World News

Sweden Approaches the Influx of Refugees Differently

Sweden Approaches the Influx of Refugees Differently

Like it had done for decades, Sweden continues to accept refugees coming to its borders, but it now approaches the influx a little differently.

A big difference

Many of the refugees recount the hardships they endured during their plight from Syria to Iraq to Greece and more countries just to reach Northern Europe where they hope they will have a better life. Some people become lucky, like those that made it to Stockholm Central Station.

A young Syrian refugee recalled that through his journey to Sweden, he went to prison, had been moved and in some instances, ignored. Now that he had reached Sweden, he’s very thankful, because he’s being treated as a human being.

Open-door policy

Sweden had always been known as a generous country that had remained neutral in foreign affairs for a long time. While there are now critical voices, like many others in Europe that are questioning the sustainability of the country’s open-door policy, the government has some good plans for the asylum-seekers.

Harnessing new talents

Morgan Johansson, the Migration Minister of Sweden, believes that it is better to understand the positive and significant impact of the refugees on the country’s economy. He said the population in Northern Europe is aging and the increase in the number of pensioners means there is an immediate need for more workers to support them. He cited the fact that about one-third of the Syrians coming to Sweden now are nurses, engineers and doctors – people with higher education that he believes Sweden will need in the near future.

He says that getting these refugees into appropriate jobs will have a great impact on the country’s integration policies in which the government made a large investment. The Swedish Public Employment Service (SPES) is now tasked to assess the skills of those lucky enough to be given asylum. The government agency then arranges additional education and training for them if needed and likewise matches their skills with potential employers.

Limited success

The integration process still shows limited success, since, for the past two years, only about 30 percent of refugees have accessed education or have found employment. One of the stumbling blocks is learning the Swedish language. Majority of the refugees granted asylum before were lacking in formal education and had limited skills.

While the opposition feels that they have to be selective, Minister Johansson stated that they have a moral obligation to these people and it is not right to be selective because he believes that all humans have the same value, which is what the European Union stands for.

Copyright: photootohp / 123RF Stock Photo

Comment Below
World News

More in World News

Asean

ASEAN Summit 2017 in Manila Welcomes World Leaders

Bernadine RacomaNovember 13, 2017
piccadilly

New Piccadilly Mono-Screen Can Target You With Custom Ads

Brian OasterOctober 17, 2017
iran deal

Will Trump Scrap the Iran Deal?

Camilo AtkinsonOctober 11, 2017
facial recognition

China Expands Use of Facial Recognition Technology

Brian OasterOctober 5, 2017
Cuba

Department of State Expels 15 Cuban Diplomats from Washington DC

Camilo AtkinsonOctober 4, 2017
kumari

Nepal Finds its New Living Goddess, a 3 Year Old Girl

Brian OasterSeptember 28, 2017
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia Will Allow Women to Drive by June 2018

Camilo AtkinsonSeptember 27, 2017
Rohingya Women

Rohingya Crisis: Help for Pregnant And Lactating Women

Christina CombenSeptember 26, 2017
Puerto Rico Damage

Puerto Rico Still Cut off from the World after Hurricane Maria

Bernadine RacomaSeptember 25, 2017

Day News Corporation

415 Madison Avenue, 15th Floor, New York City, NY 10017

(212) 537-6123

Latest Tweets

DayNewsCo @DayNewsCo

Could not authenticate you.