Refugee

The following articles have been tagged with "Refugee":

Sharp increase in asylum seeker deportations

National: 9 Feb 10
The number of asylum seekers deported from Sweden rose by 1,300 during 2009, according to new figures from the Swedish Migration Agency. READ »

Margot Wallström lands top UN job

Politics: 1 Feb 10
Sweden's Margot Wallström is set to become the UN special representative tasked with combating sexual violence against women and children in conflicts, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced on Sunday READ »

Dissident demo over Iran Interpol listing

Politics: 28 Jan 10
Ten Iranian-born Swedes plan to stage a protest outside the Riksdag on Thursday in a bid to have the Swedish government help get their names removed from an Interpol wanted list. READ »

'Auschwitz wasn't on another planet'

Analysis & Opinion: 27 Jan 10
On the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Stockholm-based Israeli journalist David Stavrou reflects on the importance of memory and self-examination, in Sweden and beyond, if we are to avoid recurrences of a catastrophe that was entirely man-made. READ »

'Vast differences' in Swedish schools: study

Education: 21 Jan 10
Some of Sweden’s best primary schools can be found in municipalities along the southeastern coast of the country, according to a new ranking by the country's main teachers union. READ »

Sweden shifts priorities for resettling UN refugees

National: 21 Jan 10
Sweden plans to give priority to refugees from Somalia and Eritrea, rather than Iraq, in its efforts to resettle an estimated 1,700 to 1,900 United Nations (UN) refugees this year. READ »

Kabul to Kiruna: a new life in the Arctic Circle

Analysis & Opinion: 20 Jan 10
Adjusting to life in the far north of Sweden can be tough at the best of times, but coming as a refugee presents an extra set of challenges. Malin Nyberg speaks to two women who are more than happy to adapt. READ »

Vellinge council in refugee children reversal

National: 13 Jan 10
The local council in Vellinge in southern Sweden has agreed to allow the municipality to house refugee children, reversing its long standing position on the issue. READ »

Iran puts ten Swedes on Interpol wanted list

National: 29 Dec 09
Ten Swedes of Iranian descent are named on Interpol’s list of criminals wanted for terrorism and international organized crime. READ »

Afghan teens left in the cold by train operator

National: 29 Dec 09
The five Afghan teens found wandering in the cold near Sävsjö in southern Sweden had not been left in the forest by smugglers, it emerged on Monday, but had instead been kicked off a Swedish passenger train. READ »

Sweden risks facing severe labour shortages

Analysis & Opinion: 22 Dec 09
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 »

Swedish police produce pepper spray at refugee's wedding

National: 20 Dec 09
A wedding on Saturday in Malmö in southern Sweden came to an abrupt halt as police arrested the 24-year-old groom at the city hall, using pepper spray on him in the process. READ »

Pensioner indicted over China spy scandal

National: 15 Dec 09
A 61-year-old pensioner has been indicted in Stockholm on charges of spying on behalf of the Chinese government. READ »

'Segregation can be a good thing': study

Business & Money: 9 Dec 09
Segregation isn't necessarily a bad thing, according to a new report critical of policies which try to control where immigrants and refugees settle in Sweden. READ »

Councils pay out billions to cash-strapped Swedes

Business & Money: 30 Nov 09
Social assistance payments to Swedes struggling to make ends meet jumped by 19 percent during the third quarter, new statistics show. READ »

Residence permits for sale on black market

National: 26 Nov 09
Swedish residence permits can be purchased on the black market for €2,000 ($3,020) apiece, allowing buyers to travel freely throughout Europe. READ »

November in Sweden: Shoes at the door for dinner party season

Lifestyle: 23 Nov 09
The Year in Sweden - November: Journalist Kim Loughran sketches a month by month account of the country he has called home ever since his accidental migration in 1966. READ »

Fire at Vellinge refugee hostel

National: 22 Nov 09
A fire was deliberately started outside a hostel housing refugee children in Vellinge in southern Sweden on Saturday. Demonstrations for and against the controversial refugee centre will be held in the country on Sunday. READ »

Vellinge changes course to welcome refugee kids

Politics: 20 Nov 09
Local politicians who previously voiced their disapproval at a move to house asylum seeker children in Vellinge look set to sign an agreement to invite more children to reside in the municipality in the future. READ »

Teen girls convicted for harassing refugees

National: 19 Nov 09
Two teenage girls have been convicted for their role in terrorizing refugees in Vännäs in northern Sweden last May in what was described at the time as a “lynch mob”. READ »

What's on in Sweden: November 20 - 26

Lifestyle: 18 Nov 09
What's on in Sweden: International film festival & Simple Minds (UK) in Stockholm; Christmas market & Takida in Gothenburg; The Sonics (US) in Malmö/Lund. READ »

Vellinge residents back refugee children: poll

National: 17 Nov 09
Six of ten residents in Vellinge in southern Sweden are positive toward housing refugee children in the area, despite claims by local politicians that locals oppose the move. READ »

500 refugee children in urgent need of housing

National: 16 Nov 09
As housing shortages for refugee children reach crisis levels, Swedish migration authorities have decided to more than double the number of municipalities assigned to receive young asylum seekers. READ »

Moderate hierarchy warns Vellinge party cadre

National: 15 Nov 09
The Moderate party secretary Per Schlingmann has warned party members in Skåne in southern Sweden over comments regarding the housing of refugee children at a Vellinge youth hostel. READ »

Government mulls new law to force care for asylum kids

National: 13 Nov 09
Government parties have called for legislation to force municipalities to care for children seeking asylum amid recent protests over the housing of young refugees in Vellinge in southern Sweden. READ »

Protests over housing for refugee children

National: 12 Nov 09
A former youth hostel in Vellinge outside of Malmö in southern Sweden opened its doors on Thursday as temporary housing for refugee children, despite bitter complaints from local residents and politicians. READ »

What's on in Sweden: November 13 - 19

Lifestyle: 12 Nov 09
What's on in Sweden: International film festival & monster truck extravaganza in Stockholm; Cliff Richard & The Shadows (UK) in Gothenburg; Tower of Power (US) in Malmö/Lund. READ »

Sweden to pay more asylum seekers to leave

National: 6 Nov 09
Sweden has decided to expand a programme which gives unsuccessful asylum seekers money to voluntarily return to their homelands, at the same time as the number of refugee applications continues to drop. READ »

'I won’t let my country be taken over by xenophobes'

Analysis & Opinion: 4 Nov 09
Curiosity is the most effective weapon against xenophobia, writes journalist and head of think tank FORES Martin Ådahl, as a comment on the Sweden Democrats’ future role in Swedish politics. READ »

Sweden does most to help world's poor: study

Politics: 22 Oct 09
Sweden has the best foreign aid policies among the world’s wealthy countries, according to a new ranking from the Center for Global Development. READ »

Stockholmers 'fund the rest of Sweden': report

Politics: 21 Oct 09
Stockholm-area taxpayers help fund the rest of Sweden to the tune of 14 billion kronor ($2 billion) a year to put the country’s municipalities on an equal financial footing. READ »

Sweden agrees to accept camp refugees

National: 27 Sep 09
Sweden and a dozen other European countries have agreed to accept Somali and Eritrean refugees from camps in Kenya and Sudan. Three further camps on Iraq's border with Syria will also be emptied. READ »

Swedish integration policies 'a failure'

Politics: 23 Sep 09
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

Politics: 11 Sep 09
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 navigates complex waters of EU foreign policy

Analysis & Opinion: 3 Sep 09
With an important meeting of EU's foreign ministers taking place in Stockholm this weekend, David Stavrou examines the changing roles of Sweden and the EU in world affairs. READ »

Sweden mulls mandatory classes for refugees

Politics: 3 Sep 09
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 »

Sweden announces EU immigration reform plans

Politics: 25 Aug 09
The Swedish EU presidency announced on Monday that proposals to reform immigration policy will be presented in September. READ »

The Local falls foul of Great Firewall of China

Science & Technology: 20 Aug 09
The Local has discovered that Chinese readers are unable to access "Sweden's News in English" as the site has been banned in the Asian country. READ »

UN to monitor Swedish migration board

National: 20 Aug 09
The United Nations refugee organ, the UNHCR, which is a regular critic of Swedish migration policies, plans to spend nine months closely monitoring the work of the Migration Board. READ »

Sweden refuses asylum to gay Iraqis

National: 18 Aug 09
A Swedish gay rights organisation has called on the government not to deport any homosexual Iraqi asylum seekers in the light of a shocking new report categorising an extermination campaign against gay men in the Middle Eastern country. READ »

Refugees died after HIV misdiagnosis

National: 8 Aug 09
Several female refugees from Africa have died of AIDS after Swedish doctors failed to test them for HIV, reports Dagens Nyheter newspaper. READ »

Afghan teens in Swedish asylum limbo

National: 29 Jul 09
A wave of teenage Afghan refugees has arrived in Malmö and other Swedish cities in recent weeks. Many remain in limbo as most Swedish municipalities refuse to accept them. READ »

European court halts Rwandan genocide suspect extradition

Politics: 16 Jul 09
Sweden has delayed plans to extradite a Rwandan genocide suspected following an appeal by the European Court of Human Rights to review the case. READ »

EU mulls visas for Canadian tourists

Politics: 15 Jul 09
Speaking for the European Union presidency, Swedish migration minister Tobias Billström said on Wednesday that the EU supported requiring visas for Canadians travelling to the EU in the wake of a Czech-Canada visa spat. READ »

EU's Stockholm Programme to 'bolster individual privacy rights'

Analysis & Opinion: 15 Jul 09
As European Union ministers gather in Stockholm on Wednesday Swedish ministers Beatrice Ask and Tobias Billström explain the EU’s efforts to promote cross-border cooperation in the areas of justice, home affairs, and migration. READ »

Sweden to extradite genocide suspect

National: 9 Jul 09
Sweden will soon extradite a Rwandan man accused of participating in the 1994 genocide to his home country, the Swedish government announced on Thursday. READ »

British journalist fishes for the real Sweden

Analysis & Opinion: 8 Jul 09
British author Andrew Brown talks to James Savage about living in Sweden in the seventies, fishing, and how immigration has changed the country. READ »

Swedes more positive to refugees: report

National: 28 Jun 09
Opposition among Swedes to accepting refugees into the country has declined, a new report shows. READ »

What's on in Sweden: June 26 - July 2

Lifestyle: 24 Jun 09
What's on in Sweden: Bunny Wailer (JAM) and The Pet Shop Boys (UK) in Stockholm; heavy metal festival & A Camp in Gothenburg; Atmosphere (US) in Malmö. READ »

Migration agency used anti-Muslim lawyer

National: 24 Jun 09
A lawyer contracted by the Swedish Migration Board to represent asylum seekers has a personal blog in which he refers to Islam as a “psychosocial disease”. READ »

Sweden expels Chinese diplomat: report

Politics: 22 Jun 09
The Swedish government has expelled a Chinese diplomat following revelations that the Chinese embassy was allegedly involved in spying on political refugees residing in Sweden. READ »

'Sex education a must for Swedish learners'

Society: 15 Jun 09
Sex education should form part of the curriculum for all adults attending Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) classes, a new government report has proposed. READ »

'Refugee spy' remanded into custody

Society: 6 Jun 09
A Swedish citizen of Chinese Uyghur decent who was arrested on suspicions of spying on refugees was remanded into custody on Friday on suspicions of gross unlawful espionage. READ »

Security police arrest 'refugee spy'

National: 4 Jun 09
Security police in Stockholm have arrested a Swedish citizen suspected of spying on refugees coming to Sweden from an undisclosed country. READ »

Migration Board slams refugee housing plan

National: 3 Jun 09
The head of Sweden’s Migration Board has slammed a proposal that would cut benefits for asylum seekers who refuse to live in housing set aside for those waiting to have their claims heard. READ »

Refugee facility hit by arson attack

National: 2 Jun 09
A refugee housing facility in Karlskoga in central Sweden was subject to an arson attack early Tuesday morning, according to police. READ »

Swedish envoy meets US journalists held in North Korea

Politics: 2 Jun 09
Sweden’s top diplomat in North Korea met on Monday with two US reporters being held in the country as one of the women’s sister urged Washington and Pyongyang to discuss the issue. READ »

Amnesty slams Sweden over refugee policies

National: 28 May 09
Shortcomings in Sweden’s refugee policies and the country’s dismal record at bringing reported rapes to trial have come in for criticism by Amnesty International in its 2008 annual report. READ »

UN slams Sweden for child rights failure

National: 27 May 09
Sweden continues to shirk its obligations guaranteeing children the right to education, according to a United Nations committee. READ »

Swedish court okays extradition of Rwandan genocide suspect

National: 27 May 09
Sweden’s Supreme Court has ruled that a Rwandan national accused of taking part in the 1994 genocide can be extradited from Sweden to Rwanda to stand trial. READ »

'Military should free Dawit by force'

National: 27 May 09
The head of the Moderate Party’s youth wing has proposed that the military be called in to free Swedish journalist Dawit Isaak, who has sat in prison in Eritrea for more than seven years. READ »

Suspected infiltration at detention centre

National: 23 May 09
The Swedish Security Service and border police suspect that leftwing activists may be behind the large number of escapes from a secure refugee detention centre outside of Gothenburg. READ »

Swedish court okays higher rent for refugees

Society: 22 May 09
A Swedish court has ruled that a landlord’s decision to charge higher rent to a refugee family does not qualify as discrimination. READ »

'Lynch mob' prompts refugees to flee town in northern Sweden

National: 22 May 09
Nearly half of the predominantly Iraqi-refugees residing in Vännäs in northern Sweden have decided to permanently move out of the area after being terrorized by what police called “a lynch mob” in early May. READ »

Mark Majzner: 'I like to stand up to the establishment'

Lifestyle: 22 May 09
Wine merchant Mark Majzner explains that his blog on The Local provides "an interesting insight into wine, alcohol politics, running your own business, and life in Sweden as an expat.” READ »

Swedes meet detained US journalists in North Korea

Politics: 17 May 09
The Swedish ambassador to North Korea met two detained US journalists on Friday, the first such contact in six weeks, a senior US official said. READ »

Flow of asylum seekers to Sweden expected to drop: agency

Society: 8 May 09
Sweden’s Migration Boarddoesn’t forecast a rise in the number of asylum seekers coming to the country, but instead expects more relatives of existing refugees to seek residency in Sweden. READ »

200,000 Swedes back 'Free Dawit Isaak' campaign

National: 3 May 09
Almost 210,000 Swedes have signed up to a petition circulated by major Swedish newspapers as part of a five week campaign in support of the jailed Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak. READ »

Protesters arrested at Malmö anti-Iran demo

National: 23 Apr 09
Several people were arrested by police at a demonstration against the Iranian regime held in Malmö on Thursday morning. READ »

Five charged over Iraqi human smuggling ring

Society: 30 Mar 09
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

Analysis & Opinion: 27 Mar 09
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 »

Prosecutor urges genocide suspect's extradition to Rwanda

Politics: 11 Mar 09
Sweden’s top prosecutor has said she sees no reason to stop the extradition of a man suspected of having a role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. READ »

Wallenberg suicide secrets emerge after three decades

Society: 2 Mar 09
New documents have shown that the mother and stepfather of Raoul Wallenberg both committed suicide in 1979 having dedicated much of their lives in a despairing search for the missing Swedish diplomat. READ »

Swedish court grants asylum to ex-Guantanamo prisoner

National: 18 Feb 09
A Swedish court has overturned a deportation order for a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner from China. READ »

Moderates want tougher immigration rules

Politics: 17 Feb 09
Naturalized Swedes who received their citizenship under false pretenses could have their Swedish passports revoked, according Migration Minister Tobias Billström. READ »

Frosty reception for vulnerable refugees

Society: 12 Feb 09
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 »

Are you a love refugee?

Dating: 11 Feb 09
Every week, we ask a regular panel of readers to discuss a particular aspect of life in Sweden. This week: moving to Sweden for love. READ »

Russians in Sweden: taming a fear of the bear

Analysis & Opinion: 30 Jan 09
In the first of a series highlighting different communities in Sweden, The Local’s David Landes takes a look at how the sprawling and complex history of Swedish-Russian relations affects life for Russians living in Sweden today. READ »

Reinfeldt: 'US responsible for Guantanamo inmates'

Politics: 24 Jan 09
Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt reiterated Friday his government's reluctance to accept former Guantanamo Bay detainees after US President Barack Obama pledged to close the prison. READ »

New database ranks Sweden's high schools

Education: 23 Jan 09
Swedish students applying for admittance to the country’s high schools now have another tool to help them compare various schools following the launch on Friday of a new database. READ »

Health board slams refugee medical clinic

Science & Technology: 23 Jan 09
Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare has directed a scathing critique against a medical centre for asylum seekers in Stockholm County. READ »

More Iraqis at risk of losing asylum appeals in Sweden

Politics: 14 Jan 09
Most of the thousands of Iraqis waiting for asylum in Sweden will likely have their applications rejected because of improved security conditions in the country. READ »

2008: The year in review

Lifestyle: 31 Dec 08
As 2008 draws to a close, The Local takes a look back at some of the stories that caught our attention over the last twelve months. READ »

Two arrested for Christmas Eve killing

National: 28 Dec 08
Two men have been arrested for their involvement in the murder of a 26-year-old man at a refugee centre in Sundsvall on Christmas Eve READ »

Five men wanted for Christmas Eve killing

National: 26 Dec 08
Three men are now officially wanted on suspicion of the murder of a 26-year-old man at a Sundsvall refugee centre on Christmas Eve. A further two are wanted in connection with the killing. READ »

Man murdered at Swedish refugee centre

National: 25 Dec 08
A man was found murdered early on Christmas Eve at an apartment in a refugee centre in Sundsvall in northern Sweden. The man had been stabbed to death. READ »

Segregation 'widespread' for Swedish immigrants

Politics: 18 Dec 08
A study released on Thursday by Statistics Sweden (SCB) reports widespread segregation in the fields of education, housing, employment and politics. READ »

Sweden – a new melting pot?

Analysis & Opinion: 16 Dec 08
As Sweden opens its borders to a new wave of labour migration, the country is becoming more diverse than ever before, writes Olle Wästberg, director-general of the Swedish Institute. READ »

Refugee advocate is 'Swede of the Year'

National: 11 Dec 08
Anita Dorazio, a 72-year-old advocate who pioneered health clinics for refugees in hiding, has been named Swede of the Year for 2008 by the weekly news magazine Fokus. READ »

Refugees adapt better when they decide where to live

National: 11 Dec 08
Refugees who choose where they want to live are able to adapt to Swedish society more quickly than those who are assigned housing by the Swedish Migration Board, a new study finds. READ »

US think tank: Swedish foreign aid 'best in the world'

Politics: 5 Dec 08
Sweden’s foreign assistance programme has been given top marks by an influential American think tank. READ »

Politician quits over refugee threats

Politics: 2 Dec 08
A politician in southern Sweden is leaving his post on a local council after receiving numerous threats for suggesting that the municipality accept three unaccompanied child refugees. READ »

New demands for immigrant families

National: 27 Nov 08
Before bringing their families to Sweden, newly arrived immigrants must first demonstrate they have housing and disposable income, according to a new proposal. READ »

Migration Board sets new principle in Congo ruling

National: 22 Nov 08
The Swedish Migration Board (Migrationsverket) has established a new guiding principle in awarding residency to a woman from war-torn DR Congo. READ »

'Every Swede has a cousin in America'

Analysis & Opinion: 20 Nov 08
Sweden has deep historic ties with the United states, writes Olle Wästberg, director-general of the Swedish Institute. And even though some Americans mistakenly associate Sweden with the cuckoo clock, the relationship remains largely one of mutual understanding and respect. READ »