This blog gives you some information about undocumented migrants. First, I will introduce you to the actual meaning of being undocumented, also irregular, migrant rather than the sadly widely used term – illegal. I will also give you information about undocumented migrants in Finland. Fair trade policies will also be introduced in this blog, to tie them into the larger, global theme of human rights. After giving you the basic information to get your thoughts going, I will tell you my own experiences about the topic from my workplace.

Who is an undocumented migrant, and why they shouldn’t be called illegal? Professor Siegel (2021) tells us that at some point of their migration, an irregular migrant for one reason or an- other has failed to follow the rules, regulations, and laws of the country they are migrating to. The rules, regulations and laws can affect the person’s entry to the country, their residence there and for example in Finland, also their right to work there.

Irregular and illegal migration basically mean the same thing. We should strive to use the word irregular instead of illegal, because the word illegal in itself proposes that there is something illegal with the migrating person. A person can do illegal things (like rob a bank), but their existence cannot be illegal. 

The word illegal immediately has an extremely negative connotation to it, thus increasing the amount of hate migrants may already receive. Irregularity in one’s migrancy only means that they have an issue with their paperwork that can usually be fixed. (Siegel 2021.) 

Migration irregularity doesn’t always mean that the person has entered a country by false pretends. It can also mean that their VISA has expired, and they haven’t left the country or that they are working in a country even though their VISA doesn’t allow them to. (Siegel 2021.)

Undocumented Migrants in Finland

Rask (2019) tells that irregular migrants are especially vulnerable. They are living in difficult conditions and have many things stressing them out and therefore weakening their mental health.

On the top of this all, they are facing the risk of being removed from the country they are in. For this reason, undocumented migrants have great difficulties in trusting authorities making it nearly impossible for them to seek let alone accept help. (Rask 2019.)

Fair-Trade Policies in Finland

Did you think that I was going to talk about the Fairtrade products you can buy in your local grocery store? Well, this time I’m not. 

Fair trade policies and regulations support well-being, promote sustainable development and create jobs. It guides trade in the direction of making long-term decisions benefiting human rights and environmental well-being. (Fingo 2017.)

Finnish NGOs (that’s a shortening for a non-governmental organization, a non-profit organization that operates independently) and trade unions have worked together to prepare a ten-step program towards fairer trade in a sustainable way.

Here are the 10 steps they agreed on:

1. Prioritizing commitments to human rights and environmental protection
2. Democratic and transparent negotiations and decision-making processes
3. Promoting ecologically sustainable development and actions against climate change
4. Securing human rights and promoting decent work and socially sustainable development
5. Promoting corporate responsibility
6. Securing policy space for sustainable development
7. Equal access to justice
8. Securing local production
9. Securing tax justice and tightening financial regulation
10. Trade is a means, not an end. (Fingo 2017.)