Friday, February 8, 2008

Integration problems in Sweden can not be solved by threats

On the morning news I watched Tobias Billström (Sweden's Minister of Immigration) defending the governments new suggestion about demanding that refugees in Sweden has a job and an apartment before they are allowed to bring family over.

Critic from the opposition was of course that it will not be easier to find a job or an apartment just because you are threatened by the fact that you will not be allowed to reunite with you're family if you don't.

Also, a suggestion like this puts the responsibility on individuals instead of recognizing the problems Sweden has with discrimination against immigrants on the job market.

Another critic was that the governments real reason for this suggestion is that they want to decrease the amount of immigrants.

Tobias Billström denied this, but in the next sentence he says that the reunion of family should not necessarily have to happen in Sweden. It could just as well happen in e.g. Syria.

What???

No, Tobias Billström, I doubt that this suggestion is the answer to the integration problems in Sweden.

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