Sweden currys favour with Indian cooks
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Sweden’s recent decision to liberalize its policies governming immigrant labour have caught the attention of the Wall Street Journal. The paper explains how the move ‘bucks the trend’ of other European countries which have adopted measures that only target highly-skilled workers.
The WSJ expects international employment and immigration experts to watch developments in Sweden closely to see how the new rules, which went into effect on December 15th, play out.
“People are going to be watching the Brits, who are putting everything into a point system, and the Swedes, who are doing something entirely different,” said Demetrios Papademetriou, president of the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank. People “will be watching to see which system gives better labor market outcomes, both for the employer but also for the immigrants themselves.”
According to the article, early advocates of the new legislation include reps from Sweden’s Indiska chain of retail outlets and restaurants, who are hoping the new rules will make it easier for them to hire chefs for their restaurants directly from India.
Curry anyone?
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:25 am
This change in legislation is about time!
I’m a caucasian Englishwoman who spent a year living in Sweden (Uppsala) some ten years ago.
(Yes, I returned home every three months for a lengthy holiday, then would return to try again!!)
I came back to England because finding work was almost impossible. The laws governing employment of immigrants in Sweden were archaic and the attitudes of the Swedish people to immigrants (even other Europeans) were appalling. I met a lot of discrimination. Some of it very unpleasant.
I have often wanted to return to Sweden – the land is so beautiful – but sadly the attitudes I met have left me reluctant to do so.
In comparison with the immigrant employment and discrimination laws in operation in England at the same time, Sweden was virtually in the Middle Ages!!!
I’m glad to hear you are finally learning to be more welcoming of others.
It is long overdue.
January 28th, 2009 at 3:59 am
we have 12 to 20 million illegal migrants here in the united states many have relatives who are here legally so it is very important that you strictly enforce your law whatever you choose to make or things will get out of hand quick.2nd you must insist upon the use of your language and respect for your culture and history shocking as it may seem to some, migrants often try to replace the local culture with their own.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:03 am
I have lived and worked for ten years in Europe.I have seen how in so called liberal immigration countries in Europe, immigrants have abused these laws for their own personal benefit.Immigration is good but it should be tightly controlled and monitored all the times. Unfortunately most of the countries in EU have hid behind the ugly curtain of human rights and ignored their own countrymen and failed them in providing the basic food, clothing and shelter.First EU should focus on its own citizens before talking about immigration.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Immigration to your country is destroying the working conditions and wages of your own workforce.
March 17th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
I am happy to see that Sweden has introduced a new labor law from the month of December 2008. this law will assure talented and skilled work force migration to Sweden. the new labour law is good for the educated people and it will certainly decrease the number of asylum seekers and refugees. But at the same time I think the government should take strong action against many illegal ways to get Swedish residence permit, such as contact marriage,partnership(sambo) etc.Marriage law should be restricted and dealing money for partnership should be prohibited.