The definitive guide to integration in Sweden
When it comes to welcoming refugees, few countries in the world have opened their arms wider than Sweden. But it's not just asylum seekers who are helping to make Sweden more multicultural than it has ever been: it is estimated that 11% of the population were born outside of the country. But as this collection of recent articles shows, the path to diversity is rarely smooth.
Why I finally decided to seek Swedish citizenship
With three years in Sweden under her belt, US-native and parent Rebecca Ahlfeldt debates the pros and cons of taking Swedish citizenship. READ () »
'Let's solve integration, not fight about racism'
The Swedish integration debate should focus on the difficult trade-offs needed in a country that is not optimal for immigration, rather than getting bogged down in the semantics of racism, argues Andreas Johansson Heinö. READ () »
'Job market integration won't come for free'
If the government doesn't speed up its labour market reforms, Sweden risks losing out on the full potential of an entire generation of foreign-born workers, argues Swedish Confederation of Enterprise economist Li Jansson. READ () »
'Do expat friends make it harder to integrate?'
US-native and parent Rebecca Ahlfeldt reflects on why many of her friends in Sweden are from her home country and whether or not this makes her a "bad immigrant". READ () »
'Northern Swedes are the real Swedes'
After a trip to far northern Sweden, youth centre worker and columnist Milad Mohammadi reflects on whether the local residents up north are the "real Swedes" and what the rest of the country could learn from them. READ () »
Education key to Balkan refugee integration
Refugees who came to Sweden during the Balkan war are faring comparatively well almost two decades after immigration peaked in 1994, with seven out of ten employed today, although figures were gloomier for the less-educated. READ () »
Sweden's minimum wages 'too high': OECD
Sweden needs to do more for people excluded from the labour market, the OECD said on Monday, citing high minimum wages and integration policies have left some groups trapped in poverty. READ () »
Older immigrants face lower Swedish pensions
Immigrants to Sweden who move here before their 35th birthday have enough time to work towards a pension that is almost equal to people born in Sweden, but older immigrants risk lagging behind socio-economically, a new statistics review shows. READ () »
Swedish retirement made easier for Indians
The Swedish government is set to simplify the pension system for the country's 8,000-strong Indian workforce, as the social security minister jets off to New Delhi in the latest bid to strengthen ties with the key Asian market. READ () »
Study: Sweden 'fails' at job market integration
Sweden is the second worst country in Europe when it comes to labour market integration, according to a new study from Stockholm University. READ () »
New citizens should all speak Swedish: expert
Sweden needs to introduce language and cultural knowledge requirements for would-be Swedish citizens, according to one political scientist at an expert panel in Stockholm on Wednesday. READ () »
Learning Swedish the easy way
Whether you are already an expatriate or considering the move to Sweden, learning the language is one of the biggest issues to deal with. Since most Swedes have mastered English, it's all too easy to rest on your language laurels. But sticking to English can prove risky. READ () »
Somalis fare better in the US than Sweden: report
Somali immigrants in Sweden have had a harder time finding employment compared to Somalis in the United States and Canada, a new report has found. READ () »
Job programmes 'unfair' to foreign-born women
Foreign-born women are treated unfairly compared to newly arrived men when it comes to programmes to help them enter the Swedish labour market, according to an inquiry submitted to the government on Tuesday. READ () »
Sweden boosts support to immigrant students
Sweden plans to spend 409 million kronor ($62 million) to improve education for foreign-born children, an increasing number of whom have struggled to make the grade after arriving in Sweden. READ () »
'Free markets to thank for Swedish model success'
While Sweden is often held up as a shining example of the benefits of a generous welfare state, a new paper argues that free markets, rather than a large state sector, are the real key to Sweden's economic success. READ () »
'Love immigrants' need more support adjusting to life in Sweden
Those who immigrate to Sweden for love can run into trouble if they become too dependent on their Swedish partners, argue Liberal Party ministers Nyamko Sabuni and Erik Ullenhag, who propose expanding the availability of society orientation courses as a first step toward improving the situation. READ () »
'Swedishness can't only be about herring and potatoes'
Without a concept of "Swedishness" that can be shared by all, integration won't succeed in Sweden nor will it be a country that has a place for immigrants, argues argues Bosian war refugee Jasenko Selimovic of the Liberal Party. READ () »
Sweden in bid to 'define Swedish citizenship'
The government plans to launch an inquiry to study Swedish citizenship in hopes of finding ways to boost its value and use it as a tool for integration. READ () »
Woman didn't want help from 'dark-skinned' clerk
A woman's refusal to be served by a "dark-skinnned" clerk at the local office of a public agency is not a crime, a Swedish court has ruled. READ () »
New 'mythbuster' website to fight racism in Sweden
The Swedish government has launched a new website to combat the proliferation of inaccurate and often racist myths about minorities and immigrants in Sweden. READ () »
'Swedish society forces 'immigrants' to emigrate'
Swedish society is failing its "immigrants", many of whom, such as football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, are forced to look elsewhere to build successful careers, social commentator and author Tove Lifvendahl argues. READ () »
'Sweden can't afford to lose clever immigrants'
Sweden can't afford to keep discriminating against those living in the suburbs and thereby missing out on the payback of years of investment in education and skills, journalist Carlos Rojas argues. READ () »
Silence won't solve the problems with a multicultural society
The problems of a multicultural Swedish society won’t solve themselves if our politicians, in fear of being called a "racist", don't break their silence on the issues, argues equal rights activist Bahareh Andersson. READ () »
Refugee jobs reform 'not working': report
Sweden's much touted integration policy reform has failed to ensure that refugees start the process of finding work before receiving welfare benefits from local authorities, a new study has shown. READ () »
'Immigrants in Sweden are treated as a homogenous, deviant group'
Despite being drawn from a slew of different cultures, ethnicities and linguistic groups, immigrants in Sweden are treated as one homogeneous group with defined characteristics distinct from static Swedish norms, writes Salam Zandi. READ () »
Housing shortage sinks immigrant jobs efforts
Of the 4,000 people who’ve arrived in Sweden since December 2010, Sweden's Employment Service has only been able to find work for ten, according to a new report, which cites the availability of housing as a major hurdle. READ () »
Swedish language skills no prerequisite for a job
While Swedish classes for immigrants are all well and good, the best way to acquire Swedish fluency and boost integration is to encourage immigrants to enter the labour market as soon as possible, argues linguist Sandra Ljung. READ () »
Think tank: cut wages to boost immigrant jobs
The government should work to cut wages in low paid jobs so that more new Swedes can get into the labour market, according to Swedish free market think tank Timbro. READ () »
Sweden's hemspråk: teaching kids their parents' language
As Sweden continues to grapple with how best to integrate its ever-growing foreign born population, The Local's Karen Holst looks at one way in which Swedish schools address the needs of children with a mother tongue other than Swedish. READ () »
Schools at centre of new anti-racism efforts
The Swedish government plans to focus on schools as well as conduct a survey of xenophobia in a new push to fight racism and intolerance in the wake of electoral gains made by the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats. READ () »
'Sweden must do more to utilise foreign grads'
The government must do more to ensure that Sweden takes advantage of the benefits brought by highly educated foreigners who come to the country, Sweden's national auditor has argued. READ () »
Foreign-born rule the ranks of Sweden's bakers
Sweden's bakers and confectioners make up the profession with the highest proportion of workers born outside Europe, new statistics show. READ () »
Sweden best at integration: study
Sweden is the better at managing integration than other European countries, the United States, and Canada, according to a new study published on Monday. READ () »
Sweden looks to combat Islamophobia
Sweden’s integration minister Erik Ullenhag is meeting on Thursday with representatives from the Swedish Muslim community to develop a strategy for combating Islamophobia in the wake of the Stockholm suicide bombing. READ () »
'Integration a fiasco': Gothenburg official
Gothenburg municipal officials described Sweden's integration policy as a "fiasco" to the US embassy, according to a document published by WikiLeaks. READ () »
Non-European execs scarce in Sweden: study
People with non-European backgrounds remain largely absent from the upper echelons of Sweden’s publicly traded companies, according to a new report. READ () »
Sweden launches integration policy reform
The Swedish government has launched a "sweeping" reform of integration policy, shifting the main responsibility for immigrant "establishment" in the country on the Public Employment Service. READ () »
New arrivals need more than a 'pat on the head'
With Sweden just days away from enacting the most sweeping reform of its integration policy in 25 years, newly installed Integration Minister Erik Ullenhag of the Liberal Party explains how the new policies will help confront Sweden's integration challenge. READ () »
Sweden considers healthcare for illegals
Sweden's new integration minister Erik Ullenhag is hopeful that Sweden will extend healthcare services and schooling to illegal immigrants, despite opposition from Alliance government colleagues. READ () »
Swedes cite integration issues as a 'problem'
Three of four Swedes consider issues which address integration and immigration to be a contemporary Swedish problem, with four in ten sceptical of the experts on the issue, a new survey published on Tuesday shows. READ () »
Honour killing brother gives account of murder
The brother of a man convicted of a so-called honour killing in Högsby, southern Sweden in 2005, has told social workers more about who actually committed the murder. READ () »
Terror suspect arrested in Rinkeby
A Swedish citizen of Somalian origin has been arrested in the Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby on suspicion of terrorist offences. READ () »
University in quest to return Sami bones
A major project is underway at Uppsala University to try and return the remains of Sami people used for racial biology research. READ () »
Somalia terror suspect remanded
A 23-year old man suspected of planning terror attacks in Somalia has been remanded in custody by Gothenburg District Court. READ () »
Gothenburg man arrested over Somali terror plot
A man has been arrested in Gothenburg on suspicion of planning terror attacks in Somalia, the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) has said. READ () »
Swedes recruited by Somali terror group
An al-Qaeda-linked extremist group in Somalia has recruited more than 20 young people from Sweden to fight in the war-torn African country, the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) fears. READ () »
Top flight club bans foreign language use
Swedish top flight football club Brommapojkarna (BP) has introduced a language policy requiring all players to speak Swedish to each other in order to be eligible for selection. READ () »
'Force councils to accept refugees'
The opposition Social Democrats have called for legislation to force all of Sweden's municipalities to accept their share of refugees. READ () »
Refugees staying put in problem spots
A Swedish government project focused on enticing refugees to leave problem-ridden areas in Sweden's big cities has failed to achieve its goals. After two years, just 286 people have made use of the scheme. READ () »
Sweden to tackle 'ticking bomb' of Islamic violence
Sweden needs to do more to help young “violence-affirming Islamists” turn their backs on extremist organizations, minister for integration Nyamko Sabuni said on Tuesday. READ () »
Home childcare trend fuels segregation fears
Sweden’s childcare allowance is proving ever more popular in heavily immigrant neighbourhoods, resulting in the closure of some preschools and prompting fears about the measure’s unintended consequences. READ () »
Sweden risks facing severe labour shortages
Over the next ten years, the number of native-born Swedes of working age will decline by 100,000. Without more immigrants, we will be unable to sustain our welfare standards, writes Olle Wästberg, head of the Swedish Institute. READ () »
Workers pick Sweden's shrubs and data hubs
Thai berry pickers and Indian IT experts have been the primary recipients of work permits since Sweden's new labour force immigration laws came into force a year ago. READ () »
Jobs agency tapped for greater integration role
The Swedish agency primarily tasked with helping unemployed people find jobs will assume a greater responsibility for implementing Sweden’s integration policies, according to a new government proposal. READ () »
Swedish integration policies 'a failure'
Immigrants to Sweden continue to flock to a few, high-immigrant concentration areas, new statistics show, prompting one politician to conclude the country's integration politics have failed. READ () »
New measures to help speed up integration
The government has proposed a sweeping overhaul of Sweden’s system for supporting newly arrived immigrants in their search for a job in hopes of getting them established and working more quickly. READ () »
Sweden mulls mandatory classes for refugees
The government will shortly introduce reforms proposing that it be obligatory for all refugees arriving in the country to take part in a society orientation course to facilitate their establishment in Swedish society. READ () »
Five charged over Iraqi human smuggling ring
Three men and two women were formally charged on Monday for human smuggling on suspicions they helped transport 24 Iraqis into Sweden in return for large sums of money. READ () »
Rosengård: Integration in the eye of the storm
Malmö suburb Rosengård has come to symbolise Sweden's struggles with integration. AFP's Marc Preel examines a community grappling with its identity after a winter marred by rioting and clashes with the police. READ () »
Sabuni offers to meet with Rosengård youth
Sweden’s integration minister Nyamko Sabuni wants to visit the homes of young people from the predominantly immigrant suburb of Rosengård in Malmö. READ () »
Frosty reception for vulnerable refugees
The unwillingness of Swedish municipalties to take in refugees who are traumatised or disabled has been described by the head of the Migration Board as "a major problem". READ () »
New lift for Sweden's minority languages
The Swedish government has promised to do more to preserve and promote the country’s official minority languages. READ () »
Migration Board 'putting pressure on deportees'
Sweden's Migration Board has come under fire for allegedly pressuring candidates for deportation to sign agreements obliging them to leave the country rather than appeal their cases. READ () »
'Relax restrictions' for asylum seekers with Swedish kids
Sweden's Migration Minister Tobias Billström has vowed to ease residency restrictions for asylum seekers who have started families with Swedish partners. READ () »
Segregation 'widespread' for Swedish immigrants
A study released on Thursday by Statistics Sweden (SCB) reports widespread segregation in the fields of education, housing, employment and politics. READ () »
Student receives damages for headscarf slight
A student at a Landskrona secondary school in southern Sweden has been awarded damages for being told not to wear an Islamic headscarf. READ () »
Swedish texts 'filled with ideological bias'
Several books used to teach Swedish as a second language are plagued with ideological bias, according to a recent academic study. READ () »
Woman collapses after self-immolation threat
A woman threatened to set herself on fire outside the County Court in central Gothenburg on Friday after she had her asylum application rejected. READ () »
New integration role for Sweden's jobs agency
The government will present a plan on Thursday to give Sweden’s employment agency a more prominent role in integrating immigrants, according to integration minister Nyamko Sabuni. READ () »
New funds to integrate Sweden's immigrants
The government has announced plans to spend close to 2 billion kronor ($297 million) to help Sweden's newly arrived immigrants and refugees integrate more quickly. READ () »
'How do you like it here in Sweden?'
As an immigrant to Sweden there will be many difficulties to overcome -- but there are few questions on earth more dastardly than this, writes Paul Jackson. READ () »
Iraqis in suspected repatriation grant racket
A financial incentive scheme encouraging asylum seekers to return to their homelands has been abused by hundreds of Iraqi refugees, Swedish authorities believe. READ () »
Immigrant traders shun banks
Small business owners in Sweden with an immigrant background avoid taking out bank loans when setting up their own businesses, a new report shows. READ () »
Fewer Danes migrate to Sweden
The number of people moving from Denmark to Skåne in southern Sweden has more than halved over the last year, according to new figures from Statistics Sweden. READ () »
UN slams Sweden's deportation policy
United Nation refugee agency UNHCR has criticized Sweden's decision to deport Afghan refugees to Kabul even if they have no social or family ties in the capital city. READ () »
Sweden's welfare programmes hinder Iraqi integration
By emphasizing welfare programmes over work and entrepreneurship, Sweden makes it harder for Iraqi immigrants to achieve success in their new country, argues Nima Sanandaji of the Captus think tank. READ () »
Judge wrote anti-immigrant letters to Prime Minister
A Swedish magistrate wrote anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim letters to Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt while judging in criminal cases involving immigrants. READ () »
Foreign children 'should be taught in their own languages'
Foreign children who move to Sweden should have a right to be taught maths and English in their native language, the opposition Green Party has said. READ () »
The hidden lives of Sweden’s undocumented migrants
Sweden has taken in thousands of asylum seekers in recent year. But not all have had their applications accepted. Faisal Enayat Khan describes his encounters with just a handful of Sweden's estimated 15,000 undocumented migrants. READ () »
'Make language a fast track to a passport'
Immigrants to Sweden should be able to become citizens within two years if they learn Swedish quickly, a new report has proposed. READ () »
Wasting time at the Migration Board
Ronnie Gilchrist spends a trying afternoon at the offices of the Migration Board with an MBA student who urgently needs the agency to rectify a bureaucratic error. READ () »
Khat: Sweden's forgotten immigrant drug
Use of the illegal drug khat is widespread in Sweden's immigrant suburbs but the police have chosen to turn a blind eye, Faisal Enayat Khan reports. READ () »
Immigrants hindered by Sweden's interpreter shortage
Despite its reputation as a haven for immigrants and asylum seekers, Sweden currently lacks authorized interpreters for more than three quarters of the languages spoken in the country on a daily basis. READ () »
Swedish justice: A matter of interpretation
As a growing array of languages jostle for position in the towns and suburbs of Sweden, Faisal Enayat Khan examines some linguistic shortcomings in the country's legal system. READ () »
Sweden tightens healthcare rules for illegal immigrants
Sweden's parliament has approved a government proposal to deny subsidized public healthcare services to illegal immigrants. READ () »
Immigrants and the young: Left behind by Swedish left?
Sweden's political left should embrace free market reforms if it is to achieve its goals for a more equitable society, writes Nima Sanandaji of the Captus think tank. READ () »
'It's as if we immigrants stink of rotten fish'
When deciding where in the world to study and work, Nabeel Shehzad, an engineer from Pakistan, thought Sweden seemed like the perfect place. But that was before he began to encounter discrimination on a regular basis. READ () »
Parents to face jail for child marriages
Parents who allow children under the age of 16 to get married in another country could face up to two years in jail. READ () »
Sweden shutting door on refugees: critics
Recent decisions by Sweden to send refugees back to Baghdad and other war-ravaged areas have tarnished its reputation for welcoming victims of conflict, critics say. READ () »
Tunisian family's dismissal delayed
Sweden's Migration Board has decided to delay the controversial dismissal of a Tunisian family. READ () »
Immigration agreement for Greens and government
The Swedish government and the Green Party are to present a joint proposal on Thursday for new rules governing labour force immigration. READ () »
Asylum system 'stuck in Stone Age'
The Swedish Migration Board has proposed changing the "stone age" regulations for asylum seekers who have started families with Swedish nationals. READ () »
The path to Swedish asylum: A smuggler speaks
Rami Abdelrahman travels to Jordan and tracks down the first link in the chain of an underground operation involved in the smuggling of Iraqi refugees to Sweden. READ () »
UNHCR criticizes Sweden's Iraqi refugee policy
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has criticized Sweden's policy of deporting rejected Iraqi asylum seekers to the southern and central regions of their home country. READ () »
Dutch ditching dykes for Dalarna
Hundreds of Dutch want to move to Dalarna and the county is using some innovative methods to assist in the process. READ () »
Liberals call for compulsory citizenship classes
The Liberal Party has said it wants to introduce a mandatory course for all immigrants seeking Swedish citizenship. READ () »
Immigrant girls and sex education - who knows best?
Parents, students, or the state: who knows best? David Landes looks at the thorny issue of sex education and editorial reactions to a Liberal Party proposal aiming to bar parents from exempting their children, particularly girls, from classes. READ () »
Liberals call for mandatory sex ed
The Liberal Party wants to remove the option for parents to request exemptions from sex education classes for their children. READ () »
Foreigners can't bank on Swedish ID
Foreign students continue to feel marginalized by Swedish society as a result of confusion regarding the issuing of Swedish identity cards. READ () »
Chad force and Swedish for immigrants stoke debate
David Landes gauges press reactions to two of the week's main talking points: proposed changes to state-run language classes for immigrants and Sweden's troop deployment to Chad. READ () »
Iraq to take back asylum seekers rejected by Sweden
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has said his country will take back asylum seekers rejected by Sweden, clearing the way for forced deportations. READ () »
Sweden's Albanians celebrate Kosovo's independence
Emotions ran high in many Swedish towns on Sunday as the country's Kosovar Albanian population celebrated Pristina's unilateral declaration of independence. READ () »
New housing and work demands for immigrants
The new directive would require immigrants to have a job and housing before sending for relatives. READ () »
Sweden slashes asylum grants to Iraqi refugees
Sweden has slashed the proportion of Iraqi asylum seekers it has allowed to stay in the country. READ () »
Rowdy deportee stalls return to Eritrea
A deportee's rowdy behaviour blocked Sweden's controversial attempt to send him back to Eritrea. READ () »
Immigrant children 'like visitors from the Middle Ages'
Officials in Eskilstuna have been slammed for a report claiming that some immigrant children are a thousand years behind their Swedish peers. READ () »
Asylum seeker figures soar
Iraqis and Somalis contributed to a sharp rise in the number of asylum seekers coming to Sweden in 2007. READ () »
Sweden rejects Somali refugees
New guidelines from the Migration Board recommend rejecting the applications of asylum seekers from the Somali capital Mogadishu. READ () »
Sweden turns away asylum seekers
The proportion of asylum seekers sent directly back by Sweden to other EU countries has fallen marginally. READ () »
Cleaning firms willing to discriminate
Many Swedish cleaning firms would be prepared to discriminate against workers with an immigrant background, according to new survey. READ () »
Young Swedes 'not positive' to foreign colleagues
Colleagues with foreign backgrounds do not make a positive difference to workplaces, say many young Swedes. READ () »
Swedish Iranians protest against Tehran
Swedish-based opponents of the Iranian government march through Stockholm to protest against Tehran. READ () »
Public think police 'doing a poor job'
Police are doing a poor job at investigating crimes - particularly violence and burglary, according to a major public survey. READ () »
Immigration to Sweden maintains record pace
New figures have shown that immigration to Sweden remains high despite the disappearance of last year's temporary asylum law. Emigration and births are also on the rise. READ () »
Asylum seekers come to Sweden in record numbers
The number of asylum seekers coming to Sweden has reached its highest point in 14 years, with Iraqis accounting for much of the increase. READ () »
'No conflict in Iraq,' says Swedish court
Sweden's Migration Court has rejected the appeal of an Iraqi man who was refused asylum in a case that could have wider implications for asylum seekers from the troubled Middle Eastern country. READ () »
Migration Board slams 'uncommitted' councils
The Swedish Migration Board has criticized 14 local councils for for not providing "acceptable arguments" for their failure to take in asylum seekers and refugees. READ () »
Sweden 'best at helping foreigners integrate'
Sweden is best in Europe at welcoming foreign workers, according to a new EU study. Lithuania does least to help new arrivals settle in. READ () »
Moderates split over refugee issue
Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has received criticism from his Moderate Party colleagues in Skåne. The rift comes after Reinfeldt rejected a proposal to direct newly arrived refugees to areas in which they are likely to find work and accommodation. READ () »
Learning Swedish: accept no substitutes
Swedes might speak great English, but there's no substitute for getting your tongue around the Swedish language. Fiona Basile finds that learning the lingo needn't be a nightmare. READ () »
Macedonia stop Kosovo immigrants on Swedish passports
Macedonian police have prevented five Kosovo Albanians, travelling with several Swedish soldiers serving with NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo (KFOR), from flying from Macedonia to Sweden. READ () »
Social Democrats call for living restrictions for refugees
The Social Democrats want to prevent refugees and asylum seekers from choosing where they want to live when they arrive in Sweden. The proposal comes as the party prepares to present its shadow budget. READ () »
'Ban headscarves' say half of Swedes
Islamic headscarves ought to be banned at workplaces and in schools - that's the view of half the people surveyed in a new Swedish survey carried out by Uppsala University. READ () »
Failed asylum seekers to be paid to go home
Failed asylum seekers who are hiding in Sweden will in future be entitled to state support to return to their homelands, Migration Minister Tobias Billström has said. READ () »
Government strives to turn immigrants into farmers
Immigrants to Sweden should be encouraged to work in agriculture and integrate into rural communities, the government has said. Agriculture Minister Eskil Erlandsson says many immigrants have just the right skills. READ () »
Migration Board continues to grant Iraqis asylum
Nine out of ten asylum seekers from Iraq are still being granted residence permits to stay in Sweden despite the Migration Board's decision that the situation in their home country should not be categorized as a war. READ () »
'Healthcare worse for immigrant women'
Women born in countries outside Sweden suffer more complications when giving birth than Swedish women, according to a new study. READ () »
More foreigners work for Swedish state
The state is employing an increasing number of people with foreign backgrounds, according to new statistics. READ () »
Norwegians shocked to learn they're really Swedes
A 17-year-old girl from Oslo has had to cancel her foreign holiday plans after local authorities refused to renew her passport on discovering that she is, in fact, Swedish. More and more shocked 'Norwegians' are now learning the truth about their citizenship. READ () »
Swedes: integration is not working
Residents of Stockholm and Malmö are more negative than any other Europeans when asked for their views on how well immigrants are integrated into society. They also complain that affordable housing is hard to find. READ () »
Minister backs discrimination test
'Situation testing', where fake job applications are submitted with the same qualifications but different backgrounds, could become a weapon against workplace discrimination, says Sweden's integration minister. READ () »
Iraqi refugee to appeal controversial ruling
An Iraqi asylum seeker is to appeal last week's controversial Migration Court decision to send him back to Baghdad. READ () »
Housing market sees rise in ethnic discrimination
The Ombudsman against Ethnic Discrimination has begun an investigation into the housing market as the number of complaints continues to increase. READ () »
Call to ban arranged marriages
A senior Stockholm politician is calling for a ban on arranged marriages and for an end to pupils using religious or cultural reasons as an excuse to skip sex education and gym lessons. READ () »
Refugees "should support relatives in Sweden"
Refugees who want their relatives to move to Sweden could be forced to support them and provide them with accommodation, under a new proposal from the Moderates. READ () »
Belly dancing and hummus - Swedes fall for Lebanese
The war that tore through Lebanon in the 1980s brought 15,000 Lebanese to Sweden. One result of this is that Swedes are becoming connoisseurs of Middle Eastern cooking – and belly dancing – as Rami Abdelrahman reports. READ () »
Immigrants' purchasing power increases
Immigrants have less purchasing power than people born within Sweden's borders. But the disposable income of immigrant groups is on the rise, according to a new study in southern Sweden. READ () »
Swedish attitudes harden on immigration
A new survey from the Swedish Integration Board has shown an upsurge in support for restrictive immigration policies. 14 percent want native Swedes to have precedence for jobs, housing and benefits. READ () »
Fast-track boost for immigrant healthcare workers
Sweden is to invest 148 million kronor to ensure that immigrants educated in healthcare from countries outside the European Union are fast-tracked into care jobs. READ () »
Sweden signals radical shift in integration policy
Three ministers have indicated that newly arrived immigrants and asylum seekers will no longer be free to live where they want. Instead they are to be placed in areas where there are jobs. READ () »
Swedish landlords "avoid letting to immigrants"
Eight out of ten Swedish landlords systematically avoid letting their properties to tenants with Arabic names. The discrimination is especially widespread in towns outside the country's large cities. READ () »
Cost of receiving immigrants 'to double' by 2010
The cost to the Swedish state of receiving asylum seekers is set to rise to more than 12 billion kronor by 2010, partly due to rising number of Iraqi refugees, partly due to more relaxed Swedish laws. READ () »
Jobs for immigrants: don't blame discrimination
Immigrants' average earnings are well below those of native Swedes. But the differences have less to do with discrimination than with over-regulation, high taxes and high welfare, says Nima Sanandaji of think-tank Captus. READ () »
Immigrants 'need more help' to integrate in Sweden
People with foreign backgrounds face major problems getting jobs in Sweden, a new government report has said. More needs to be done to help immigrants find their way on the labour market. READ () »
Concrete jungle: Sweden's suburbs become cool
They provide homes to one in four of the Swedish population, but the brutalist architecture of Sweden's 'Miljonprogram' suburbs has long had a bad press. Yet now the impossible seems to be happening: the suburbs are becoming cool. Christine Demsteader reports. READ () »
The Holocaust: Sweden's complex legacy
Bystander in the Second World War, yet refuge for victims of the Nazis. A leader in promoting tolerance, yet with a resurgent far-right. David Stavrou looks at the complex legacy of the Holocaust in Sweden. READ () »
Swedes keenest on ethnic minorities
Swedes are the quickest in the European Union to embrace the multi-cultural society, according to a new survey. "It's pleasing that people are so positive," says integration minister Nyamko Sabuni. READ () »
Sweden Democrats: pay immigrants to leave
The Sweden Democrats in Malmö want to pay immigrants to leave the country. But the Social Democrats, who control the city, say that the proposal would create a 'them and us' situation. READ () »
Swedish recruiters reject Arabic names
Job seekers with Arabic names face widespread discrimination by Swedish employers. According to researchers at the University of Kalmar, more than one in four employers would prefer to employ someone with a Swedish name. READ () »
Eight hospitalised after Ystad gang fight
Two youth gangs from Ystad and Tomelilla in southern Skåne clashed on Saturday night in central Ystad, apparently as part of a feud between a group with a Swedish background and another group of immigrant origin. READ () »
Only one in three completes SFI
Only one student in three at Sweden's state-sponsored SFI language courses concludes the highest level of the programme, a new report from the National Agency for Education claims. READ () »
More asylum seekers in Sweden
The total number of asylum seekers in Sweden increased 11 percent during the past six months, while figures for the EU as a whole are going down. READ () »
Illusory success of Swedish immigration
Immigration is a dominant political issue throughout Europe, but in Sweden, where a general election is to be held on Sunday, the thorny subject has been markedly absent from the campaign. READ () »
Citizenship delays stop immigrants from voting
Around two thousand people will miss out on the chance to vote in the election because of delays in processing their applications for Swedish citizenship. READ () »
"Integration contract" for new refugees
Newly refugees will have to sign a personal contract establishing their rights and responsibilities, says integration minister Jens Orback. And if they don't learn Swedish, they won't get paid. READ () »
Integration minister slams integration report
Sweden's Minister for Integration, Jens Orback, has lambasted the controverisal proposals to emerge from the inquiry into structural discrimination - which he commissioned. READ () »
"Immigrant welcoming schemes reduce job chances"
Immigrants who participate in council-run introduction programmes are reducing their chances of getting a job, according to new research from Örebro University. READ () »
Centre politician quits after immigrant comments
A Centre Party politician who said that immigrants accused of crimes should get a "kick in the butt" and leave the country has resigned. READ () »
'Check all schoolgirls for circumcision'
Ban headscarves for girls under 15, end state support for religious schools and check every Swedish girl for female circumcision. That is the call from senior Swedish Liberal Nyamko Sabuni, who wants to banish honour culture from Sweden. READ () »
Swedish integration attempts 'are divisive'
Sweden's attempts to integrate immigrants are coloured by a focus on the deficiencies of immigrant groups, a new report into the Integration Board says. READ () »
Turkish pair end Kiruna standoff
A Turkish asylum seeker family ended an 11 hour standoff in migration board offices in Kiruna on Monday night, after a man had earlier poured gasoline over himself and threatened to light a match. READ () »
Asylum seekers in Kiruna suicide threat
A couple from Turkey seeking asylum in Sweden threatened to set themselves on fire in the Board of Migration's offices in Kiruna on Monday. After all-day negotiations they gave themselves up. READ () »
Healthcare risk from cheaper interpreters
In order to cut costs, more and more county councils are working with language agencies that cannot guarantee that interpreters have healthcare experience, Swedish Radio has reported. READ () »
Fun park turns down headscarf woman
A Gothenburg woman was denied a job at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg because she wore a headscarf. "It really hurt," said Duaa Daebes, who reported the park to the discrimination ombudsman. READ () »
Centre wants Swedish Green Cards
A Green Card system for worker immigration should be introduced in Sweden, the opposition Centre Party has said. "Sweden has had its greatest successes when we have been open to the outside world," it said. READ () »
The four missing digits that could be fatal
Sweden makes much of its committment to the United Nations and trumpets the welcome it gives to refugees. But it is under fire from the UN for turning some migrants without personal numbers away from hospital. Aidan Isherwood reports. READ () »
Indian migrations baffle Arlanda police
A new wave of young Indian migrants arriving in Stockholm on flights from Moscow and then seeking asylum in Sweden is puzzling police officers at Arlanda airport. READ () »
Immigrants 'not getting enough support'
Recent immigrants to Sweden are not being given the support they need to integrate into society, a new report says. READ () »
Young immigrants more ambitious than Swedes
Young people with immigrant backgrounds are more ambitious than their Swedish contemporaries. Nearly 42 percent of immigrants are certain that they will continue in education after school. READ () »
Sweden warms to refugees
The general attitude towards Sweden's acceptance of refugees has become less negative, according to new research. But Swedes in the north are considerably softer in their views than their compatriots in the south. READ () »
Immigrants absent on state firms' boards
The number of women on the boards of Sweden's state-owned companies is increasing, but immigrants are still almost entirely unrepresented, a new survey shows. READ () »
Welcoming ceremony for all 'new Swedes'
If receiving notice of citizenship in the post lacks a certain formality, all new Swedish citizens will now be able to celebrate in style at the local town hall. READ () »
Immigrants 'well integrated in Sweden' claim
Sweden is good at integrating immigrants into the job market, according to the man at the head of the government's integration agency. Sixty percent of foreigners in Sweden have jobs. READ () »
Harder for immigrants to find home
Immigrants to Sweden find it harder than native-born Swedes to find somewhere to live, according to a new report. Differences in income don't explain the differences, it claims. READ () »
Integration Sweden's biggest failing - survey
Integration, healthcare, law and order and employment: these are the areas of Swedish society which are in the worst shape, according to voters' personal experience. READ () »
Stockholm Syndrome: Don't blame Sweden
After a nightmare of a day all our correspondent wanted to do was have a good old rant about the difficulties of living in Sweden. But is that fair? Damned right it is. READ () »
Bodström asylum client murdered in Pakistan
A man who was denied political asylum in Sweden was murdered in Pakistan last week. At the time of his deportation he was represented by the current justice minister, Thomas Bodström. READ () »
Immigrants exploited in risky jobs
Asylum seekers without work or residency permits have been in great demand throughout the winter - for the dangerous work of clearing snow off rooftops. READ () »
Ethnic and economic segregation worsens in Sweden
Living conditions for Swedes as a whole have improved since 1990, according to a new report. But there is increasing ethnic and economic segregation in Sweden's cities. READ () »
Record investment in integration
Just in time for the election, the government plans to spend 1.7bn kronor to improve the integration of immigrants. The largest single such investment ever, according to integration minister, Jens Orback. READ () »
SFI - can one size fit all?
Giving all immigrants a chance to learn Swedish for free sounds like an ideal way to help integration. But does the state-funded language course, SFI, really help newcomers to find their feet in Sweden? READ () »
SVT 'candidate' reports hate mail to police
Teysir Subhi, a participant in Swedish Television's political docusoap, Top Candidate, has been sent racist and threatening mail since the series began at the end of January. READ () »
Record compensation to refugee rape victim
An orphaned refugee rape victim has been awarded record damages by Sweden's Court of Appeal, which said that she had been brought up in an environment which made it especially hard for her to defend herself or to report the attacks. READ () »
"Nothing unethical" about deportation celebrations
A report into the champagne and cake celebrations which followed the expulsions of asylum seekers at the Board of Migration concludes that there was nothing unethical about the festivities. READ () »
More women and foreigners among homeless
As homelessness in Sweden rises to at least 17,800, the proportion who are female or born abroad has climbed significantly. READ () »
Racism behind suicide attempts
Racism and sexual harassment could lie behind the higher incidence of suicide attempts amongst teenagers adopted from foreign countries. Girls are particularly at risk, according to a Swedish study which has looked into the problem. READ () »
Deportations rise under "asylum amnesty"
Fewer than half of the asylum seekers whose cases are being dealt with under temporary "amnsesty" regulations will be allowed to stay, according to the latest forecast from the Swedish Board of Migration. There's going to be trouble, warns MP Ulla Hoffman. READ () »
Stockholm Syndrome: Ambition impossible?
Don't mention ambition in front of Swedes, especially if it's of the economic variety. But as our Stockholm Syndrome correspondent discovers, immigrants are just bursting with the stuff. READ () »
Job applications "should be anonymous"
Anonymous job applications could minimise the risk of labour market discrimination against immigrants, says an official report handed over to the government on Wednesday. The public sector will soon start testing the idea. READ () »
Migration board "blocking good asylum lawyers"
The Swedish Board of Migration offers asylum seekers substandard lawyers who are "not knowledgeable, skilful or engaged", says the chairman of human rights organisation 'Advokater utan gränser'. READ () »
Discrimination "part of Migration Board culture"
This week's scandal surrounding the Swedish Board of Migration is nothing new, according to a forthcoming academic study in which Swedish migration policy is described as nationalistic and discriminatory. READ () »
Migration manager fired after cake celebration
After deporting a "nightmare woman" and her three kids, migration staff in Kristianstad rejoiced with cake. Not as glamorous as the Stockholm office's champagne party, perhaps - but the manager has been fired anyway. READ () »
Swedish university guilty of discrimination
Two girls were turned away from the law course at Uppsala University despite having grades better than many who were accepted - because their parents were born in the wrong country. Sweden. READ () »
Immigrant unemployment lowest in rural areas
A report to be published this week shows that people with a foreign background are more likely to find work in a district where unemployment is highest among Swedes. And vice versa. READ () »
Immigrants behind 25% of Swedish crime
While the majority of crimes in Sweden are commited by ethnic Swedes, fist generation immigrants are over-represented, according to a report published on Wednesday by the National Council for Crime Prevention. READ () »
Foreigners more likely to be crime suspects
People who were born abroad are more likely to end up on the police's register of probable suspects than people whose parents were both born in Sweden, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention. READ () »
Discrimination law gives "poor yield"
Of 137 cases of suspected illegal discrimination in Malmö last year, only one led to a guilty verdict, says the Swedish Public Prosecutions Service. READ () »
Uterus lost in translation
A Jönköping doctor with poor Swedish has been criticised for not using a translator with a woman who did not realise her uterus was to be removed in an operation. The woman also understood very little Swedish. READ () »
Police investigate apathetic children rape allegations
Six investigations are underway in Stockholm into the suspected abuse of the "apathetic" children in asylum seeking families. Police say that the suspicions include rape and other sexual assaults. READ () »
Stockholm Syndrome: It's not what you say...
...it's the way that you say it. That's our Stockholm Syndrome correspondent's conclusion after two new teachers' accents have very different effects on his Swedish class. READ () »
Four out of ten Muslim groups threatened
Four out of ten Swedish Muslim organisations have been threatened, while three out of ten have been attacked or vandalised. Muslim women with veils are particularly likely to be harassed. READ () »
Murder believed to be 'honour killing'
A family is arrested suspected of murdering the man who wanted to marry their 16-year old daughter. Police say they suspect that Abbas Rezai was murdered in an 'honour killing'. READ () »
"Apathetic children" families accused of neglect
The Swedish Board of Migration has reported ten asylum-seeking families with so called 'apathetic children' to the police. The board suspects that the families have neglected the children and are exploiting their condition to get residence permits. READ () »
"Mock tribunal" slams Swedish asylum policy
Sweden's asylum policy, often praised as one of the most welcoming in Europe, comes under heavy fire for not living up to its ideals from intellectuals who attended a symposium in Stockholm. READ () »
Editorial: No jobs, no hope
The French riots are unlikely to be repeated in Sweden, but immigrant unemployment is a major issue here too. And fixing it requires action on joblessness as a whole. READ () »
Swedish PM slams French government over riots
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Göran Persson pulls no punches as he delivers a stinging criticism of the way the French government, and particularly interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy, has handled the unrest in the country. READ () »
Swedish police investigates Ku Klux Klan man
David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan leader who has made radio broadcasts and held speeches to right wing extremists in Sweden is to be investigated by Swedish police for committing incitement to hatred against minority groups. READ () »
Anti-racism organisation faces funding cut
The Centre Against Racism, accused earlier in the year of being wasteful and achieving nothing since it was formed, is cleared of financial irregularities - but may have its funding cut anyway. READ () »
Muslims face most racism in Sweden
While more people want to close the borders to immigrants, support for racist parties is declining, says a new report. Muslims encounter the most intolerance. READ () »
Swedish policy ?shuts immigrants out of jobs?
The OECD has slammed Swedish integration policy, saying that immigrants are shut out of the job market because they are forced to live in areas with high unemployment. READ () »
Local authorities face massive rise in refugees
In an internal newsletter, the head of the Swedish Integration Board, Andreas Carlgren, says the number of refugees which Sweden's local authorities have to take in will treble next year. READ () »
Stockholm Syndrome: Teacher training
There's shock for our Stockholm Syndrome correspondent's Swedish class this week as their popular teacher announces that he is moving on. READ () »
Police "take women's crime reports less seriously"
When Swedish men report an incident to the police, it is more likely to be taken forward by a prosecutor than a report made by a woman. And crime reports from immigrant women are taken the least seriously. READ () »
Hate mail policeman freed
The 43 year old police officer who sent an e-mail containing racist statements to the leader of Malmö council was freed on Tuesday. The e-mail was offensive and degrading - but not illegal, said Malmö district court. READ () »
Green Party leader "tried to influence police"
The joint leader of the Sweden's Green party personally tried to influence a police chief to delay the deportation of a family in Gävle until a new law comes into effect in November. READ () »
New chance for "hidden" asylum families
The government agrees to change the law to allow asylum seekers who have gone into hiding in Sweden after having their application turned down to have their cases re-examined. But they'll still have to lie low for another month. READ () »
Stockholm Syndrome: Carpets and wood
An immigrant with troublesome kids gives our Stockholm Syndrome correspondent her very own theory about what makes Stockholmers who they are. READ () »
Prison threat for hate email policeman
A prosecutor demands prison for a policeman who sent what he thought was a private email to Malmö council leader Ilmar Reepalu (pictured). He referred to "criminals called Mohammed from Rosengård" - and the email was made public. READ () »
"Wrong pupils" at special needs schools
The number of children being placed in 'special needs' schools has almost doubled in the last 12 years. But according to the National Agency for Education, many of them are immigrants whose only special need is better Swedish lessons. READ () »
Police slam "hidden refugee" school plan
The government proposes to guarantee schooling to refugee children whose parents have gone on the run after their asylum application was turned down - and who are being sought by the police. It's a paradox, says the police. READ () »
Stockholm Syndrome: Together but slowly
Film night at our Stockholm Syndrome correspondent's Swedish class and the choice of film, while Swedish to the core, is not appreciated by all the students. READ () »
Put up and shut up?
It's easy for foreigners' views about a country to come out half-baked, so should we just put up and shut up? Or can a fresh pair of eyes sometimes add something new to the debate? READ () »
Make Swedes mentors for immigrants - minister
Integration Minister Jens Orback says that Swedes are the most positive in Europe towards immigration and that 20% of Swedes would be happy to act as a mentor for newly arrived foreigners. READ () »
How hard is it to become a Swedish citizen?
Having just been interviewed (again) for my three year residence permit I'm considering seeking Swedish citizenship. What are the pros and cons of wielding the blue and yellow passport? And how hard is it to get one? Answers please. READ () »
Swedish passports no help abroad
In 2001 the Swedish government voted to allow immigrants to hold a Swedish passport as well as one from their home country. But it seems that the original one might be more useful. READ () »
Refugees reject Swedish towns
Despite the government's attempt to persuade refugees to move out of suburbs and into small towns, more than ever are staying with relatives or friends in areas already suffering from high unemployment and social problems. READ () »
"Honour-violence" funding missing its target
The Swedish government has put aside 180 million kronor for projects tackling so-called "honour-violence" across the country. But critics say that the research behind the government's plans is flawed and only a fraction of the money is going to immigrant organisations. READ () »
"Give abortion rights to illegal immigrants"
A health authority in southern Sweden has been flouting the law by granting abortions to illegal immigrants. Now calls are being made for a change to the law. READ () »
Roma Swedes turned away from campsites
Sweden's 2003 law against discrimination says that nobody shall be treated differently on the grounds of ethnic origin when it comes to buying goods and services. But as far as the country's campsites are concerned, that doesn't apply to Roma visitors. READ () »
MP calls for Centre Against Racism funding freeze
The problems continue for the government's own anti-racism organisation. Moderate MP Tobias Billström says that the centre should receive no more cash until an investigation into allegations of misuse of funds is resolved. READ () »
Anti-racism organisation wastes 14 million kronor
White elephant or black hole? The government's flagship organisation for fighting racism in society has been accused of wasting massive amounts of taxpayers' money and of achieving "absolutely nothing" since it was set up two years ago. READ () »
Half of those refused asylum stay in Sweden
...and of the half who have actually been sent home, a full 20% bounce straight back to Sweden to try their luck again. As the cost of deporting people soars, the Board of Migration considers a departure from the Geneva Convention. READ () »
Senior Malmö policeman charged over racist e-mails
A senior Malmö policeman has been charged with inciting racial hatred after referring to "bloody niggers" and "criminals called Mohammed" in e-mails to two local politicians. They weren't supposed to be made public, he says. READ () »
Swedish-Saudi companies "violate workers' rights"
Swedish companies in Saudi Arabia confiscate migrant workers' passports and refuse to employ women. ABB and TetraPak are among the offenders, according to a watchdog. READ () »
Independent Swedish-Arabic school loses state funding
After a year of criticismby the Swedish National Agency for Education, an independent Swedish-Arabic school in Uppsala has its state funding stopped. The school may be forced to close in the autumn. READ () »
Apathetic refugee children could stay in Sweden
In what is seen as an important precedent, Sweden's Aliens Appeals Board advises the government to allow a 13 year old refugee boy suffering from acute depression to stay in the country - and gives fresh hope to hundreds of families in the same position. READ () »
Muslim schools seek funding from Saudi "fundamentalists"
Swedish Radio has created a stir by suggesting wealthy Saudi "fundamentalists" are buying influence in Sweden's Muslim schools and community organisations. READ () »
"Sweden is racist" - government report
A report presented on Wednesday concludes that Swedish society is shot through with racism which denies immigrants access to work, education and even legal rights. READ () »
Hospital hostage drama over
An asylum seeker who was due to be sent back to his homeland on Monday has given himself up 24 hours after locking himself in a room in a Swedish hospital and threatening to set fire to himself and the building. He released his son earlier. READ () »
Fewer seeking Swedish asylum
The number of people seeking asylum in Sweden is expected to fall by almost 20% this year, according to the latest forecast from the Swedish Board of Migration. READ () »
Ice cream giant slammed for "racist" ads
Sweden's biggest ice cream maker, GB Glace, is accused of "reinforcing the racist structure of society" with its new ice cream - the unfortunately-named 'Nogger Black'. READ () »
Far right seeks to infiltrate Tax Payers' Association
Far right party Sverigedemokraterna try to get their supporters elected onto the board of the influential Tax Payers' Association to highlight immigration issues. It's a 'coup' say their detractors and TPA chairman Claes Levin says his hands are tied. READ () »
Green party proposes state loans for immigrant businesses
Immigrants earn less than people born in Sweden, get arrested more often and are sentenced to longer jail terms. But the good news is that the Green party thinks the state should offer loans to immigrants wanting to start businesses. READ () »
"Over 1,000 war criminals in Sweden"
A police officer in Sweden's war crimes unit claims that there are ten times more war criminals in the country than the authorities admit. Meanwhile an investigation by Swedish Radio reveals that the Migration Board is consistently failing to report "probable war criminals" to the police. READ () »
"Harder than ever" to gain Swedish asylum
Fewer people are seeking refuge in Sweden, and of those, even fewer are being allowed to stay in the country. At the same time, the government is trying to stop Chinese asylum seekers vanishing altogether. READ () »
Liberals want tougher rules on deportation
Sweden's Liberal Party says that immigrants who break the law should be deported. Refugee spokesman Mauricio Rojas says the proposals will combat hostility against foreigners and stop people "abusing Sweden's hospitality". READ () »
Swede kidnapped in Iraq appeals for his life
An Iraqi rebel group releases a video of the Swedish citizen who was kidnapped three weeks ago. With a machine gun to his head, Minas Ibrahim al-Yousifi appeals to the international community to help free him. "If he had been called Kalle Svensson then this would have been front page news a long time ago," says the leader of the Christian Democrats. READ () »
Minister proposes ethnic registration
In the fight against discrimination, Jens Orback says Sweden could begin recording people's ethnic origin and Stockholm council tells suppliers they could lose their contracts if they discriminate. But Göteborgs-Posten worries that teachers don't know how to deal with the Holocaust in lessons. READ () »
5,000 rental apartments in Stockholm "lost" each year
Stockholm's property rental market is shrinking dramatically as the sale of rental apartments to private owners increases. And, as usual, it's children and immigrants who bear the brunt of the shortage. READ () »
Sweden's "segregated" culture sector
This week the press reported on the lack of representation of ethnic minorites in Sweden's cultural industries. Conclusion: become a dancer. READ () »
Swedish boys "more intolerant than girls"
What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice and all things nice! What are little boys made of? Homophobia and racism, apparently. READ () »
Employment service and union take Rosa to the cleaners
A Chilean-born cleaner is denied unemployment insurance because she can't speak Swedish. 'Discrimination!' cry the experts. Maybe, but it's probably not worth an immigrant appealing, according to the head of the union-run insurance fund. READ () »
Immigrants ready to defend Sweden - despite bad grades
Youngsters with a foreign background do worse at school than their home-grown classmates but are more inclined to fight for their new country when they're older - leading to much head-scratching at the Department of Integration. READ () »
Learning Swedish "should be compulsory"
You should only be given a residence permit if you attend Swedish lessons. That's the view of more than half of those who responded to a survey on The Local. But our readers are demanding sorts, and many say the lessons on offer aren't good enough. READ () »
What's in a Swedish name?
Quite a lot, apparently. More people than ever before are applying to change their names, despite strict regulations governing what's acceptable. READ () »
Calculating foreigners
Education minister Thomas Östros plans to put an end to ethnicity quotas in colleges, while the number of people from the new EU countries seeking work permits in Sweden is up 74% on last year. READ () »
Labour pains
6,000 immigrants are illegally exploited by unscrupulous employers every day, while foreigners are excluded from 20% of Swedish jobs. Welcome to "the best country in the world for workers". READ () »
Saddam's cousin seeks Swedish asylum
Problems dealing with the Migration Board? At least you didn't have to admit that you were a cousin of an evil ex-dictator. READ () »
Nine million Swedes - and counting
Sweden goes population crazy as the big nine-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh is breached. Cue legions of journalists in maternity wards pacing up and down like expectant fathers. READ () »
Refugees: only 10% given residence permits
Asylum seekers hopping on a plane to soft-touch Sweden have a nasty surprise in store - and it's the children who are suffering the most. READ () »
If your name's not Svensson, you're not coming in
Immigrants and wheelchair users are being denied the pleasures of Sweden's nightlife. Can restaurants and bars afford to turn away customers? READ () »
All kicking off
Where there's football there's fighting. While Sweden's boys in Portugal do the country proud, hooligans brawl in the posh part of Stockholm and two boys' teams act like they're in the Gaza Strip rather than the Under 16s St Eriks Cup. READ () »
Foreign trust
Under-represented on county councils and allegedly enslaved by unscrupulous employers - no wonder foreigners in Sweden say they don't trust others. READ () »
50% want immigration cuts
A major survey points to the "negative social effects" of immigration while a bishop calls for a clampdown on baptising refugees. Sweden's welcome mat is wearing thin. READ () »
Ministers humble and hip
The Integration Minister indulges in a touch of soul-searching, the Agriculture Minister muddies her boots with workplace woes and the Prime Minister goes under the knife. READ () »
Discrimination hits one in three
Prejudice at work, in restaurants and in the property market: Sweden's melting pot needs a good old stir. READ () »
Swedes and foreigners still poles apart
Segregation, racial prejudice and homophobia - no, it's not an article about Zimbabwe, it's Sweden. READ () »
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"A week full to the brim with LFC football…. Div 5 LFC match against Nåjdens FK has been moved. This is due to the Svenska Cupen final: 26 May, 17.00 kick off, Nationalarenan Friends Arena, Solna. Next match is on Tuesday (see below). ………………………………………………………… Friday: Div5 Ladies: Rotebro IS FF – Långholmen FC (Skinnaråsens IP) KO: 16.15 ………………………………………………………… Saturday: Vets: Långholmen FC – IFK..." READ »
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