Sweden edition

Tobias_billström

The following articles have been tagged with "Tobias_billström":

Sweden needs 'tougher controls' on labour migration: OECD

Business & Money: 19 Dec 11
Sweden needs to implement tighter controls of new rules governing foreign labour migration, according to the OECD, which nevertheless concluded that the 2008 reforms have worked fairly well. READ »

Steep hike in immigrant unemployment

Politics: 26 Nov 11
More than one third of people registered as unemployed come from outside Sweden, according to a new unofficial report revealed by Dagens Nyheter. READ »

Migrant workers on the rise in Sweden

Politics: 23 Nov 11
The number of people coming to Sweden to work is rising at the same time as the number of refugees coming to the country is falling, according to new figures from Statistics Sweden. READ »

New deal on rejected asylum seeker detention

Politics: 18 Nov 11
Rejected asylum seekers will only be allowed to remain in detention for a maximum of two months before being deported from Sweden, according to a new agreement between the government and the Green Party. READ »

Swedish work permit rules 'misused': minister

Politics: 10 Oct 11
A recent report that labour migrants are abusing Swedish rules in a bid to enter the EU has prompted migration minister Tobias Billström to call the practice "intolerable". READ »

Foreign students grapple with new fingerprint rule

Education: 22 Jun 11
New rules requiring biometric information from non-Europeans wishing to study in Sweden is causing problems for would-be foreign students, according to Swedish universities. READ »

Think tank: cut wages to boost immigrant jobs

Business & Money: 30 May 11
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 »

'Unstable' firms bringing workers to Sweden

Business & Money: 15 Apr 11
Many of the companies approved to bring foreign workers to Sweden every year have little or no turnover or go bankrupt shortly after the labour migrants arrive, according to a new report. READ »

'Grant rejected asylum seekers work permits'

Politics: 31 Mar 11
A parliamentary committee has proposed granting work permits to rejected asylum seekers and allowing immigrants to live abroad for up to five years without losing their right to reside in Sweden. READ »

Swedish house debates migration policy

Analysis & Opinion: 30 Mar 11
Sweden's parliament met on Wednesday to debate migration and asylum policy at the behest of the Sweden Democrats, who found themselves marginalized alongside the Left Party, The Local's Peter Vinthagen Simpson reports. READ »

Libyan evacuation a 'priority' for Sweden

Politics: 25 Feb 11
Sweden's foreign minister Carl Bildt has underlined that the country's first priority is to help nationals flee war-torn Libya, while migration minister Tobias Billström accused Italy of exaggerating any impending refugee wave. READ »

Bildt's silence on WikiLeak fuels criticism

Politics: 23 Jan 11
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and Migration Minister Tobias Billström's refusals to answer questions about a recent Wikileak released on Friday has fuelled sharp criticism from the opposition over the weekend. READ »

Bildt WikiLeak 'troublesome' if true: MP

Politics: 21 Jan 11
A Green Party member is considering reporting Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and Migration Minister Tobias Billström to a parliamentary committee following a WikiLeak exposing statements that they made in 2007 about Iraqi refugees. READ »

Sweden deports Iraqi refugees amid protests

National: 20 Jan 11
Despite widespread protests, Sweden deported 20 people back to Iraq on Wednesday after they had been denied asylum, police said. READ »

Police release most Iraqi deportee protesters

National: 19 Jan 11
Swedish police said they have released 24 of the 25 people who had protested outside an asylum seeker detention centre Stockholm early Wednesday, where they were reportedly trying to stop a mass deportation to Iraq. READ »

UN slams Sweden over Iraqi deportations

Politics: 18 Jan 11
The United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday criticised Sweden’s decision to deport 25 Iraqis back to their home country despite warnings about unsafe conditions there. READ »

Iraq calls on Sweden to halt forced deportations

National: 9 Jan 11
Iraq wants to put a stop to the forced deportation of Iraqis from Sweden after their asylum claims are rejected, but Sweden’s migration minister sees no reason to adjust the practice. READ »

Agency to wise up on religious minorities

National: 22 Dec 10
Following recent criticism of the Sweden's decision to deport Christian Iraqis to Iraq, the government is set to demand that the Migration Board expand its knowledge of the conditions faced by religious minorities. READ »

Sweden slammed for new Iraqi deportations

National: 19 Dec 10
The United Nations and Council of Europe have expressed concerns about Sweden’s decision to resume the deportation of Iraqis. READ »

Minister defends labour migration law

Business & Money: 23 Nov 10
Sweden's migration minister has denied claims by a Swedish umbrella union organisation that unscrupulous companies are abusing new rules that have eased the migration of foreign workers. READ »

Sweden stops plane of deported Iraqis

National: 17 Nov 10
A flight carrying deported Iraqi asylum seekers from Sweden back to Iraq has been cancelled following a request from the European Court of Human Rights that Sweden delay around 150 forced deportations. READ »

Minister's labour law comments irk unions

Business & Money: 9 Nov 10
Sweden's unions are furious at how the country's migration minister has reacted to revelations about abuses related to a new law on labour migration. READ »

Swedish minister 'tired' of refugees from Greece

Politics: 6 Nov 10
Swedish Migration Minister Tobias Billström is 'tired' of Greece and its problems in dealing with asylum seekers. READ »

Swedish firms exploiting labour migrants: report

Business & Money: 5 Nov 10
Swedish companies are exploiting labour migration legislation, with work permits being sold for up to 30,000 kronor ($4,560) and either non-existent or poorly paid jobs offered in return. READ »

New government faces ambitious autumn

Politics: 6 Oct 10
Fredrik Reinfeldt's newly installed minority government wasted no time in setting to work, announcing plans on Wednesday to present 77 motions in the next three months. READ »

Election Q&A: the Moderate Party

Analysis & Opinion: 14 Sep 10
The Local has a quick Q&A with the Moderate Party's Anders Borg, among others, to learn more about the party's stance on a few key issues. READ »

Introducing the Moderates

Analysis & Opinion: 7 Sep 10
Here's a look at the Moderates, bidding to retain power and become the largest party in Swedish politics. READ »

'Sweden discriminates against Roma'

Society: 4 Sep 10
The Roma people are the most discriminated in Europe and Sweden is no exception, the Council of Europe commissioner for human rights argued on Saturday. READ »

Union blames ministers for berry pickers' plight

Politics: 12 Aug 10
Sweden’s largest trade union group, LO, has slammed the government over the suffering of foreign berry pickers in northern Sweden. READ »

Billström appointed employment minister

Politics: 7 Jul 10
The Swedish government has announced that migration minister Tobias Billström will take temporary charge of the employment ministry following the resignation of Sven Otto Littorin, citing personal reasons. READ »

Swedish town hopes for Russian revival

National: 31 May 10
Sorsele, a town in the far north of Sweden, is hoping to attract highly-qualified Russian immigrants in a move aimed at arresting depopulation and ensure the municipality's future. READ »

Sweden plans Afghanistan orphanages

Politics: 25 Mar 10
The Swedish government has announced plans to build homes in Afghanistan where unaccompanied children seeking asylum in Sweden can be sent. 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 »

Workers pick Sweden's shrubs and data hubs

Business & Money: 15 Dec 09
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 »

Swedish minister's infant daughter steals Brussels spotlight

Society: 1 Dec 09
Swedish migration minister Tobias Billström lightened the mood at an EU meeting about human trafficking on Monday by sneaking his baby daughter into the proceedings. 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 »

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 »

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 »

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 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 »

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 »

Borg and Bildt top people's poll

Politics: 2 Jan 09
Finance Minster Anders Borg and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt are the most popular members of the current Swedish cabinet, according to a new opinion poll. READ »

'Relax restrictions' for asylum seekers with Swedish kids

Society: 19 Dec 08
Sweden's Migration Minister Tobias Billström has vowed to ease residency restrictions for asylum seekers who have started families with Swedish partners. READ »

Sweden approves new labour immigration law

Society: 12 Nov 08
Sweden's parliament has pushed through legislation that will make it easier for non-EU citizens to come to the country to work. READ »

Migration Board seeks consultant help

Politics: 19 Oct 08
The Swedish Migration Board (Migrationsverket) has failed in its goal of a maximum six month wait for asylum applications and has sought the help of management consultancy McKinsey. READ »

Moderates reject 'misguided benevolence' for immigrants

National: 26 Aug 08
Sweden's Moderates want to see a tougher line on asylum seekers. Government reforms are positive, but employment should be a priority, a parliamentary group argues. 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 »

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 »

Iraqis leave Sweden

National: 31 May 08
300 Iraqi citizens left Sweden in the first four months of 2008. This represents an increase on the 233 Iraqis who returned home in the corresponding period of 2007. READ »

Hospitals offer care to illegal immigrants

National: 17 May 08
Half of Swedish healthcare authorities give the same care to illegal immigrants as they do to other patients. READ »

Free care for illegal immigrants

National: 15 May 08
Migration Minister Tobias Billström has now said he is open to offering healthcare to immigrants who find themselves in Sweden without proper residence permits. READ »

Sweden shutting door on refugees: critics

Society: 18 Apr 08
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 »

Immigration agreement for Greens and government

Politics: 27 Mar 08
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'

National: 25 Mar 08
The Swedish Migration Board has proposed changing the "stone age" regulations for asylum seekers who have started families with Swedish nationals. READ »

UN questions Sweden on Eritrea deportation

National: 23 Mar 08
The UN has questioned Sweden over the attempted deportation of a 23-year-old Eritrean. READ »

UNHCR criticizes Sweden's Iraqi refugee policy

Society: 18 Mar 08
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 »

Iraq to take back asylum seekers rejected by Sweden

Politics: 18 Feb 08
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has said his country will take back asylum seekers rejected by Sweden, clearing the way for forced deportations. READ »

Big trouble in 'Little Baghdad'

Lifestyle: 17 Feb 08
Part 1: Having taken in more Iraqi refugees per capita than any other Swedish town, officials in Södertälje are now warning that the town's infrastructure may be close to bursting point. READ »

Government acts on immigration and education

Analysis & Opinion: 8 Feb 08
Sweden Says is a new series in which we look at what the Swedish papers are saying about the major issues making the news in Sweden. This week, David Landes surveys reactions to proposed new reforms in the areas of immigration and education. READ »

New housing and work demands for immigrants

National: 7 Feb 08
The new directive would require immigrants to have a job and housing before sending for relatives. READ »

Asylum seeker figures soar

Society: 7 Jan 08
Iraqis and Somalis contributed to a sharp rise in the number of asylum seekers coming to Sweden in 2007. READ »

Reinfeldt loses out in annual ratings

Politics: 1 Jan 08
It's a grim start to 2008 for Sweden's current crop of ministers, who have achieved record low approval ratings in an annual poll. READ »

Asylum seekers 'should move where the jobs are'

National: 4 Dec 07
People claiming asylum in Sweden will soon face measures to stop them moving to areas which already have a lot of refugees. READ »

Sweden gets EU cash for refugees

Society: 18 Nov 07
Sweden is to receive nearly half the EU's immigration budget after taking in record numbers of Iraqi refugees. READ »

Failed asylum seekers to be paid to go home

Society: 25 Sep 07
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 »

Bildt warns Iraq of refugee clampdown

National: 2 Sep 07
Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad on Sunday for talks expected to be dominated by Stockholm's stricter policies for Iraqi refugees. READ »

Moving to Sweden to be made easier for workers

Society: 17 Jul 07
New rules that will make it easier for people to move to Sweden to work haver been announced by the government. Swedish employers will be able to recruit from outside Europe without first gaining the approval of the authorities. READ »

Minister pushes for economic migration reforms

Business & Money: 25 May 07
Migration Minister Tobias Billström hopes to launch a new law enabling Swedish companies to recruit staff from anywhere in the world. READ »

Sweden in u-turn on second CIA Egyptian

National: 16 May 07
The much-criticized decision to deport Egyptian Ahmed Agiza in 2001 has been reversed by Swedish Migration Minister Tobias Billström. Agiza and a fellow Egyptian were taken out of the country by CIA agents. READ »

Sweden signals radical shift in integration policy

Politics: 6 Apr 07
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 »

Sweden's economy 'to grow faster than expected'

Business & Money: 23 Mar 07
Sweden's finance minister Anders Borg has said that the economy will grow faster than previously predicted this year and next. Spending increases and tax cuts could follow. READ »

Egyptian's deportation overturned

Politics: 1 Mar 07
The decision to deport Egyptian Mohammed Alzery, who was controversially removed from Sweden by CIA agents, has been declared invalid by the Swedish government. READ »

Terror suspect 'will be tortured' if deported

National: 22 Feb 07
A terror suspect who says he could be tortured if sent back to Jordan is embarking a last-ditch attempt to stay in Sweden. Hassan Assad tells The Local he has no links with terrorist groups, and has simply given aid to refugees. READ »

Liberal politician calls for solution to ID mess

Society: 16 Feb 07
Liberal Party MP Fredrik Malm has asked Sweden's migration minister to look into ways of tackling the current ID problem. READ »

Sweden demands EU help over Iraqi refugees

National: 12 Feb 07
Over half the asylum applications made in Europe by Iraqis are made in Sweden. Now migration minister Tobias Billström is demanding that other EU member states take more responsibility. READ »

Iraqi ambassador denies passport accusations

National: 31 Jan 07
Iraq's ambassador to Sweden was called to the foreign ministry on Wednesday amid reports that the Stockholm embassy had issued some 26,000 passports on false grounds. READ »

Iraqi embassy in huge passport blunder

Politics: 31 Jan 07
Iraq's ambassador to Sweden has admitted that his embassy has issued thousands of passports based on false documentation. READ »

Many fewer 'apathetic' refugee children

National: 30 Dec 06
The number of seriously depressed refugee children has fallen dramatically in 2006, according to a government investigator. READ »

Top Moderate pays for 14 years of TV viewing

Politics: 26 Dec 06
He has not paid his television licence fee for fourteen years, something he admits was "careless", but now Moderate Party secretary Per Schlingmann has settled his debt. Now he waits to see whether the police will get involved. READ »

Police questioning for ex-culture minister

Politics: 2 Dec 06
Former Culture Minister Cecilia Stegö Chilò has been called in for police questioning over her failure to pay her television licence. READ »

Borg will not be prosecuted

Politics: 16 Nov 06
Finance minister Anders Borg will not face prosecution following his admission that he paid domestic workers cash-in-hand, thereby not paying the required taxes. READ »

Witnesses to be rewarded with residency

National: 12 Nov 06
People who testify against human traffickers may be given permanent residency permits in Sweden. The new incentive is intended to help police and other authorities destroy trafficking networks. READ »

Sweden won't follow UK on migration

National: 24 Oct 06
Britain and Ireland have said they will place restrictions on migration from Romania and Bulgaria when those countries join the EU. But Sweden's migration minister Tobias Billström says that he is unlikely to press for new measures. READ »

Reinfeldt denies offering trade job

Politics: 19 Oct 06
Prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has denied reports that he has offered the job of trade minister to veteran politician Ulf Dinkenspiel. I haven't asked anyone, he says. READ »

Ministers not alone in licence fee dodge

National: 17 Oct 06
Three government ministers have been hauled over the coals for not paying their television licence fee. But authorities taking the ministers to court have opted not to pursue other well-known figures who have also failed to pay up. READ »

Papers: Stegö Chilò should resign too

Politics: 15 Oct 06
Sweden's leader writers have smelt blood. The resignation of Maria Borelius has been followed by calls for Culture Minister Cecilia Stegö Chilò to quit. READ »

Swedish media gorges on Reinfeldt's black week

Politics: 14 Oct 06
The week's revelations about ministers' unpaid TV licences, cash-in-hand nannies and private finances was the favourite theme for most of Sweden's leader writers on Saturday morning. READ »

Ministers reported to police for unpaid TV licences

Politics: 13 Oct 06
Radiotjänst, the authority responsible for collecting television licence fees, has reported three ministers - Cecilia Stegö Chilò, Tobias Billström and Maria Borelius - to the police for not paying up. READ »

Ministers could be reported to police over TV fee

National: 12 Oct 06
Sweden's television licensing authority will decide on Thursday whether to report three government ministers to the police for not paying their TV charges. READ »

"I've got no explanation" - culture minister

Politics: 11 Oct 06
Culture minister Cecilia Stegö Chilò says she has no explanation for the fact that she didn't pay her television licence fee for the past 16 years. "I can only express regret," she said. READ »

Carl Bildt Sweden's new Foreign Minister

Politics: 6 Oct 06
Former prime minister Carl Bildt has been named Foreign Minister in the new government presented by Fredrik Reinfeldt. Ten of the 21 new ministers are women, and nine ministers are Moderates. READ »

The Alliance: putting faith in unity

Analysis & Opinion: 8 Aug 06
By the end of September, the four parties of the Alliance could well be ruling Sweden. But how can they ensure success, and how will they govern together if they win? David Stavrou finds out. READ »

MP calls for Centre Against Racism funding freeze

Politics: 20 Jul 05
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 »

Ex-party leader to investigate school porn scandal

Society: 9 Feb 05
Dramatiska Institutet fails to calm things down by meeting the parents of children who were read explicit passages from a pornographic novel on a school trip, while the student author is forced into hiding. READ »

Swedish newsblog

Analysis & Opinion: 8 Apr 04
Our ongoing comment on the week's events. READ »

20 things to know before moving to Sweden

As diverse as Sweden is, there are a few societal norms that are distinctly Swedish. Understanding a handful of them will hopefully prepare you culturally before you relocate. When you're invited home to a Swede, you better be on time and take your shoes off, writes expat Lola Akinmade-Åkerström. Read more »

How far can English take you in Sweden?

Sweden is a country where almost everyone can speak English. So why bother to learn Swedish? Edina Varnagy from Hungary managed with English for a whole year but then found that Swedish could open doors – to a job, a social life and greater understanding. Read more »

Click here to get more from Follow Sweden

Today's most read Today's most commented

In cooperation with DoToday

Jobs in Sweden, in English

521 jobs available
250 new jobs this week
45 new jobs today

ALL JOBS »

Jobs available: 521

Show all jobs in Sweden

Noticeboard

13/02 Looking for a long term appartment
13/02 Babysitter
13/02 flat or room available
13/02 Party Photographer
13/02 Apartment Near Arlanda
13/02 Apartment Needed Immediately

SHOW ALL NOTICES »

Discuss

23:22 Where to buy cheap wedding rings
23:08 Driving on Autobahn
23:04 What is death?
22:56 Should I ask her on a date or not?
22:52 SFI - personal number loop...
22:45 E-Mail replies from Swedish Businesses
22:13 Where do you live?
22:13 Big Fat Gypsy weddings
19:17 Upper abdominal pain
18:20 Need to replace windows

FULL INDEX »
JUST THE NEWS »
LATEST TOPICS »

Get on the Tennis Court with www.babolatshop.se
The new Online Tennis Store with the largest selection of Babolat Products in Sweden
http://www.babolatshop.se

Turning Point Counseling
Turning Point Counselling centre offers the international community of Stockholm a safe space for personal development, counselling and coaching.
http://www.turning-point.se/show.asp

Swedish Down Town
Swedish Down Town PR Consulting and Productions is an innovative business company which provides valuable assistance with Public Relations and Communications in the swedish and the international market.
www.swedishdowntown.com

The Local's new Marketplace
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS

English Speaking Therapist Stockholm
British-Australian Male Counsellor. Counselling Therapy for Depression, Mental Health, Sex, Relationship & Expat Issues
08-559 22 636 or CLICK HERE

Counseling in English
Individuals & Couples - Stockholm Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now

Doctor of Psychology
Therapy in English in Stockholm Trained in California Individuals & Couples (08) 93 81 48 FREE phone consultation
Visit anxiousorblue.se

Advertise

Reach a unique audience of 500,000 foreign professionals

Business Services

Translation and copywriting by local experts

Marketplace

Run a small business? Get connected in Sweden

Shop

Fine products bearing The Local's logo and classic headlines

Newsfeeds

News to your desktop or The Local's headlines on your own Web site

The Local Europe AB
Östgötagatan 12
116 25 Stockholm
Sweden