Finnish Interior Minister Kai Mykkanen said on Wednesday that the recent car burnings and other crimes in neighboring Sweden affected Finns' "sense of safety."
HELSINKI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th August, 2018) Finnish Interior Minister Kai Mykkanen said on Wednesday that the recent car burnings and other crimes in neighboring Sweden affected Finns' "sense of safety."
Swedish police reported on Tuesday that around 80 cars were set on fire in the country's west on Monday night, with the cities of Gothenburg and Trollhattan being the most affected. According to the police, groups of masked youth were seen near the locations where the arson took place.
"We have no reason to panic or be fearful, considering that we, fortunately, are living in a country that has become safer than ever before ... Even if there are no changes in Finland, [the reports seen in] media and social media may result not only in a discussion, but directly influence the sense of safety in [our] country," Mykkanen said, as quoted by the Ilta-Sanomat newspaper.
He added that the Swedish authorities had to tackle the situation before it came to the stage where "criminal gangs that opposed the police" came into prominence.
In 2017, the World Economic Forum ranked Finland as world's safest country in its annual travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report, while Sweden ranked 16th.
