SWEDEN | The failure of Swedish integration Sweden wants to be a homogeneous and egalitarian society, but in reality it is a country with wide segregation and has great difficulty integrating its minorities, writes a Dutch journalist. The fastest-growing inequality in Europe It soon became clear that this is indeed the case. While the world was not paying attention, the Swedish model had started to go downhill. After an economic bubble in the 1990s, the centre-right coalition of Fredrik Reinfeldt in 2006 cut back on public services, while at the same time lowering the top rate of taxes. Sweden still is an egalitarian society, but inequality here is growing fastest in Europe. As in the rest of Europe, migrants, low-skilled people and young people, especially boys, are in the worst position. And just like in the rest of Europe the rioters came from all these categories. Prosperity behind gated communities There is a great deal of segregation in Sweden. In Stockholm, most migrants live in the garden cities along the blue subway line, nicknamed the Orient Express. These are concrete buildings of between three and seven floors that were built in the 1960s and 1970s. In some districts, 80 per cent are first- or second-generation immigrants, and 50 per cent are unemployed, compared to the 8 per cent of Sweden as a whole. One in four immigrants does not finish school. A total of 3 per cent of Swedish children are poor, compared to 40 per cent of migrant children. Unlike many European countries, where immigrant numbers are going down, Sweden issues more residence permits every year. The 110,000 issued in 2012 was a record. The refugees currently include predominantly Syrians, Somalis, Iraqis and Roma. It much harder for them to get away from the suburbs than for their predecessors. There are fewer jobs, society is more complex, and the thresholds are higher. presseurop.eu/en/content/article/4049791-failure-swedish-integration
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 16:56:30 +0000