Iraqis Find Refuge in Sweden

HPR — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:50:48 +0000

Despite momentary safety in Scandinavia, major challenges lie ahead

BY ARIELLE FRIDSON

Displaced Iraqis constitute the fastest-growing refugee crisis worldwide. In addition to over two million refugees displaced within Iraq, the UN estimates that 2.2 million Iraqi refugees are living outside their country, with about 1.5 million in Syria alone. As the number of Iraqi asylum-seekers increases, safe refuges are disappearing. On October 1, despite objections from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Syria closed its borders and imposed stringent new visa restrictions. Most Iraqi refugees, unable to work legally in their host countries, see no hope of returning to Iraq and are determined to resettle in Europe or North America.

Sweden, which has shown itself to be open to asylum-seekers, has become a preferred destination for Iraqis. Among all of the Iraqis who have fled to industrialized nations, almost half have ended up in Sweden. In 2006, the number of asylum seekers in Sweden—24,322—reached its highest point in fourteen years, with 8,951 Iraqis as the largest single group. But given the difficulties of integrating into a homogeneous new society, as well as new legal measures that could seriously threaten Sweden’s status as a preferred save haven, Iraqis in Sweden continue to face significant obstacles to resettlement.

Why Sweden?
Sweden’s political climate makes it a particularly suitable candidate for accepting an influx of refugees. “There is no established populist party that makes anti-immigration its agenda in Sweden,” said Jonas Tallberg, from the Department of Political Science at Stockholm University, in an interview with the HPR. Sweden, in fact, has a long tradition of accepting asylum-seekers: in the 1990s, for example, over 100,000 Yugoslavians settled in Sweden.

Upon claiming asylum, Iraqis are allowed to work in Sweden until they are either granted or denied permanent residency. Most Iraqis are smuggled into Sweden through Europe. “When they apply for asylum, more than 90 percent of people don’t show passports to the authorities,” Berit Olsson, press officer at the Swedish Migration Board, said to the HPR. “We expect 38,000 asylum-seekers to arrive in Sweden this year, mostly from Iraq.” However, refugees are often unable to find employment, straining the national welfare system. This situation could be exacerbated by the recent influx of migrant workers into Sweden, which threatens to further marginalize refugees and heighten popular resentment toward them.

Benefits vs. Barriers
Nevertheless, Sweden’s political structure enables generous policies toward asylum-seekers. The Swedish Migration Board and the newly established Migration Courts are officially separate from the Foreign Ministry, putting residency decisions beyond the reach of day-to-day political concerns. Karin Lindahl, political advisor at the Swedish Ministry of Migration and Asylum Policy, said to the HPR that the main goal of the new courts “was to secure the legal certainty [of migration decisions].” This structure ensures that Sweden’s changing political leadership cannot influence how its international political commitments are interpreted. According to the Geneva Convention, for instance, the Migration Board makes decisions on a case-by-case basis and does not impose any particular quotas.

Despite the benefits of immigrating to Sweden, a new legal ruling could seriously jeopardize the future for Iraqi refugees in Sweden. “The main issue in the Swedish media is that the newly-established immigration court has handed down a verdict that Iraq is not considered to be a zone of war,” explains Prof. Tallberg. “Therefore it is legitimate for the Swedish government to repatriate Iraqis.” The July 2007 decision could force thousands of Iraqis to return to their homeland, including Baghdad, unless refugees can prove a specific threat against them. Though this decision has garnered massive criticism, it has not been reversed.

A Future for Iraqis in Sweden?
Looking ahead, the Swedish government is still optimistic about accommodating an influx of Iraqis. “There is no discussion of putting restrictions on the number of asylum seekers,” says Lindahl. There remain, however, serious concerns about integration into Swedish society, competition with for jobs, and the possibility of future repatriation on a massive scale. Sweden, a country that is proud of its liberal tradition, will need to address these issues in order to continue to aid Iraqis who seek refuge within its borders.