De-Radicalisation and Integration: Legal & Policy Framework

Finland/Country Report WP4 November 2021

Abstract

The focus of the report is at the macro level with some insights into regional and local levels for integration measures in Finland as part of the Work Package 4, De-radicalisation and Integration Legal and Policy Framework. The aim of the report is to give a conceptual account of how existing policies and laws address radicalisation, to pinpoint their most critical aspects and best practices, and finally to develop evidence based policy and guidelines in Finland. The study is based, first, on desk research on legal and policy framework, which includes mainly the scholarly literature, legislative sources and Finnish news media sources. Second, we conducted five interviews with six persons representing experts in legislation, policymaking and violent radicalisation and relevant stakeholders in the field of de-radicalisation. Third, we undertook two case studies on Finnish de-radicalisation projects.
Finland is a unitary state, characterised by the Nordic welfare state model with a strong position for municipalities but with weak regional institutions. The Finnish Constitution highlights the role of basic rights. Legal positivism in the interpretation of the law and the principle of legality are typical features of Finnish legal practice. The ex-ante examination system of the constitutionality of new legislation or EU treaties is a distinctive feature. However, the position of case law has become stronger since the 1990s. Many of the traditional political division lines and minority groups have been recognised in the Finnish political and party system and constitution. However, the existing socio-economic and geographical cleavages, the pluralisation of society, and the emergence of issues thus far not recognised in the Finnish socio-economic, political and cultural framework have set new demands for the legal and political system.
Before the 2010s, violent radicalisation prevention work could only be found embedded in other policy documents, but the focus has since then moved from mere terrorism prevention to comprehensive de-radicalisation work done in multi-professional cooperation with stakeholders at both national and local levels. The report presents two de-radicalisation projects in more detail, of which the first is a local exit work project and the other is a project provided by a national actor for spreading information and knowledge on violent radicalisation amongst social and health care sector workers.
We lay out policy recommendations that consist of securing the welfare services and recognising potential exclusion mechanisms and considering a combination of implicit and explicit de-radicalisation policies. First, trust in public authorities, including the police and the judicial system, is a factor of high importance and is part of implicit de-radicalisation policy together with providing universal accessible education and social services. Multi-professional collaboration, the inclusion of stakeholders, the combination of national coordination and locally implemented prevention work and a pragmatic approach have been functioning elements in Finnish explicit de-radicalisation policies. Violent radicalisation should be seen as both a social and a security issue, and excessive securitisation of the policies should be avoided. While projects can be useful in developing models and tools, in particular exit work which is now mainly done through project-based funding should be established and its funding arranged permanently to guarantee continuity. Third sector organisations can reach the grassroots level and individuals mistrusting public authorities, but their funding must be secured. Information about all kinds of violent radicalisation should be openly available and public authorities should be educated on the topic. Finally, the role of international cooperation and learning from international examples is central.