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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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 Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:41 am Post subject: Sweden feels strain of refugees |
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E-mail this to a friend Printable version
Sweden feels strain of refugees
By Rob Cameron
BBC News, Soedertaelje
Iraqi refugee children attend special preparatory classes
No European country has welcomed as many Iraqi refugees as Sweden.
In 2007 alone, 18,599 Iraqis applied for asylum - far more than anywhere else in the EU.
But the influx is placing Sweden's towns and cities under severe strain, and has prompted a national debate on immigration.
Matthew (not his real name) clasps his hands neatly in front of him and explains why he left Iraq to start a new life.
"If you stay, you die," he says. "If you leave, you live."
The 26-year-old doctor pauses for a moment, looking down at his hands.
You feel you can live in safety, you feel more human
Matthew, Iraqi refugee
He contemplates his former life in Baghdad and the stark choices it left him.
"They ask you - 'why are you a Christian? Why do you live here? It's not a Christian country'.
"A couple of guys with guns came and tried to kill us. After that moment I can't live there any longer. It's a matter of life or death."
In September 2007 Matthew chose life, and left Iraq for good.
Safe haven
Refugees |
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igotthisguitar
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
Location: South Korea (Permanent Vacation)
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:48 am Post subject: |
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QUESTION:
Who dictates Swedish immigration policy?
Thanks Adventurer. This most recent story is just the latest.
As is stands, countless thousands of radical Muslims have been allowed to flood into the country.
Immigration is currently destroying Europe & the west.
Problem, reaction, SOLUTION!
DIALECTICS 
All just a coincidence ... of course  |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:04 am Post subject: |
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| igotthisguitar wrote: |
QUESTION:
Who dictates Swedish immigration policy?
Thanks Adventurer. This most recent story is just the latest.
As is stands, countless thousands of radical Muslims have been allowed to flood into the country.
Immigration is currently destroying Europe & the west.
Problem, reaction, SOLUTION!
DIALECTICS
IGTG, the Iraqi immigrants in question in Sweden are actually Christian Assyrians and Chaldeans who are Aramaic speakers; they are not Muslims for the most part, but it is still an adjustment for the Swedes to accept these Eastern Christians.
All just a coincidence ... of course |
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bigverne
Joined: 12 May 2004
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:07 am Post subject: |
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| Sweden will be destroyed by its own tolerance. |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:12 am Post subject: |
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| Adventurer wrote: |
| igotthisguitar wrote: |
QUESTION:
Who dictates Swedish immigration policy?
Thanks Adventurer. This most recent story is just the latest.
As is stands, countless thousands of radical Muslims have been allowed to flood into the country.
Immigration is currently destroying Europe & the west.
Problem, reaction, SOLUTION!
DIALECTICS
IGTG, the Iraqi immigrants in question in Sweden are actually Christian Assyrians and Chaldeans who are Aramaic speakers; they are not Muslims for the most part, but it is still an adjustment for the Swedes to accept these Eastern Christians.
All just a coincidence ... of course |
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You ever get that weird feeling that there's someone following you? And then every time you turn around, there they are? |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:21 am Post subject: |
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| bigverne wrote: |
| Sweden will be destroyed by its own tolerance. |
How would Aramaic Christians destroy Sweden, BigVerne. They usually are quite productive in all the societies they live in, often integrate well in the US, at least. Sweden is not a country of immigrants so immigrants from other parts of Europe, even, would be a strain. Sweden, you must remember, has a small population. Sweden has long had immigration from Aramaic speaking Syriac Christians, but there has been a major influx after the Iraq War, because Saddam sort of protected them and had Christian friends. By the way, these Assyrians were promised a state in Iraq, to get a part of Iraq if they served with the British, and they didn't get one at all. They actually saved the British from an Arab force that would have massacred them. They weren't served well by the British. |
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bigverne
Joined: 12 May 2004
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| Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:26 am Post subject: |
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| How can the Swedes be sure that all of these refugees are Christians? If they are, then they will probably pose no serious problems, but if a significant number are in fact Muslims, then it will add to Sweden's growing 'Muslim problem'. |
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igotthisguitar
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
Location: South Korea (Permanent Vacation)
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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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| Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:48 am Post subject: |
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| Interesting, my mom lived in Sweden for 2 1/2 years. I'll email the article to her and see what she has to say about it. I remember her saying something about Sweden having a lot of refugees from other countries, but I can't recall the rest of the conversation. If I happen to remember, I'll come back and post what she had to say. |
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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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| Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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Here's her take on the article and her personal experience in Sweden:
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When I was there and in the schools, Lidkoping and Lilla Edet, it was pre-Iraq invasion so most of the immigrants I encountered were from Eastern Europe such as Bosnia and then many from Vietnam, Laos, Germany, No. Africa & some from So. American countries. Most either didn't like Americans or out right hated us as in the case of some people from the Bosnian area because they blamed the US for causing their displacement. It was difficult to get a job in Sweden as an immigrant until you somewhat mastered the Swedish language or knew someone who could get you into work. That is very hard on displaced people who were used to having a productive life.
My experience was very limited as I did not have much contact with a variety of Swedish natives. I did hear some negative comments about the cost of allowing so many immigrants, much like we hear now about the Mexican infux, but the Swedes do pride themselves on being a neutral/safe haven which I do find ironic since , in ways, they supported Hitler.
In our truck travels to areas around larger cities I saw the huge towers of apartments that were origianlly built for the Finnish immigrants in the 60's & 70's, I think, but I may be wrong on the decades. Janne told me that many of the complexes were now run down and there were gang related problems. He talked about never seeing any people of color until he was in his teens, which would have been the 70's and because he came form small towns he had very little exposure to other races before he came to the US. |
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Justin Hale
Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Location: the Straight Talk Express
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| Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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UK begins Aussie-style points system for immigration
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low skilled workers from outside the EU will be barred for the foreseeable future
based on Australia's immigration system |
Iraqi refugees are a complicated moral issue because the Brits and the Americans have a debt to the Iraqi people. Has Sweden though?
Really, I seek an EU-wide points system and expect one in the near future. This'll mean all non-EU would-be immigrants would be subject to the points system, thus keeping it in the family.
Swedish women need to have more Swedish babies in any case. In 2007, Swedish fertility rates were 79% of replacement level. Sweden's extensive welfare state cannot survive with that stat without either immigration or a state-sponsored stimulation of fertility rates. In my opinion, were Muslims to be the chief beneficiaries, it'd be inauspicious for Sweden, since Muslims are demonstrably (admittedly a minority) causing trouble in the UK, Netherlands and France.
Fertility rates by country |
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stevemcgarrett
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 6:21 am Post subject: |
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big verne predicted:
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| Sweden will be destroyed by its own tolerance. |
Yep, as will the rest of Scandanavia, and the Netherlands to boot.
Already the Dutch--and not just the far right--are lamenting their laisse-faire immigration policies.
It's tragic, really. Nothing wrong with helping refugees out but most should be repatriated at some point.
But at least these Iraqis might try to assimilate. The same cannot be said for most in the Netherlands and Britain, or for most illegal Mexicans in the U.S. |
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jkelly80
Joined: 13 Jun 2007
Location: you boys like mexico?
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| Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 6:45 am Post subject: |
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| stevemcgarrett wrote: |
big verne predicted:
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| Sweden will be destroyed by its own tolerance. |
Yep, as will the rest of Scandanavia, and the Netherlands to boot.
Already the Dutch--and not just the far right--are lamenting their laisse-faire immigration policies.
It's tragic, really. Nothing wrong with helping refugees out but most should be repatriated at some point.
But at least these Iraqis might try to assimilate. The same cannot be said for most in the Netherlands and Britain, or for most illegal Mexicans in the U.S. |
What do you know about the assimilation attitudes of "most illegal Mexicans"? |
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Dome Vans
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:07 am Post subject: |
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Absolute nuts!
I lived in Sweden for four years, leaving there December 2007, and this is way over hyped to say the least. Sweden is not being 'swamped' by immigrants, talk about a slow news day.
Look at where the article is written, in S�dert�lje. Which is an area about 30 km south of Stockholm and has a large Turkish population, the other area is Sk�rholmen which is about 10km south of Stockholm. Having been a regular visitor to these areas, I've never seen what would be considered to be an immigration problem.
To me a problem like this would suggest slum areas, rises in drugs and crime. Sweden doesn't have any slum areas. Housing is well maintained and the majority of which is owned by the state. If you want to rent an apartment you have to go on a list, sometimes this can take 5 years, for the most popular area Sundbyberg you can wait 12 years. When you move in you can choose colour, fixtures so it's ready when you move in. This goes the same for immigrant workers. If they are working, tax paying individuals, families etc they are entitled to the same benefits as Swedish citizens.
Sweden has an excellent system of integration and like many other Western countries hires these immigrants to do the work that the native population don't want to do. There is a system in place to only allow working immigrants into the country.
The one thing that is a big plus for Sweden is that they have constant consultation and consensus with the population. The reason their nuclear power plants are revered worldwide is because their waste management is so well organised. It also has the smallest gap between the richest and the poorest in Europe the redistribution of wealth is such that the Swedish citizens don't have any massive problem with having the high taxes because they see the benefits of them and also they realise that if they were in the poorest bracket they would benefit from the system. |
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Dome Vans
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:11 am Post subject: |
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| Funny, I was trying to work out why all these Iraqi people are fleeing their country. Can't for the life of me think why? Something to do with a botched war. |
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