Sweden Democrats launch plan to bring asylum migration 'close to zero'
The populist Sweden Democrats on Wednesday announced a plan to bring immigration to Sweden down to the lowest level in Europe.
"This should mean close to zero asylum immigration," the party's leader Jimmie Åkesson said, after announcing that a study carried out by the party had found that Swedish law was currently above the most restrictive levels allowed by the EU in several areas.
"There is not a single rule where Sweden is not today more generous than what the legislation requires," the party's migration spokesperson Ludvig Aspling said. "In other words, there has never been an honest ambition to reach the EU's minimum level."
He said that the 30 demands he had made, titled "Sweden's future migration policy", had been agreed in advance with the Moderate and Christian Democrat parties. "I'm assuming that the Liberals will support this too," he said.
In the party's new immigration package, it calls for changes in the rules over who has the right to claim asylum in Sweden, to change how the asylum process takes place, change asylum reception and the level of benefits asylum seekers receive, and also change the rules on family reunion.
In a press conference, Åkesson said that there was nothing that had affected Sweden more negatively in recent years than the country's "useless migration policies"
"It's claimed that we have very low immigration today, but the truth is that Sweden continues to have a relatively high level of asylum immigration," he said.
Among the 30 demands, the party wants to deny asylum to those who have themselves created their cause for asylum after leaving their homeland, for example by announcing that they have had a religious conversion or entered into a homosexual relationship.
Another demand is to remove the right for family reunion among those who previously shared a household, that asylum should be withdrawn if the reason for asylum ceases, a limit to one year's residency for relatives of asylum seekers, and a determination to reduce benefits to asylum seekers to the minimum possible level.
"We cannot continue to hold Sweden's welfare system open for everyone who wants to access it," Åkesson said.
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"This should mean close to zero asylum immigration," the party's leader Jimmie Åkesson said, after announcing that a study carried out by the party had found that Swedish law was currently above the most restrictive levels allowed by the EU in several areas.
"There is not a single rule where Sweden is not today more generous than what the legislation requires," the party's migration spokesperson Ludvig Aspling said. "In other words, there has never been an honest ambition to reach the EU's minimum level."
He said that the 30 demands he had made, titled "Sweden's future migration policy", had been agreed in advance with the Moderate and Christian Democrat parties. "I'm assuming that the Liberals will support this too," he said.
In the party's new immigration package, it calls for changes in the rules over who has the right to claim asylum in Sweden, to change how the asylum process takes place, change asylum reception and the level of benefits asylum seekers receive, and also change the rules on family reunion.
In a press conference, Åkesson said that there was nothing that had affected Sweden more negatively in recent years than the country's "useless migration policies"
"It's claimed that we have very low immigration today, but the truth is that Sweden continues to have a relatively high level of asylum immigration," he said.
Among the 30 demands, the party wants to deny asylum to those who have themselves created their cause for asylum after leaving their homeland, for example by announcing that they have had a religious conversion or entered into a homosexual relationship.
Another demand is to remove the right for family reunion among those who previously shared a household, that asylum should be withdrawn if the reason for asylum ceases, a limit to one year's residency for relatives of asylum seekers, and a determination to reduce benefits to asylum seekers to the minimum possible level.
"We cannot continue to hold Sweden's welfare system open for everyone who wants to access it," Åkesson said.
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