Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Sweden's Immigration Debate Has Flared Again: 'Strengthen The Border'


'Strengthen the Border' Vs 'Open Your Hearts': Swedish Parties Polarised by New Migration Wave



As the Scandinavian nation braces itself for a repetition of the 2015 migrant crisis, its political establishment is deeply divided on how to proceed.
Sweden's immigration debate has flared up again, as Turkey decided to let migrants through its borders.
While many journalists and experts see the situation as reminiscent of the 2015 migrant crisis, when Sweden alone took in 163,000 asylum seekers, today's situation is largely different in terms of party politics.
The liberal-conservative Moderates, who under former Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt embraced mass immigration and were largely in favour of migrant-assisted population growth, went out with the message “Strengthen the Border”.
“Sweden's refugee situation of 2015 must never be repeated! When Turkey's president now opens the border to Europe for migrants, Sweden and the EU must act to protect the border”, the Moderates wrote. To protect Europe's borders, the party suggested sending Swedish personnel and border guards to the EU's external borders to assist Greece and Bulgaria, the two nations at the forefront of the new migrant crisis.


The national-conservative anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, currently polling as Sweden's largest party, supported tougher anti-immigration measures.
“To adopt naive and destructive immigration laws in Sweden has been completely idiotic. Giving the EU control of Sweden's border protection was an epic bad idea. The fact that the EU gave Turkey power over the EU border protection was at least as bad”, the party tweeted.




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