3 ms·
> In Europe, similarly, around 20M Romanians are allowed to Sweden. But they don’t. Supposedly allowed and not at all welcome. Like most affluent countries, Sw
by adventured 6y ago
> In Europe, similarly, around 20M Romanians are allowed to Sweden. But they don’t.
Supposedly allowed and not at all welcome. Like most affluent countries, Sweden doesn't actually want poor people immigrating into their country. So they make things very difficult for those people. It's also why they shut down the big immigration flood, their society was highly intolerant to it.
Americans - commonly ignorant to the details of rest of the world - would be shocked to learn how regressive Scandinavia can be. From very strict immigration to virtually bulldozing minority neighborhoods in Denmark [1][2], to attacks on immigrants in Sweden and burning immigrant camps, to large political parties derived from former neo-nazi groups.
From Reuters in 2015 (the Romanians got the message):
"A series of attacks in Sweden on beggars, many Roma, has highlighted a dark side to a country considered a bastion of tolerance but where the far right has been gaining support by claiming society is under threat from waves of immigrants."
"An influx of thousands of mainly Roma migrants has shocked affluent Swedes, with beggars now a common sight outside supermarkets, IKEA stores and subways in the capital."
"There were around 300 reported attacks on Roma in 2014, up 23 percent on the year before, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention. Police say the figures underestimate the scale of the problem."
"The government reckons around 5,000 migrants, some of whom also come from Hungary, are in Sweden begging. Many live on the street or in squalid camps. In recent months, attackers have thrown acid at beggars and burned tents and caravans."
"Many migrants in Sweden say they want to work, but lack of education and language skills make it impossible for most, leaving begging as the only alternative."
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-sweden/swedish-tolerance-under-question-as-attacks-on-migrants-rise-idUSKCN0QT0BB20150824 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-sweden/sw...
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/01/world/europe/denmark-immigrant-ghettos.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/01/world/europe/denmark-immi...
"When Rokhaia Naassan gives birth in the coming days, she and her baby boy will enter a new category in the eyes of Danish law. Because she lives in a low-income immigrant neighborhood described by the government as a “ghetto,” Rokhaia will be what the Danish newspapers call a “ghetto parent” and he will be a “ghetto child.”
Starting at the age of 1, “ghetto children” must be separated from their families for at least 25 hours a week, not including nap time, for mandatory instruction in “Danish values,” including the traditions of Christmas and Easter, and Danish language. Noncompliance could result in a stoppage of welfare payments. Other Danish citizens are free to choose whether to enroll children in preschool up to the age of six."
[2] https://www.npr.org/2020/08/15/900874510/facing-eviction-residents-of-denmarks-ghettos-are-suing-the-government https://www.npr.org/2020/08/15/900874510/facing-eviction-res...
"Facing Eviction, Residents Of Denmark's 'Ghettos' Are Suing The Government"
- runarberg 6y agoAgreed. Thanks for pointing this out. As a Scandinavian my self I am aware of this. And I raised a nibling comment pointing out that bad policies (like racially biased policing, lack of labor laws, lack of – or unenforced discrimination laws, etc.) cause issues in immigrant communities, not open borders. Sweden and Denmark are easy to point out as they have very racist and discriminatory policies on a national and local level. But Iceland and Norway also have terrible refugee policies and rampant xenophobia (especially in more rural setting).
- thatfunkymunki 6y agoThat's so insane re: 'ghetto children'. How is that tolerated, but https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Generations#Emergence_of_the_child_removal_policy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Generations#Emergence_o... is considered unacceptable?
- aksss 6y agoI do empathize with putting a priority of intention on setting up formative values and influences in their society rather than doing nothing about culture and relying reformative government programs - which clearly have their limits. Not in favor of the violence but the need for cultural integration is a real thing unless you want the planet sinking to the LCD.