The Finnish Cause is Ours : A Case Study of the Evacuation to the Torne River Valley in 1944

Research has been done on refugees in general and on Finns during the Second World War specifically. However, there is a lack of research concerning the evacuation of Finns to the Torne River Valley in Sweden in 1944, especially when it comes to experiences of the reception. Previous research on Finns mainly concerns the war children and therefore research lacks the perspective of children who were evacuated along with their families to the Torne River Valley in Sweden. This study therefore aims to map and analyze the experiences among Finns of the reception in the Torne River Valley. The theoretical framework is based on Kohli’s findings regarding the search for safety, the growth of belonging and the will to succeed for children who search for protection in a new country. By conducting eight interviews and analyzing these interviews with the theoretical framework of Kohli, the two research questions were answered. This study shows that the reception was experienced as positive among the Finns that were evacuated. Hence, with the theoretical framework with factors of safety, belonging and success by Kohli, the reception was not understood as fully successful. This study contributes to the literature with new findings and a more clarified understanding of the reception in the Torne River Valley