How The European Union Is Failing Syria’s RefugeesSweden has stepped up, but why haven’t EU countries made a joint effort to welcome the millions of Syrians fleeing the bloodshed? By Magda Fahsi | September 16, 2013
Germany is currently in election mode and asylum seekers are an issue most politicians there prefer to avoid. In countries like Spain and Greece, where the economic crisis continues to hit hard and unemployment is on the rise, governments fear that helping Syrian refugees may be met with resentment by the local populations. Other states like France and the Netherlands — as well as Greece — are experiencing growing nationalism and xenophobia inflamed by ultra-right movements, and the authorities are all too aware of the sensitivity to bringing in more foreign nationals.
In the midst of this general European reluctance, one country stands out: Sweden announced last week that it would give asylum to all Syrian refugees who apply, making it the first and only country in the European Union to have this kind of open-door policy for Syrians dealing with one of the worst periods of bloodshed in modern history. The decision, says Anders Danielsson, director-general of Sweden’s Migration Board, “stems from the EU’s failure to act on growing numbers of refugees” and was made “because we believe the violence in Syria will not end in the near future.”
Comment:
Svengelska
• 3 days ago
Jan Ekberg, Prof of International Economics, Linnea University, conducted research in 2010 for Migrationverket on the effects of immigration. He discovered that the Swedish Govt spent over SEK 50 billion every year supporting unemployed immigrants and their families. He said that on average immigrants were unemployed for EIGHT years. He concluded that Sweden is allowing immigrants into Sweden when there are no jobs available for them.
Since 2010 unemployment for those aged between 15 and 24 years has risen to 24% (ch scb). I have mailed Tobias Billström asking him what measures the Swedish govt has taken so that immigrants coming from Syria do not become permanently supported by the state. I await an answer!