By: V4 Agency
Commenting on the situation in Afghanistan, the Swedish prime minister said he does not want a repeat of the 2015 migration crisis. At the time, Sweden took in 160 thousand people and a recent report reveals that today only one-third of the Syrians in Sweden can support themselves.
The situation in Afghanistan is very serious at the moment, there is a lot of uncertainty and it is difficult to predict how the situation will develop. Many people may leave their homes, but Sweden cannot be navigated into the same position it was in in 2015, they will not take in that many immigrants, prime minister Stefan Lofven told the Swedish news outlet Dagens Nyheter.
“Sweden cannot go there again,” Lofven stated.
The Scandinavian country took in over 160 thousand people in the wake of the 2015 migrant crisis, and at present, Syrians make up the largest single immigrant group in Sweden. Today, some 250 thousand Swedes of Syrian descent live in the country.
The Global Village Foundation examined their living conditions, taking into account their economic situation, employment ratios within the group, and also how their children perform in school. The findings of the report were highlighted by Samnytt.
The document reveals that only one-third of the Syrians have managed to become self-supporting in Sweden, with less than half of the adults working and long-term unemployment on the rise in their ranks. Most women stay at home and raise children, while those who work earn less than the average.
Ahmed Adbirhaman, the founder and CEO of The Global Village, says the report highlights the problems that can be observed in Swedish society regarding the integration of non-European immigrants. He also pointed out that there is a big difference between the opportunities available, for example, in the labour market, for foreigners born in Europe and for those originating from outside the continent.
Swedish PM Stefan Lofven announced his resignation as party leader and as prime minister on Sunday.