Eesti in brief - 2010-02-17

Approximately 20,000 illegal immigrants are approaching Estonian and Latvian borders with the intent to go to Finland or, possibly, the generous welfare states of Scandinavia. Estonian police and border guards say that Estonia is becoming a transit point for illegal immigrants, especially Afghans, Syrians and Palestinians, reports LETA. Nearly 30 immigrants from Central Asia were recently detained by Estonia’s border officers on their way to Finland. Estonian authorities in the past two months have detained more than ten Afghans and Palestinians who were traveling to Tallinn from Riga by intercity coach and who had either forged IDs or none. Illegal immigrants pay up to $15,000 per person for the chance to be smuggled to the West. They are taken first to Russia and then to the Baltic border zone. According to Indrek Jogi, those illegal immigrants who have reached Riga can always take a ferry from Riga to Stockholm if they cannot enter Estonia to go to Finland.

Estonian sociologist Andrus Saar says that Estonian politicians lack real ideas for creating jobs, reports National Broadcasting. Saar said in an interview on Kuku radio that a couple of thousand jobs created or to be created are of no particular use, and that a vision by “parliamentary parties to fight unemployment is still necessary.” He believes that, in cooperation with economic experts, ideas to create jobs might be found, but politicians themselves lack ideas. Saar also stressed that reducing unemployment is not a simple one-time action; several different measures have to be worked on simultaneously. He said that politicians have to understand that they have to fight for every investment in the foreign market, but shouldn’t underestimate domestic possibilities, either. The Estonian parliament will hold a debate on developing an entrepreneurship environment in order to increase employment. Another debate will take place on how to ease the social consequences of unemployment.