Refugees

The following articles have been tagged with "Refugees":

'Force councils to accept refugees'

Politics: 19 Feb 10
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

National: 17 Feb 10
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 Democrats could enter parliament: poll

National: 14 Feb 10
The nationalist Sweden Democrats have moved ahead of the threshold required for entering parliament, according to a national poll. READ »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

'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 »

Hate crimes plague Södertälje refugees

National: 18 Nov 08
Muslims and newly arrived refugees in Södertälje, just south of Stockholm, are being subjected to harassment and hate crimes, according to police. READ »

Prison sentences for people smugglers

National: 12 Nov 08
Two men at the heart of a massive people smuggling operation were each sentenced to three years in prison by a Swedish court on Wednesday. READ »

We're breaking up - what are my rights?

Dating: 7 Nov 08
Ask The Local: Breaking up is always hard to do, but can pose extra problems if you're a 'love refugee'. We guide you through the minefield. READ »

Iraqis go underground in greater numbers

National: 2 Nov 08
The number of Iraqi asylum seekers going into hiding has increased seven-fold since 2006. A ruling by the Migration Court that Iraq is not in a state of civil war has made it harder for Iraqis to gain asylum. READ »

'Time to toss out' Swedish for Immigrants

Politics: 28 Oct 08
A group of Moderate Party politicians wants to scrap Sweden’s current programme for teaching introductory Swedish to newly arrived immigrants in favour of courses more closely tied to the job market. READ »

'Little Baghdad' hosts US relocation fair

Society: 16 Oct 08
A Swedish town with a large concentration of Iraqi immigrants played host on Thursday to a unique fair designed to provide information about the United States to prospective job seekers. READ »

New funds to integrate Sweden's immigrants

National: 19 Sep 08
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 »

Activists fight to prevent Iranian feminist's deportation

National: 17 Sep 08
Demonstrators are set to gather in Stockholm on Wednesday to protest the impending deportation of an Iranian woman’s rights activist and anti-Islam blogger after she was denied a Swedish residence permit. READ »

US embassy helps with Södertälje youth integration efforts

National: 16 Sep 08
The US embassy in Sweden has announced a unique partnership with the city of Södertälje to help the town’s young people learn more about opportunities for work and study in the United States. READ »

Labour migrants set sights on Sweden

Politics: 10 Sep 08
The Swedish Migration Board (Migrationsverket) estimates that 37,000 labour migrants from countries outside the European Union (EU) will seek work permits in Sweden next year. READ »

Deportation fears delayed abuse report

National: 10 Sep 08
The fears of a refugee family in hiding provide at least a partial explanation of how a 58-year-old man managed to hold a woman captive in a cabin in south central Sweden for nine years without detection. READ »

Failed asylum seekers going underground

Politics: 25 Aug 08
More unsuccessful asylum seekers are going into hiding in Sweden, new figures from the Migration Board show. Tighter rules permitting authorities to send back more refugees from war-torn countries are given the blame. READ »

Iraqis in suspected repatriation grant racket

Society: 19 Aug 08
A financial incentive scheme encouraging asylum seekers to return to their homelands has been abused by hundreds of Iraqi refugees, Swedish authorities believe. READ »

UN slams Sweden's deportation policy

Society: 14 Aug 08
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 »

Palestinians from Iraq granted shelter in Sweden and Iceland

Society: 5 Aug 08
Palestinian refugees stranded for two years on the Iraq-Syria border will be resettled in Iceland and Sweden in the coming weeks, the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday. READ »

More under-age Afghan refugees coming to Sweden

Society: 20 Jul 08
The number of under-age Afghan refugees seeking asylum in Sweden without their parents has gone up significantly within the last two years. READ »

Sweden's welfare programmes hinder Iraqi integration

Analysis & Opinion: 15 Jul 08
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 »

Steep drop in Iraqi asylum claims

National: 14 Jul 08
The number of Iraqi asylum requests in Sweden plunged by half in the first six months of 2008, due primarily to stricter asylum criteria, the Swedish Migration Board said on Monday. READ »

The hidden lives of Sweden’s undocumented migrants

Analysis & Opinion: 9 Jul 08
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 »

War criminals face fresh Swedish probes

National: 4 Jul 08
Sweden's National Investigation Department has intensified the hunt for war criminals living withing the country's borders. READ »

Social welfare numbers decline

Society: 21 Jun 08
The number of social welfare recipients continues to decline in Sweden. The new statistics paint a mixed picture however. READ »

Balloons fill sky on National Day

National: 7 Jun 08
Yellow and blue balloons filled the Stockholm sky as National Day celebrations took place in the scorching summer heat. READ »

Churches vital for Christian Iraqis in Sweden

Analysis & Opinion: 2 Jun 08
For many Christian Iraqis who have found a safe haven in Sweden, integrating into a strange new culture is a trying process. But their churches, present in Sweden for decades, play a big role in easing the way, writes AFP's Sophie Mongalvy. READ »