City of Vantaa
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City Councillor (SDP) for 2025–2029. The City Council is Vantaa's highest decision-making body – it decides on the budget, the strategy and the city's main policies.
Municipal election 2025
420
votes – elected to the Vantaa City Council
Council term
2025–2029
First term on the City Council
Vitality and Employment Division
Deputy Member
Itä Uudenman Liitto
Deputy Member
Speeches at the City Council
Speeches.
October 19, 2026
Disinformation and false news: our new threats
Vantaa's new safety program takes care of safe streets, fire and rescue operations, and the trust of our residents. These matters remain very important. Thank you for that.However, the program is missing one critical element. The world has changed rapidly, which is why traditional security measures are no longer enough. The spread of false information and disinformation are new threats that reach people directly on their phones via the internet. This is not just a minor online inconvenience. Today, misinformation is a direct danger to people's safety.Elsewhere in the world, we have already seen what happens when disinformation is allowed to spread. What happened in Manipur, India; Dublin, Ireland; Los Angeles, USA; and Liverpool, UK, should teach and prepare us. They are examples showing that:Lies spreading online can incite conflict, fighting, and violence on the streets within hours.Lies cause people to attack city employees, schools, and public property.In an emergency, false information causes people to flee to the wrong places or hinder rescue efforts.Misinformation is like a weapon. It breaks the peace, turns neighbors against each other, and destroys the sense of security much faster than conventional crime.If Vantaa does not take this threat seriously now, we are at risk.
We cannot simply hope that people will trust the city in a difficult situation. When something bad happens, lies spread on phones in seconds. If the city lacks the means to stop baseless rumors, we will lose control of the situation. Traditional measures and the police alone are no longer enough when the threat reaches everyone's pocket via the web.
We must not turn a blind eye to this matter. Vantaa’s safety cannot be measured solely by crime rates or the number of police officers.I request that Vantaa's safety program pay stronger attention to the security threats posed by false information and disinformation, as well as preparedness for them.We must prepare for these new threats in time—before their consequences are seen on our own streets.
September 21, 2026
Thankful to the city for all its support for the integration of immigrants
Dear Chairperson, Council Members, and residents of Vantaa,
I would first like to thank the City of Vantaa, its residents, planners, and everyone who has been involved in building the Vantaa of today. Without an open reception and your continuous support, we immigrants could not feel at home here. Thank you for the integration program, and for making Vantaa the multicultural city it is today.
On a personal note, I regret that it took me many years before I started speaking Finnish. This is not just my story. Many of my friends face the exact same issue. They have lived here for over ten years, have higher education, good jobs, and families here. They love this country, yet they still do not speak Finnish. My own experience shows that in Vantaa, as well as elsewhere in Finland, one can communicate using only English. Here, a major problem is that for many years people do not realize the need for the language. The language barrier is then noticed too late—for example, when children go to school or when someone becomes unemployed. In this situation, I would like to ask two important questions: First: Why students and workers do not learn Finnish for many years? Second: Are they integrated if they do not speak Finnish?
Yes, integration is a two-way process. This report also notes that the Finnish language is the key to integration, and language learning must start early and be part of everyday life. I am of the same opinion that all immigrants must learn Finnish language and culture. However, we need to pay special attention to the fact that: Students and workers are not included in the two-year integration program, and they are constantly left behind. This problem must be solved. The city needs to cooperate with higher education institutions. Likewise, the city must assist and encourage employers to arrange language training at the workplace or support them in studying Finnish.
Thank you once again for all the work done for integration. We must do everything we can to enable faster and better integration.
Thank you.
(translated version from the original Finnish Text)
November 17, 2025
A tram for a prosperous city of the future
Honorable Chair,
I was not born or raised in Vantaa. However, I remember very well when I moved here. It was a time when the Ring Rail Line (Kehärata) had just been built.
I remember that enthusiasm. Back then, I saw Vantaa as a city of the future with immense potential for growth.
We do not have to guess what major transport projects do for Vantaa. We already have a successful model: the Ring Rail Line.
The Ring Rail Line transformed Vantaa significantly. It connected workplaces with the airport. It created great value for Vantaa and brought forth new districts—Kivistö, for instance, is now a vibrant, thriving, and evolving area.
The Vantaa Tram is the next logical and crucial step. This project is not just about laying down tracks. It is about securing our future. That is why we must continue this work so that future generations can be proud of the decisions we make today.
Honorable Chair,
The cost of the tram is a concern. That is true, and we must monitor costs very closely. But we cannot let this concern bring the entire project to a halt. If we stop now, we will lose the money already invested completely. Postponement always costs more, and at the same time, we would lose out on the economic benefits the tram brings.
Helsinki and Espoo are often larger and seen as more prominent than Vantaa. We cannot afford to wait on the sidelines or remain passive. We must take calculated risks that deliver long-term benefits.
The tram is precisely that kind of risk. It makes Vantaa an attractive, easily accessible, and independent center of growth.
We must choose progress and forward movement over hesitation and waiting. We need to ensure that the Vantaa Tram project moves ahead. Now is the time to boldly invest in Vantaa's transport connections and in the full potential of our city.
The city needs to keep its residents by focusing on three things: long-term employment, reducing youth unemployment and fixing net migration
Vantaa’s first interim report for 2026 shows us that the city is facing major problems. The financial figures are concerning, and we must act quickly. I want to highlight three critical issues that require our serious attention: long-term unemployment, youth unemployment, and net migration.
First, unemployment in Vantaa is too high. We already have nearly 8,000 people who have been out of work for a long time. We now need to hire our own local residents for the job vacancies we have. We must stop bringing people in from outside, and we must use our new skills campus wisely. We need to identify what skills will be needed in the future and train Vantaa residents directly for those jobs.
Second, we cannot forget our young people. Youth unemployment has grown, with over 2,000 young people under the age of 25 out of work. We cannot take the risk of our youth losing hope and becoming frustrated. If a young person gives up right at the beginning, it is a huge disaster, and that problem is extremely difficult to fix later on. Therefore, we must do everything possible to ensure young people get their first job as early as possible.
Third, we must talk about why people are moving away from Vantaa. In the early part of 2026, Vantaa’s population declined. We do not have a cultural center like Helsinki’s, nor do we have the same kind of large corporations or scenic landscapes as Espoo. That is why we need to work harder. Nobody lives in Vantaa simply out of loyalty to the city. If we want good taxpayers to stay here, we need to build good family homes, create job opportunities, and offer better possibilities in life.
Dear fellow councilors, this interim report is a wake-up call for all of us. Vantaa must provide jobs for its own residents, hope for its youth, and good opportunities for its taxpayers.
Protect small businesses – but strict penalties for human trafficking and labour exploitation
August 24, 2026
Honorable Chair, fellow councilors, and residents of Vantaa,
A few weeks ago, a restaurant worker asked me for help. He had not received his salary for six months. Six months without pay. And in the end, he was laid off. His boss simply told him that the company was going bankrupt.
Think about his situation for a moment. He did his job, but he was not paid. How does he pay his rent? How does he buy food? How does he take care of his family?
And the worst part is, he is not the only one.
Stolen wages, unpaid overtime, and worker exploitation are not isolated accidents. This happens far too often in Vantaa and across Finland.
The biggest flaw in our system is this: criminals know that the risk of getting caught is low and the consequences come too late.
We must also ask why companies are bringing in workers from abroad for berry picking, cleaning, and restaurant work while Vantaa's unemployment rate is so high. We also have thousands of international students actively looking for work. Why are they not given the opportunity?
I want to thank the Left Alliance council group and all the other councilors for this initiative.
The city’s response talks about easing regulations and reporting requirements for small businesses, but we must be extremely careful here. We want to support small businesses and honest entrepreneurs. However, we must crack down on those companies that break the law and profit from people's desperation.
We must not make exploitation even easier. When legal processes take too long, criminals have time to drain the company's funds, leave wages unpaid, file for bankruptcy, and establish a new business. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case.
We must help the victims, but even more importantly, we must prevent people from becoming victims in the first place. What has been done so far is not enough. That is why we need effective inspections and strict enough penalties.
No one in Finland should ever have to work without pay. Vantaa must not remain silent or stand idly by. We must protect people.
Thank you.
International students are the future of the city.
May 25, 2026
Like many other cities in Finland, the number of immigrants in Vantaa, especially international students, is increasing. While we frequently emphasize their importance for the city's development and growth, unfortunately, this does not reflect in our current working methods and behavior.Immigration is not just a challenge of social integration or an expense in the budget. We need to change the way we look at it. Most importantly, we must understand that immigrants are distinct individuals with different needs.Today, I want to talk specifically about international students because their current situation is quite critical.We must understand that educated and skilled people are a great asset to the city of Vantaa. Even if we think purely from an economic perspective: when students arrive here from abroad, we receive ready-to-work human resources. They bring with them academic degrees, skills, and international experience.Finland has not had to spend a single euro on their childhood upbringing, education, or healthcare. On the contrary—when they come here to study, they bring money with them. They pay tuition fees and spend money on local housing, transportation, and other services.Therefore, I request the City of Vantaa to take concrete steps soon to retain this skilled workforce here. For example, cities around the world have proven that international students are a very beneficial resource for urban development.I hope that the City of Vantaa will work effectively and not let these educated people leave the country in frustration. The municipality will work together with the business sector and other organizations to find ways to retain them here and help them integrate into the local society easily and effectively.
Asking employers to take a fresh look at hiring international talent
February 23, 2026
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for this initiative targeted at immigrants seeking employment in Finland. In my view, this initiative concretely conveys to job seekers: "We see you, and we want to help." However, a summer job voucher like this can only serve as a bridge, not the final destination.While financial support is commendable, the immigrant talent in our city needs opportunities more than subsidies. The issue is not just about jobs; a major challenge right now is the reluctance of employers to keep an open mind. The problem is that companies often feel safe hiring only people who are familiar to them, making them hesitant to open up to new perspectives. Time and again, companies end up hiring only local candidates; therefore, I urge our companies and employers to look at these matters in a new light.I would like to urge companies to recognize that hiring an immigrant is not a manageable risk, but an untapped opportunity waiting to be explored. When a company hires an immigrant worker, it is not merely filling an empty chair; it brings in fresh perspectives, resilience, and a diverse range of professional skills.In conclusion, I want to remind you that immigrants do not just need advice and assistance centers in the name of support—their primary need is to be welcomed directly into workplaces as employees. Employers should not be afraid to hire immigrants. They should view it as an opportunity, as immigrants bring immense skill and potential with them.
Protecting our children from harmful digital content
February 23, 2026
When we discuss banning cell phones in schools, we must be honest that technology itself is not inherently bad. Today’s children learn faster and know much more than we did at their age. However, while the benefits are clear, the risks have become alarming.Banning cell phones in classrooms is an important step. Yet, it is only a small piece of a much larger problem. The greatest concern is cell phone addiction, which follows children from the school gates to the streets and into their homes.We see this every day: children glued to their cell phones while crossing busy streets, completely oblivious to the traffic around them.Protecting our children from cell phone addiction is an urgent necessity. It is critical to safeguard them from consuming unnecessary and often harmful digital content.Perhaps it is time for the city to develop a distinct educational program to teach our children about the dangers inherent in mobile devices. Perhaps it is time to use technology only when strictly necessary. Maybe we need to implement more traditional teaching methods, but what is certain is that the city must conduct further research on how to protect our children from mobile devices and harmful content.
Scaring immigrants is not wise – we need to help them integrate faster and more easily
January 26, 2026
Honorable Chairperson, fellow Councilors, and residents of Vantaa,
I would like to thank the officials, our decision-makers, and the residents of Vantaa who have built Vantaa into today's dynamic, unique, and international city. On behalf of the young yet rapidly growing Nepalese community, as well as thousands of international students, workers, and families, I want to say thank you for providing us with a place where we can feel hope and a sense of belonging.The new city strategy is a step in the right direction, but at this stage, mere direction is not enough; we need momentum. Global urban history teaches us that a city's reputation relies on two pillars: physical safety and economic vitality. A reputation can crumble in an instant, but rebuilding it takes a lifetime and a fortune. We cannot afford to wait.Issues such as segregation, safety, vitality, and unemployment have already been discussed extensively, and I am certain they will be discussed again. I would like to focus on one particular matter that is noteworthy, especially from the perspective of immigration and the future of the city.
Dear Councilors,One of the major concerns for our city is that international politics and national policies are becoming harsher toward immigrants. I am not yet sure how this will affect Vantaa and many other cities, and if problems arise, how we intend to solve them!Considering Vantaa's immigrant population, this is a significant concern and also a challenge. We must reflect on this and be prepared. Thousands of immigrants have invested their time, money, and dreams to make this and many other cities their home, but national politics is causing them fear. They are facing difficult choices. In this situation, I hope and expect that as a city, we will reassure them and speak up loud and clear to national decision-makers: scaring people away is not wise. The only solution is to help them integrate faster and more easily.
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