Laittomien

Laittomien is a Finnish term formed as the genitive plural of an adjective used as a noun to describe a group of people or activities that are illegal. In practice, laitton or laittomat are used in contexts where the noun itself is omitted and the adjective stands for the group, so laitommien functions as the possessive or descriptive form in phrases such as laittomien maahanmuuttajien oikeudet, meaning the rights of illegal immigrants. The construction is common in legal, political, and media language, but it can carry stigmatizing connotations when applied to people.

Etymology and form: the root laiton means illegal. In Finnish grammar, adjectives can take the genitive plural form laitommi-en (represented orthographically as laittomien) when they modify a plural noun or when used as a substantive referring to a group. The exact form and acceptability depend on context and the noun being implied.

Usage and context: laittomien appears most often in discussions of immigration policy, border control, policing, and human rights debates. It may appear in reports, analyses, and opinion pieces where the focus is on non‑citizens living or alleged to be living in a country without valid authorization. Because the term emphasizes illegality, some writers prefer alternatives that reference specific legal status, such as illegal immigrants, unauthorized entrants, or people without lawful status, to reduce stigma.

See also: immigration law, asylum policy, human rights, refugee status, and related discussions on terminology and dehumanization in public discourse.