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Poll highlights Swedes' immigration concerns

Published: 31 Jan 13 17:34 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/45936/20130131/

Immigration is growing in importance to Swedish voters, according to a new study that revealed most voters think the far-right Sweden Democrats are the party with the best immigration policies.

Last year, immigration ranked eleventh among the most important issues for Swedish voters.

But the results of a new survey published on Thursday by polling firm Novus reveal that immigration is now the sixth most important political issue in the eyes of voters.

The poll allowed respondents to mark several policy areas as "the most important" and 43 percent indicated that immigration is the most important issue.

Healthcare, schools, and education topped the list, with roughly 70 percent of voters marking those issues as most important.

The poll also found that the highest percentage of Swedish voters, 20 percent, believe the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats have the best immigration policy.

Last year, 11 percent thought the party had the best immigration policy, while 14 percent thought the Social Democrats were best equipped to handle the issue, the same figure the party received in this year's Novus poll.

Meanwhile, 39 percent of respondents said they couldn't answer the question.

The survey was carried out from January 10th to 16th and consisted of interviews with 1,000 people randomly selected people aged 18 to 79.

"The numbers show that immigration has become more important at the same time as other issues, such as law and order, have become less important," Novus CEO Torbjörn Sjöström told the TT news agency.

"That the Sweden Democrats are seen as having the best policy is a failure for the other parties."

Overall, the Social Democrats were seen as being best in 13 policy areas, the most among Sweden's political parties.

According to the poll, the Social Democrats are best at employment, social insurance, education, retirement, and childcare, among others.

The Moderates, meanwhile, were ranked best in ten policy areas, including law and order, entrepreneurship and business, taxes, defence, and the national economy.

Dagens Nyheter (DN) political commentator Ewa Stenberg attributed voters' increased emphasis on immigration policy tp the arrival of more refugees.

"The arrival of refugees has created concern in certain municipalities that lack housing and places in schools," she said.

She pointed out that another recent survey carried out by Gothenburg University indicates that Swedes have become more positive in their views about immigration.

Stenberg added, however, that the Sweden Democrats' recent rise in opinion polls likely has a connection to Swedes' concerns about immigration.

TT/The Local/dl
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18:08 January 31, 2013 by Logic_and_Reason
"43 percent indicated that immigration is the most important issue...snip...Healthcare, schools, and education topped the list, with roughly 70 percent of voters marking those issues as most important."

How does this math work out? If 43% of respondents chose immigration as most important, that leaves roughly 57% who chose something other than immigration. How does 53% turn into 70%?
19:37 January 31, 2013 by intrepidfox
TL is a far left site who probably support AFA
19:42 January 31, 2013 by findlaw2000
A lot of respondents may have multiple choices regarding those matters.
20:44 January 31, 2013 by icedearth
@ logic and reason... you should use your logic and reason..
21:23 January 31, 2013 by oddsock
Swedish integration policy: "Maybe you too, with our help, can one day be as perfect and blonde as us."
22:34 January 31, 2013 by Jean Noel
@oddsock- You don't like the numbers you see so you blame the Swedes?? Yeah, it's everyone else's fault except the MENA immigrants themselves. It's ok though, keep that attitude going and these numbers will keep rising.
22:36 January 31, 2013 by johan rebel
Is anybody over the age of 2½ surprised at this?
00:17 February 1, 2013 by ZZTop
Finally, the Swedes are waking up to the fact that their country has been hijacked by loony lefties and open-border charlatans. It´s time to reclaim our country.
09:44 February 1, 2013 by SecondGen
@ZZTop,

Whats with 'reclaim our country'? Your family migrated there at one time too.

Are you going to boot the Sami to the north as well?

Everyone is an immigrant, it just depends on how far back you go (in my case, I'm a second generation American meaning my grand parents were born in Sweden, and Germany and Holland too).
12:56 February 1, 2013 by godnatt
Surprise. I guess a face to face meeting with "multiculturalism" in real life has had some impact.

If a group of people can't behave in a civilized fashion in their own country why would they do it in yours?
19:50 February 2, 2013 by Iftikhar_Ahmad
Whilst I agree that you have an immigration problem in this country, I don't think that this is your main problem. Your main problem is the disintegration of the family unit and the loveless binge drinking environment that your children are growing up in! NEVER in my life have I seen another country where people so seldom give their children a hug and a kiss like in this country and NEVER in my life have I seen another country where there are so many children from different fathers growing up in single parent households! Before you tackle the immigration problem (at least the immigrants LOVE their kids) you should first look at yourselves!

Multiculturalism is not about integration but about cultural plurality. It is not about separation but about respect and the deepening awareness of Unity in Diversity. Each culture will maintain its own intrinsic value and at the same time would be expected to contribute to the benefit of the whole society. Multiculturalism can accommodate diversity of all kinds - cultural, philosophical and religious - so that we can create a world without conflict and strife. Britain can assume the role of accommodation and concern for all peoples, for our planet and indeed for our survival. Multi-culturalism is even more important and crucial after 9/11 and 7/7. Muslim youths are also likely to feel alienated by a focus on shared Brutishness, rather than multicultural diversity. Rather than promoting a single British "us" teaching should acknowledge that "us" can be diverse and plural. Children should be encouraged to explore differences in appearance, history and religion to reduce social and educational fears.

It is the democratic right of every Muslim parent to see that their children receive balanced education, so that when their children grow up, they do not find themselves cut off from their cultural roots and linguistic skills. It is a question of common sense, humanity and reason that bilingual Muslim children must be educated in state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. The whole world believes that people who speak more than one language is a vital economic asset. Pupils who speak more than one language do not cause difficulties. There are hundreds of state and church schools where Muslim children are in majority. In my opinion, all such schools may be opted out as Muslim Academies.

IA

http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk
11:56 February 3, 2013 by godnatt
@Iftikhar_Ahmad

What garbage...

Why don't you tell us more about the "hugs" Mohammed gave to 9 yr. old Aisha.
20:54 February 4, 2013 by james_g
@ Iftikhar_Ahmad - I'll second the garbage comment, particularly about muslim schools. If parents want to indoctrinate/brainwash their children, or allow/encourage it to be done by others OUTSIDE schools and the education system then so be it - although I would class such activity as child abuse - and my comment ALSO applies equally to christians, jews and all other religious myths.
06:53 February 14, 2013 by kemoe
"Diversity" and "Multi-Cultural" are nothing but a sudo-religion for the self hating Euros and the people who are working on eliminating them from the face of the earth.

It is clear that if a "culture" from the Middle-East, Africa or Asia were in danger of disapearing, all of the pukes on the social left would be spewing all over each other about how we have to help "save" them.

There is a clear double standard here. The Euopeans have been slated to be eliminated and their children are being taught in the schools that it is good for them. There isn't another people in the history of the world that has been stupid enough to give away the land and nation that was given to them by their ancestors. It is almost as if Europe has lost a war and is paying the price of being the loser. Would the Chinese, Japanese or any other civilized non-European nation commit suicide? No, they are busy promoting their own people and teaching their children to have pride in themselves.
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