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Finland’s Interior Minister Marie Radanen didn’t mince words when speaking about Europe’s migration challenges, warning that the current path could lead to a breakdown of the very future so many seek here.
“I understand people want a better life,” she said in an interview with Kathimerini. “But if we continue like this, no one will have a better life in Europe.”
The goal, she argues, is to stop irregular migration before it reaches Europe’s borders.
Radanen, who serves in Finland’s right-wing coalition government, said the European asylum system is being abused by human smuggling networks and needs a major rethink. She’s pushing for asylum applications and even refugee protections to be processed outside the EU, in safe third countries. The goal, she argues, is to stop irregular migration before it reaches Europe’s borders.
Finland, she said, is already closing its border crossings with Russia after hundreds of migrants crossed into the country, allegedly with Moscow’s involvement. “We are the external border of both Europe and NATO, and this is a security issue,” she stressed.
While she acknowledged Europe does need skilled workers, Radanen drew a sharp line: “If you want workers, give them work permits, not asylum.” Citizenship, she added, should be a reward for good integration, not a starting point.
In a show of how seriously Finland is taking regional security, she also revealed plans to raise the defense budget, expand civil protection measures, and possibly reintroduce landmines.
Radanen’s message? Europe needs to prepare, not just for migration pressures, but for a more uncertain future overall.
