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Does this explain why the Scandanavian countries are the number one preferred destination for refugees?

by barking 10y ago

kristofferR 10y ago
We're not that any longer. 2015 was crazy, so in 2016 the Scandinavian countries made it much stricter: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/7921609/3-16032017-BP-EN.pdf/e5fa98bb-5d9d-4297-9168-d07c67d1c9e1 http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/7921609/3-160... Page 4. First time asylum applicants declined with over 70% in all the Scandinavian countries.
matt4077 10y ago
Both may be the result of similar policies, i. e. rather generous benefits for people in need. For residents, it contributes to happiness to know that getting cancer would not just be life-threatening, but may also cost you your job, house, and savings. For refugees, Scandinavia usually puts them up in modest apartments, provides a stipend in cash that covers necessities, and has a lot of programs to get them into work. The risk of your place going up in flames during the night is also a bit lower than elsewhere. Other countries put refugees into rather filthy mass shelters, with just rows and rows of a hundred cots to sleep and instead of cash there's catering bought for $1 per meal.
- barking 10y ago
  >Other countries put refugees into rather filthy mass shelters, with just rows and rows of a hundred cots to sleep and instead of cash there's catering bought for $1 per meal. Which countries do that?
  - matt4077 10y ago
    Germany, in some jurisdictions to varying degrees. The shelters were/are mostly temporary because there just wasn't room for a million Syrians in 2015.
jernfrost 10y ago
I think Scandinavian countries have often been more welcome and generous to refugees. And they often get more rights with respect to citizenship and assistance in training and working. The big problem with Scandinavia for refugees is that despite generous welfare programs, there are very few low skilled jobs. Southern Europe is easier in the regard although they seem to often be more racist and give less assistance. The US gives little aid to refugees but has a lot more low skilled jobs, which they can do. I know this is subjective but I'd claim Nordic countries are among the worlds least racist, so it makes it easier for foreigners. But let me qualify that. I think in Canada and the US you probably find a bigger chunk of the population without any kind of prejudice more ready to higher foreigners. Rather my claim as that extreme racism is very rare in Scandinavia. There might be a prevalence of a mild form of prejudice. But I think e.g. despite the US being in many areas more open minded you can have a lot more extreme bigotry and hatefulness towards minorities. E.g. stuff like Neonazis and white supremacists is something I can only remember from the 80s in Norway, while it still seems to be a very real thing in America. Londoners and many Brits are probably more open minded than many Scandinavians, but has Brexit showed there is quite extreme xenophobia alive and well in Britain which doesn't exist in a comparable form in Scandinavia.
- taway_1212 10y ago
  > Brexit showed there is quite extreme xenophobia alive and well in Britain Xenophobia is irrational hatred towards foreigners, while Brexiters had very rational qualms about them (mainly about lowering wages for jobs).
  - taway_1212 10y ago
    I always wonder about people who downvote but don't care to (or can't) put their counterargument in words.

Does this explain why the Scandanavian countries are the number one preferred destination for refugees?

by barking 10y ago

Does this explain why the Scandanavian countries are the number one preferred destination for refugees?

We're not that any longer. 2015 was crazy, so in 2016 the Scandinavian countries made it much stricter: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/7921609/3-16032017-BP-EN.pdf/e5fa98bb-5d9d-4297-9168-d07c67d1c9e1 http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/7921609/3-160... Page 4. First time asylum applicants declined with over 70% in all the Scandinavian countries.

matt4077 10y ago

Both may be the result of similar policies, i. e. rather generous benefits for people in need. For residents, it contributes to happiness to know that getting cancer would not just be life-threatening, but may also cost you your job, house, and savings. For refugees, Scandinavia usually puts them up in modest apartments, provides a stipend in cash that covers necessities, and has a lot of programs to get them into work. The risk of your place going up in flames during the night is also a bit lower than elsewhere. Other countries put refugees into rather filthy mass shelters, with just rows and rows of a hundred cots to sleep and instead of cash there's catering bought for $1 per meal.

barking 10y ago
>Other countries put refugees into rather filthy mass shelters, with just rows and rows of a hundred cots to sleep and instead of cash there's catering bought for $1 per meal. Which countries do that?
- matt4077 10y ago
  Germany, in some jurisdictions to varying degrees. The shelters were/are mostly temporary because there just wasn't room for a million Syrians in 2015.

jernfrost 10y ago

I think Scandinavian countries have often been more welcome and generous to refugees. And they often get more rights with respect to citizenship and assistance in training and working. The big problem with Scandinavia for refugees is that despite generous welfare programs, there are very few low skilled jobs. Southern Europe is easier in the regard although they seem to often be more racist and give less assistance. The US gives little aid to refugees but has a lot more low skilled jobs, which they can do. I know this is subjective but I'd claim Nordic countries are among the worlds least racist, so it makes it easier for foreigners. But let me qualify that. I think in Canada and the US you probably find a bigger chunk of the population without any kind of prejudice more ready to higher foreigners. Rather my claim as that extreme racism is very rare in Scandinavia. There might be a prevalence of a mild form of prejudice. But I think e.g. despite the US being in many areas more open minded you can have a lot more extreme bigotry and hatefulness towards minorities. E.g. stuff like Neonazis and white supremacists is something I can only remember from the 80s in Norway, while it still seems to be a very real thing in America. Londoners and many Brits are probably more open minded than many Scandinavians, but has Brexit showed there is quite extreme xenophobia alive and well in Britain which doesn't exist in a comparable form in Scandinavia.

taway_1212 10y ago
> Brexit showed there is quite extreme xenophobia alive and well in Britain Xenophobia is irrational hatred towards foreigners, while Brexiters had very rational qualms about them (mainly about lowering wages for jobs).
- taway_1212 10y ago
  I always wonder about people who downvote but don't care to (or can't) put their counterargument in words.