Finnish central bank chief donates month's salary for refugees

Erkki Liikanen says he will participate in fund-raising by Finnish Red Cross with his monthly net salary

HELSINKI: The governor of the Bank of Finland Erkki Liikanen has promised to donate a month's salary to help asylum-seekers.

"I have decided to participate in a fund-raising by the Finnish Red Cross with a sum that corresponds to my monthly net salary. That is 10,000 euros ($11,200). I know the funds will get across to those who are suffering the most," Liikanen wrote on his personal Facebook account on Sunday.

Liikanen referred to the example set by Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila who offered on Saturday to host refugees at his country home in Northern Finland.

On Friday, the government said it expected to receive 30,000 asylum applications this year, over seven times the total for 2014.

Liikanen, formerly president of honour of the Finnish Red Cross, urged everyone to help the migrants in the way "they feel appropriate and possible for them".

"The events have led to an influx of refugees we have not seen in our lifetime," he wrote, referring to conflict in Syria, Iraq, Libya and other countries.

The Bank of Finland confirmed Liikanen had posted the appeal on Facebook but told AFP he was not available for a comment on Monday.