Cultural security regulation in Europe: A case study of immigrants in Finland

Abstract

The cultural security of migrants in Finland is a rarely discussed topic. Like most European Union (EU) countries, Finland focuses the majority of its efforts on combating discrimination and, in many cases, overlooks aspects of cultural security for vulnerable minorities. Exactly such overlooking happened in 1996 when the Finnish legislation sufficiently limited ways of halal slaughtering — an essential ritual for Muslims. The subject of research is the cultural security of migrants in Europe with particular attention to Finland, reflected in analysed legal instruments such as the Finnish Animal Welfare Act 247/1996 and Animal Welfare Decree 396/1996 and academic papers defining challenges that religious minorities face in the European states. As discussed in the article legal concept of corporate due diligence can become this alternative aimed at harmonising halal standards, strengthening Muslim immigrants’ trust, and preventing misrepresentation of Muslim cultural security. This qualitative, descriptive, and conclusive research aims to identify potential mechanisms to foster cultural security for Muslim immigrants, discuss issues provoking cultural security from the perspective of the case study of halal slaughtering limitations, and answers the question of how the concept of due diligence can contribute to efficient regulation of cultural security in the future