As political debate sharpens around the question of who “belongs” in Sweden and what home means within its borders, we turned to our readers. They shared their views on the complex, often contradictory, experiences of settling in a new country, as well as some tips on how to get a taste of home at home in Sverige.
'So many lives rooted in the immigrant experience are often hidden'
Our recent opinion article, ‘In the Sweden Democrats’ map, we are not people, only ‘red dots’ – written by engineer, author, and former intern at The Local, Faisal Khan – struck a chord with a lot of readers.
His comments on the Swedish Democrat's ‘Immigrant map’ resonated powerfully with readers who feel that despite their contributions, recent politics are increasingly defining them by their background rather than their lives.
The response highlighted a shared sense of outrage and invisibility.
An anonymous commenter encapsulated the emotional toll of this rhetoric:
“Beautifully and cogently written. This made me cry tears of shared outrage at the absurdity of “us-and-them” politics and the luminous reality of your lives which like so many lives rooted in the immigrant or refugee experience are so often hidden and overlooked," the readers said.
Another reader, Rick Methven, pointed out the impractical and complicated nature of attempting to draw a line between “us” and “them” in a modern, multi-national family structure:
“What a fantastic response… in [the Sweden Democrats’] program my family would be decimate. Me British, wife Swedish born, Son Swedish citizen but born in the [Philippines], Swedish partner with a half Filipino, half [Swedish] daughter…”
The motivation behind such exclusionary politics was questioned by another commenter, who hopes the public will see through the divisiveness.
They asked: “What is the reason behind this hate mongering? Is it just the banality of gaining power through creating an imaginary enemy? I really hope that voters will see through this and vote to uphold values intrinsic to a modern open society. There is so much wealth in Sweden’s diversity.”
The loneliness factor
Whilst the narrative of immigration in Sweden is often framed in a positive light, it's clear that not all foreigners have an easy time of it.
Unsurprisingly, we got some interesting feedback on our article ‘You do everything alone’: Indian IT engineer's Sweden post sparks debate, about Indian migrant Ankur Tyagi, who initially came to Sweden in 2021 to work as a software engineer at Volvo Cars. "You do everything alone," he said of his experience of living in Sweden, and said that "friends are polite but distant. Community is rare. Back home you fight corruption and chaos but at least you have people around you."
Readers were quick to sympathise with Ankur. Reader Satyam pointed out the challenge of fitting in outside of one's native context: "You do feel constrained when you live out of your native irrespective of the region of the world. Even within India many feel uncomfortable living in other states."
Menawhile, commenter Rajan had less sympathy. He commented that "this guy is exactly the kind of person who will do nothing to improve his situation, be social, or integrate into society. It’s easy to make friends and community here if you put effort in."
Readers share where to find their taste of home
What's clear is that while many enjoy life in Sweden, the yearning for familiar comforts remains. The discussion moved from politics to the shopping basket in the comments to our call out TELL US: What do you miss most from home, and how do you get it in Sweden?.
For many, this longing manifests in the search for specific foods. Commenter named DPW noted the struggle to find particular UK staples: “edible ready meals (Charlie Bigham-esque!), proper bacon and sausage (without having to schlep across town to the one butcher).” But, for any homesick Brits, DPW dropped some hints: “There’s a British food website and a few stores (eg. Gamla Stan, Sthlm) that stock old favourites like sauces, teas, crisps etc.”
Vijayalakshmi Ramani shared a similar experience regarding South Indian items. “It’s mostly the spiced pickles, authentic paper chips which we call vadaam and festive related sweets and snacks. Though most of the items are available in Indian super markets, the brands are not the ones which I am used to back in India. I feel grateful though to have these at the most.”
In Ketchup chips, pickles and chutney: What readers miss since moving to Sweden, reader Laura Creighton shared insight into where foreign born Swedes can get their fix of the spicy stuff:
“Extreme Food in Gothenburg is good for spicy food and seasoning imports. They have Jamaican jerk rubs and lots of pickles and spicy chutneys from Asia. They also have real corn tortillas and tortilla flour and a tortilla maker. Hope this helps someone!”
Homesick but hopeful
The things missed from the motherland are, however, not always material. Reader Cynthia Jones emphasised the emotional distance from family, even while enjoying life in Sweden:
“I miss my children and grandchildren. I miss the many Christmas ornaments I left in storage.” Yet, this longing did not overshadow her appreciation for her new life. Despite being far away from loved ones, many feel grateful for many aspects of Swedish life: “I love Christmas here" she continued. "Advent is the best time of the year."
Members of The Local Sweden can comment on all articles. Your constructive views, advice for others and stories of life in Sweden offer a vital contribution to our community of international readers.
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