Finnish criminals may lose social benefits

Convicted criminals in Finland could soon loose their access to the country’s public benefits, according to reports.

Finnish news agency YLE reported this week that the prospect of denying some criminals the ability to take advantage of some social programmes is already under investigation by a government committee. The group is expected to issue a report on the matter later in the year.

It is believed that the scheme could see any criminal involved in organised crime lose housing entitlements and unemployment allowances, although it is not yet clear how any such measures would be implemented.

Deputy commissioner of Finland’s National Police Board, Robin Lardot, told YLE, “From the point of view of the police, it is rather strange that some people enjoy different benefits like unemployment benefit, though their main occupation is crime.”

However, when asked whether or not the scheme would include child benefits, he said “This we do not know yet, as the work has not started.”

Lardot added, “The main issue here is what kind of signal society wants to send to such criminals. Should we continue in this manner, where one authority tries to stamp out criminal activities while another one helps the perpetrators to continue? What is at stake here is stopping crime,” he said.