Estonia’s government has evacuated refugee camp

In the city of Vao in northeast Estonia the municipal authorities evacuated a refugee camp on Saturday because of a protest ride by around 360 bikers against enlargements to the camp

Biker Scum of Vao village. PHOTO: Rauno Volmar

The liberal daily Eesti Päevaleht finds this symbolic of the government’s asylum policy:

This was no doubt a supportive solution free of risks, but at the same time it is symbolic because so far the main characteristic of Estonia’s refugee policy has been that it hides the subject of refugees.

… What would have happened if the government had opened up more refugee camps instead of overfilling the one in Vao? Perhaps there would still have been protests, but now the situation is overheated because of the European refugee crisis and it will be even harder to find places for the refugees. Estonia shouldn’t really have a problem taking in a few hundred arrivals. The government has failed to turn Vao into a good example of how the refugees can be well prepared for life in Estonia in the camps.