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EIGHT ARMENIANS SENT BACK HOME
Helsingin Sanomat, Finland
Aug. 7, 2006
Illegal immigrants believed to use pose as members of sports clubs to
get visas more easily
The Finnish Guard sent eight Armenian citizens back to their country
on Friday. They had arrived in Finland along with a sports team, and
the Guard says that they had entered Finland on false premises.
The group had been granted visas to take part in the young
people's Delfin Basket basketball tournament in Tampere.
However, eight of the members were caught on a passenger ship
from Turku to Sweden. Officials suspect that the group were trying to
get to Sweden, and from there, to other parts of Europe.
Seven members of the group were not actually members of the
team, and never showed up in Tampere. They included a mother with two
daughters more than ten years of age, an 11-year-old girl with her
grandmother, and two unaccompanied girls aged 14 and 16.
One of those who was caught and returned was the leader of the
team, who also had the money for the basketball team. The money was
returned to the players who stayed with the tournament.
Esa Korpi of the Southeast Border Guard notes that it is difficult
for citizens of former Soviet countries to get visas to the Schengen
countries, which is why local travel agencies often work together
with sports clubs.
"The visas are arranged through the sports club. Two of the
girls who were sent back said that they had bought their trips
through a local Armenian travel agency."
The real purpose of the trip remained something of a mystery
for the Border Guard. However, all participants insisted that they
planned to return home.
Korpi says that the Armenian team, which has taken part in several
basketball tournaments, has been under scrutiny for a some time now.
In previous years, some of those who accompanied the team on foreign
travel have later been found in other parts of Europe.
In 2003, during the FIFA Under-17 World Championships in
Finland, 13 players of Sierra Leone's national football team and
their supervisors applied for asylum while they were in Finland.
In the same tournament, 150 visa applications came from
Nigerian football fans. Finnish officials rejected 130 of them on
suspicion of potential misuse.
Helsingin Sanomat, Finland
Aug. 7, 2006
Illegal immigrants believed to use pose as members of sports clubs to
get visas more easily
The Finnish Guard sent eight Armenian citizens back to their country
on Friday. They had arrived in Finland along with a sports team, and
the Guard says that they had entered Finland on false premises.
The group had been granted visas to take part in the young
people's Delfin Basket basketball tournament in Tampere.
However, eight of the members were caught on a passenger ship
from Turku to Sweden. Officials suspect that the group were trying to
get to Sweden, and from there, to other parts of Europe.
Seven members of the group were not actually members of the
team, and never showed up in Tampere. They included a mother with two
daughters more than ten years of age, an 11-year-old girl with her
grandmother, and two unaccompanied girls aged 14 and 16.
One of those who was caught and returned was the leader of the
team, who also had the money for the basketball team. The money was
returned to the players who stayed with the tournament.
Esa Korpi of the Southeast Border Guard notes that it is difficult
for citizens of former Soviet countries to get visas to the Schengen
countries, which is why local travel agencies often work together
with sports clubs.
"The visas are arranged through the sports club. Two of the
girls who were sent back said that they had bought their trips
through a local Armenian travel agency."
The real purpose of the trip remained something of a mystery
for the Border Guard. However, all participants insisted that they
planned to return home.
Korpi says that the Armenian team, which has taken part in several
basketball tournaments, has been under scrutiny for a some time now.
In previous years, some of those who accompanied the team on foreign
travel have later been found in other parts of Europe.
In 2003, during the FIFA Under-17 World Championships in
Finland, 13 players of Sierra Leone's national football team and
their supervisors applied for asylum while they were in Finland.
In the same tournament, 150 visa applications came from
Nigerian football fans. Finnish officials rejected 130 of them on
suspicion of potential misuse.