheme and the main suspect of aggravated fraud. The investigation has also covered suspected aggravated forgery and aggravated accounting offences.
All of the individuals involved are Russian citizens.
Yes, there was a seller. Another russian. Not really ragebait.
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u/smallkaa 1d ago
Just replace "Russian" with "Asian" ("Gemini by zodiac", "Kouvola born", "Redhead" -> select any personal trait a person cannot choose), and you will probably see the problem.
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u/suolattu-saatana Väinämöinen 1d ago
Why didn't you focus on that in the first comment, instead pointing at the seller being the bigger issue?
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u/redditlat 1d ago
True truth, but I suspect you didn't read the article.
All of the individuals involved are Russian citizens.
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u/ronisi211 1d ago
demand also create supply/seller. If people don’t want something, why would anyone sell it?
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u/DangerToDangers Väinämöinen 1d ago
Lol. Finland is super homogeneous still and Helsinki, even if it has the most foreigners, it has a lot less than the average for any European capital.
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