Swedish asylum policy faces tougher times

The Swedish asylum policy faces greater problems today. The war is Syria and Afghanistan,
as well as troubles in Somalia and Eritrea have caused an exodus of refugees to Europe, least of all Sweden. They have to have housing, food, employment and a just processing of their refugee and asylum applications.

The situation has put strong demands upon the Swedish Migration Authority and the country's various county. Most of those coming here from the Middle East and Africa have one basic reason. Their lives in their home countries are in danger. 60 to 70 percent of them are granted asylum permits.

While at the same time, a huge number of asylum seekers to Sweden are coming from western Balkan, namely Serbia, Bosnia & Hercegovina and Albania. From these countries which no longer have travel bans to EU, came during the first eight months this year more asylum seekers than from Syria, which is in a civil war.

The reasons are quite clear. Many of the asylum seekers are gypsies reportedly exposed to prejudices and difficult discrimination in their countries. Even non-gypsies from the Balkan apply for asylum to escape poverty and unemployment. But their applications are rejected, as usual since many of them have no refugee reasons and only 1 percent are allowed to stay. These are refugees arranged by syndicates which continue to arrange asylum trips with promises of guaranteed residence permit and social benefits.

Sweden, along with five other EU member states with many asylum applicants, wrote to the EU Commission to restore a temporary visa restriction from countries west of the Balkan. This would make it difficult for organised asylum and refugee syndicates, as well as private individuals to flee from miseries at home.

It would appear cynical to impose a travel ban on say the gypsies who want to come to Sweden, but the asylum taking situation has become tedious. As an alternative to travel ban, EU countries with heavy influx of asylum seekers should give more funds to the Migration authority because the present reception system can no longer handle both the refugee exodus from war zones as well as from western Balkan. Those fleeing from war zones like Syria and Afghanistan should have priority.

One big problem in the refugee and asylum taking is the unequal burden of European solidarity. Some countries like Greece and Italy are reportedly treating asylum seekers in inhumane ways, and therefore they move to friendlier EU countries. But it would be unfair for Northern Europe alone to shoulder the whole continent's refugee and asylum burden. Sweden and EU cannot receive everybody who are treated badly in their home countries. However, Sweden can impose stricter demands that all people be treated humanely. (Translated and edited from DN editorial, 26 October 2012. )