Erika Wid
By Erika Widén
l ast September, Swedish immigration authorities ruled that all Syrian asylum seekers who reach Swedish territory would be granted permanent residency due to the worsening conflict in Syria, including Syrian refugees already in Sweden who were given temporary residency for three years. The decision to grant asylum is based on whether a person is in need of protection, considering that there seems to be no solution in the near future to the Syrian crisis.
“The fact that Sweden is the first country to open its arms is both positive and negative,” said Malek Laesker, vice chair of the Syrian Arabian Cultural Association of Sweden. The decision would lead to a lucrative smuggling market, Laesker said, adding that it would also add fuel to the debate on Sweden’s immigration policies.
In 2013, the European Union received around 435,000 asylum applications, up nearly a third from 2012. Sweden received more applications than any other country — approximately 54,000. Most of the asylum applicants to Sweden were Syrians.
Commenting on the figures released recently, Tobias Billström, Sweden’s Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, said to the media: “We have a situation where member states like Sweden, France and Germany are doing more and more of the job.” According to European Union statistics, Sweden, France and Germany account for more than half of all asylum applications.
“It’s not sustainable to have a situation where there are so few of the 28 member states who are making a huge effort and some are simply sitting by the ringside.”
He added that Sweden’s neighbours’ failure to assist more refugees could prove disastrous in future. According to Billström it is crucial to assist countries such as Lebanon and Jordan, otherwise those countries could collapse and create a larger, secondary wave of migration to the European Union.
“We need to show solidarity with countries neighbouring Syria, where they’ve had a huge increase (in refugees). There needs to be a common European resettlement system... to relieve the burden,” he said, adding that the European Commission should ensure that countries live up to their asylum obligations.
“If all the 28 member states took as many (United Nations) quota refugees as Sweden does... the European Union could offer 100,000 places annually to the United Nations Refugee Agency,” added Billström.
Asylum seekers who reach Sweden’s shores stay in the Migration Board accommodation centre while their individual case is being processed. They are given a monthly allowance of approximately $105 (QR383) in addition to three daily meals.
Once their papers are approved, the individuals receive a monthly allowance of approximately $700 (QR2,550) in addition to an accommodation allowance, if required. The allowance provided is sufficient to pay for medical care, clothes and leisure activities.
The asylum seekers, on the other hand, are required to learn the Swedish language, with the government providing free lessons, and are trained to search for work.
The Swedish asylum system is regarded as generous worldwide, and does the most to assist immigrants from war-torn countries to assimilate into Swedish society.
However, despite being a refugee-friendly Scandinavian country, in recent years the political climate has become less tolerant toward newcomers. In 2010 elections, the Swedish Democrat party, which strongly opposes immigration, won 20 seats. The Swedish Democrats believe that ethnic Swedes should not have to bear the burden of what they perceive as a reckless immigration policy that is not beneficial to the country.
Analysts say the rise of the anti-immigration party is mostly due to the potential impact of the country’s generous immigration policy.
Abdelmalek Almasri, a Syrian interior designer in his mid-30s told The Peninsula how he had lost all hopes of finding work in Damascus and therefore decided to make a new start by coming to Sweden last October.
“My plan is to continue my master’s studies, interact with the Swedish society and eventually get a job.”
Almasri said he travelled through various Europeans countries until he reached Sweden. He said he was grateful to the Swedish government for offering him an opportunity to start a new life.
“I would advise Syrians to come if they know what they will do in Sweden as productive people and not just relying on social services. Syrians are known to be active and helpful in Syria and in all other societies, and they would have the chance (in Sweden) not to waste their time by being useless due to the current war conditions.”
He said all Syrians at the asylum centre had fears and concern for their family, relatives and friends left behind. Some of them get frustrated while at the asylum centre since they have to wait several months before their case is approved.
Almasri believes Syria does not have a real civil war.
“We have a war made up by the interference of surrounding countries and international powers who are financing and supplying weapons…. This behaviour is foreign to Syrian society and is not part of our culture and heritage…. I hope all Arab countries have a positive role in Syria rather than participating in shedding blood there.”
Mazeen Rasheed, a Syrian pharmacist in his mid-40s told The Peninsula how he felt pressured to leave his hometown in Afrin due to the escalating war.
Rasheed heard of Sweden granting asylum to Syrians and decided to leave everything behind.
“I took a bus from Syria to Turkey, then from Turkey I went by ship to Greece, and from Greece I took the plane to Stockholm and arrived in October last year.”
He said he did not know anyone upon arrival at the airport, and informed the passport control staff that he was Syrian and had arrived illegally. He was then taken straight to the immigration centre and was well taken care off.
“I didn’t face a culture shock. Swedish society is decent and kind like in Syria. As I graduated 20 years ago from a Ukrainian university, I am familiar with the cold weather, plus I had visited many other European countries prior to the war.”
Rasheed is learning Swedish and will get his professional qualifications accredited to get work. He has requested Swedish authorities to help him bring over his wife and children from Syria.
“I want my children to study in Sweden until they finish university, and I look forward to working in Sweden as I cannot accept depending on social support.”
“If there is peace in Syria and I cannot find work or open a business in Sweden, I would return to my country and leave my family in Sweden.”
With regard to the Syrian war, he says he is astonished at what is happening in his country. “In my personal opinion, this war in Syria is an outside invasion and interference and is not part of the Syrian society…. I do not believe there will be peace anytime soon…. It is not logical for foreign countries to supply weapons and at the same time supply aid for the refugees. If you don’t want refugees, then don’t supply weapons, money for weapons and interfere in Syria,” said Rasheed.
The Peninsula
By Erika Widén
l ast September, Swedish immigration authorities ruled that all Syrian asylum seekers who reach Swedish territory would be granted permanent residency due to the worsening conflict in Syria, including Syrian refugees already in Sweden who were given temporary residency for three years. The decision to grant asylum is based on whether a person is in need of protection, considering that there seems to be no solution in the near future to the Syrian crisis.
“The fact that Sweden is the first country to open its arms is both positive and negative,” said Malek Laesker, vice chair of the Syrian Arabian Cultural Association of Sweden. The decision would lead to a lucrative smuggling market, Laesker said, adding that it would also add fuel to the debate on Sweden’s immigration policies.
In 2013, the European Union received around 435,000 asylum applications, up nearly a third from 2012. Sweden received more applications than any other country — approximately 54,000. Most of the asylum applicants to Sweden were Syrians.
Commenting on the figures released recently, Tobias Billström, Sweden’s Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, said to the media: “We have a situation where member states like Sweden, France and Germany are doing more and more of the job.” According to European Union statistics, Sweden, France and Germany account for more than half of all asylum applications.
“It’s not sustainable to have a situation where there are so few of the 28 member states who are making a huge effort and some are simply sitting by the ringside.”
He added that Sweden’s neighbours’ failure to assist more refugees could prove disastrous in future. According to Billström it is crucial to assist countries such as Lebanon and Jordan, otherwise those countries could collapse and create a larger, secondary wave of migration to the European Union.
“We need to show solidarity with countries neighbouring Syria, where they’ve had a huge increase (in refugees). There needs to be a common European resettlement system... to relieve the burden,” he said, adding that the European Commission should ensure that countries live up to their asylum obligations.
“If all the 28 member states took as many (United Nations) quota refugees as Sweden does... the European Union could offer 100,000 places annually to the United Nations Refugee Agency,” added Billström.
Asylum seekers who reach Sweden’s shores stay in the Migration Board accommodation centre while their individual case is being processed. They are given a monthly allowance of approximately $105 (QR383) in addition to three daily meals.
Once their papers are approved, the individuals receive a monthly allowance of approximately $700 (QR2,550) in addition to an accommodation allowance, if required. The allowance provided is sufficient to pay for medical care, clothes and leisure activities.
The asylum seekers, on the other hand, are required to learn the Swedish language, with the government providing free lessons, and are trained to search for work.
The Swedish asylum system is regarded as generous worldwide, and does the most to assist immigrants from war-torn countries to assimilate into Swedish society.
However, despite being a refugee-friendly Scandinavian country, in recent years the political climate has become less tolerant toward newcomers. In 2010 elections, the Swedish Democrat party, which strongly opposes immigration, won 20 seats. The Swedish Democrats believe that ethnic Swedes should not have to bear the burden of what they perceive as a reckless immigration policy that is not beneficial to the country.
Analysts say the rise of the anti-immigration party is mostly due to the potential impact of the country’s generous immigration policy.
Abdelmalek Almasri, a Syrian interior designer in his mid-30s told The Peninsula how he had lost all hopes of finding work in Damascus and therefore decided to make a new start by coming to Sweden last October.
“My plan is to continue my master’s studies, interact with the Swedish society and eventually get a job.”
Almasri said he travelled through various Europeans countries until he reached Sweden. He said he was grateful to the Swedish government for offering him an opportunity to start a new life.
“I would advise Syrians to come if they know what they will do in Sweden as productive people and not just relying on social services. Syrians are known to be active and helpful in Syria and in all other societies, and they would have the chance (in Sweden) not to waste their time by being useless due to the current war conditions.”
He said all Syrians at the asylum centre had fears and concern for their family, relatives and friends left behind. Some of them get frustrated while at the asylum centre since they have to wait several months before their case is approved.
Almasri believes Syria does not have a real civil war.
“We have a war made up by the interference of surrounding countries and international powers who are financing and supplying weapons…. This behaviour is foreign to Syrian society and is not part of our culture and heritage…. I hope all Arab countries have a positive role in Syria rather than participating in shedding blood there.”
Mazeen Rasheed, a Syrian pharmacist in his mid-40s told The Peninsula how he felt pressured to leave his hometown in Afrin due to the escalating war.
Rasheed heard of Sweden granting asylum to Syrians and decided to leave everything behind.
“I took a bus from Syria to Turkey, then from Turkey I went by ship to Greece, and from Greece I took the plane to Stockholm and arrived in October last year.”
He said he did not know anyone upon arrival at the airport, and informed the passport control staff that he was Syrian and had arrived illegally. He was then taken straight to the immigration centre and was well taken care off.
“I didn’t face a culture shock. Swedish society is decent and kind like in Syria. As I graduated 20 years ago from a Ukrainian university, I am familiar with the cold weather, plus I had visited many other European countries prior to the war.”
Rasheed is learning Swedish and will get his professional qualifications accredited to get work. He has requested Swedish authorities to help him bring over his wife and children from Syria.
“I want my children to study in Sweden until they finish university, and I look forward to working in Sweden as I cannot accept depending on social support.”
“If there is peace in Syria and I cannot find work or open a business in Sweden, I would return to my country and leave my family in Sweden.”
With regard to the Syrian war, he says he is astonished at what is happening in his country. “In my personal opinion, this war in Syria is an outside invasion and interference and is not part of the Syrian society…. I do not believe there will be peace anytime soon…. It is not logical for foreign countries to supply weapons and at the same time supply aid for the refugees. If you don’t want refugees, then don’t supply weapons, money for weapons and interfere in Syria,” said Rasheed.
The Peninsula
