What was the response to the registration centre in Tornio?

The University of Vaasa, the University of Tampere, the Finnish Immigration Service, the National Defence University and the Scientific Advisory Board for Defence Matine inform:

The safety café offers residents an opportunity to share their experiences and consider the effects of the registration centre

What kind of emotions did the arrival of asylum seekers stir in the residents of Tornio? Did the setting up of the registration centre affect the participants’ sense of security? How did the residents of Tornio feel about seeing the authorities in their everyday life in a way they usually don’t? How successful was the communication of the authorities? Answers to these questions, among others, will be sought at the Tornio security café.

The contemplated citizen debate is organised by the University of Vaasa, the Finnish Immigration Service, the National Defence University and the University of Tampere. The event in Tornio is organised at the former upper secondary school Yhteislyseon lukio (at the registration centre’s facilities, Hallituskatu 7, Tornio) on Wednesday 25 May 2016 at 16.00–20.30.

The security café presents a contemplated statement from the citizens

At the security café, the participants get to listen to and ask questions from experts in different fields. The discussion at the café will be introduced by Elina Katajamäki, Head of Communications at the Lapland Police Department, Kimmo Lehto, Head of Development at the Finnish Immigration Service, Major Mika Metsi working at the Jaeger Brigade (Jääkäriprikaati) and as the representative of the Finnish Red Cross, Tom Tallberg who worked as the director of the Tornio registration centre. The discussions are held in good spirit around coffee tables in small groups led by a trained group leader.

The security café is not all talk. The aim is to gather evaluations from the residents of Tornio of the establishment of the registration centre and suggestions for the development of its operation for possible future situations. Based on the discussions, we will put together a joint statement from the participants and ask authorities and decision-makers to comment on it.

The discussion at the security café is aimed at over 16-year-old residents of Tornio. We hope that residents of different ages, from different backgrounds and with different views will participate. The security café can accommodate 30 participants who will be chosen from the registered persons so that the participants will form as diverse a group as possible. The registration to the security café ends on Wednesday 18 May.

You can find more information about the security café and instructions for registration on the following web page: http://www.uva.fi/turvallisuuskahvila

The Tornio security café is a part of a research project on a civic society’s role in a country’s defence which is financed by the Scientific Advisory Board for Defence.

Further information for the media

University of Vaasa

Adjunct Professor Harri Raisio, tel. 029 449 8405, firstname.lastname@uva.fi

Finnish Immigration Service:

Head of Development Kimmo Lehto, tel. 029 5430 431, fistname.lastname@migri.fi

National Defence University:

Military Professor Mika Hyytiäinen, tel. 029 9530 555, fistname.lastname@mil.fi