The government of Finland has devoted €5 346 000 of taxpayer money to compensate municipalities for welfare to illegal aliens, who have been ordered to leave the country. The same amount was allocated in last year’s budget.
”The budget allocation may be used to pay compensations to municipalities for costs rising from urgent welfare to persons residing illegally in the country”, reads the description in the budget of 2019.
Welfare for illegals became law in 2017
The welfare payments are motivated by the recently amended 12th paragraph in the social care law, titled: ”Governmental compensation for social services in urgent cases to persons who have been rejected international protection”.
The new paragraph was introduced in 2017 by prime minister Juha Sipilä together with welfare minister Annika Saarikko. The government motivated the law as well as the costs with claims that each illegal alien costs about €50 per day for housing, food and medicines.
Åland government uninterested unless Finland foots the bill
The same legislation has been investigated by the Social welfare bureau of the Åland Islands government.
While the bureau in its report claimed that illegal aliens ”of course should receive urgent welfare services also on Åland”, the bureau instead concluded that Åland should not introduce such legislation, as talks with Finland revealed that Åland municipalities would not receive any funds from Finland for illegal alien costs.
Photo from immigration demonstration in Turku in december, picture: We See You