Finnish Interior Minister condemns suspected arson attack at planned refugee center

Finnish Minister of Interior Petteri Orpo condemned a suspected arson attack on a hotel planned to use as a refugee reception center in southern Finland, reported Finnish national broadcaster Yle on Saturday.

The planned reception center for accommodating asylum seekers in Asiakkala was targeted early Saturday morning. It was scheduled to open before Christmas. Police suspected the fire was deliberately ignited.

Orpo said in an interview with Yle that he was sad to hear about these actions. He pointed out that the reasons behind such radical behaviors were the increasing immigration into Finland and the continuous economic recession in the country.

"We need to make a determined effort to prevent the radicalization. I strongly condemn all crimes done by either immigrants or native population," the minister was quoted as saying.

He added that radicalism does not take Finland any further forward. The radicalization of certain elements of the Finnish population considerably weakens Finland's capacity to tackle the refugee crisis.

In the end of November and the beginning of December, were two cases of suspected arson attacks targeting planned reception centers were reported. One was in Kankaanpaa, west Finland, the other was in Rauma, southwest of the country.

Furthermore, several suspected arson and other forms of attacks against the existing refugee centers have happened in Finland since the autumn this year, when increasing numbers of asylum seekers flooded into the country. Endit