Sweden, once one of the most welcoming countries for refugees, on Tuesday introduced tough new restrictions on asylum seekers, including rules that would limit the number of people granted permanent residency and make it more difficult for parents to reunite with their children.
The government said the legislation... was necessary to prevent the country from becoming overstretched by the surge of migration to Europe that began last year.
— the New York Times
As more and more refugees flood into Europe from the Middle East, Africa, and elsewhere, once-welcoming countries are increasingly tightening their borders. For more on this, check out these links:
3 Comments
This means that Sweden--
a) is no longer the leading light of progressive inclusiveness;
or
b) has become understandably pragmatic;
or
c) all of the above.
Let's be honest, Sweden is only possible because of its low population. It's progressivness is a fairly untested concept...We really don't know a nations true "goodness" until their principles start butting up against their comforts.
It's not just population size that contributes to Sweden's system working, though their relatively small scale as a society is important. It's also contingent on cultural, and thus ethnic homogeneity. That's threatened now due to short-sighted immigration policies, so their system is starting to come apart at the seams. They're either going to have abandon their vaunted social welfare system now or kick out all the non-Swedes. It's a tough choice, but they have left themselves no other options.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.