Latest news with #SwedenDemocrats
Local Sweden
2 days ago
- Business
- Local Sweden
Swedish government proposes loosening up mortgage rules
The Swedish government and the Sweden Democrats have proposed reducing the country's amortisation requirement for mortgages as well as lowering the necessary size of a deposit from 15 percent of the property's value to 10 percent. Advertisement A softening of mortgage requirements will make it easier for young people to enter the housing market, the Swedish government said as it presented the proposal. The government also hopes that the proposed measures will reduce the number of people taking out expensive consumer loans to finance a property purchase. READ ALSO: How a new proposal could make it easier to get on the Swedish housing ladder "It is fundamentally healthy to own your own property, but unhealthy to have a consumer loan," financial market minister Niklas Wykman said at a press conference. "This will help people to cut their consumer loans and borrow more using their property as security." Wykman said that the government believes this could lead to higher property prices in the short term, with a greater supply of homes in the long term. The parties also proposed changing the amortisation requirement, abolishing the rule that households with mortgages more than 4.5 times their income have to amortise an extra percent on their mortgages, arguing that this will lower the threshold for accessing the housing market while also improving household finances. Sweden's base amortisation rule, which requires mortgage holders to amortise one percent of their mortgage per year if their mortgage is between 50 and 70 percent of the value of the property, or two percent for loans over 70 percent, will remain the same. The Riksbank central bank and the Financial Supervisory Authority have been critical of the planned changes to the rules, with their objections including concerns that they will lead to increased household debt, thereby affecting Sweden's economic stability. Advertisement Wykman said the goal of the new proposal is to 'protect a healthy amortisation culture without putting up unnecessary barriers'. 'You need different types of rules to make sure that debt doesn't take off in a way which would be unsustainable for households and for the economy,' the minister said. 'Our starting point is that you should pay back your debts – a loan is a loan.' The new rules have a proposed implementation date of April 1st, 2026.
Local Sweden
3 days ago
- Politics
- Local Sweden
European anti-racism council raises concerns over Swedish government policy
Parts of the Tidö Agreement, the policy document agreed between the three government parties and the far-right Sweden Democrats, have led the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) to raise concerns over integration and discrimination in Sweden. Advertisement ECRI regularly monitors the situation in EU member states when it comes to racism and intolerance, giving credit for positive developments and raising its concerns if it believes policy risks making things worse. In its sixth report on Sweden, the commission praised the progress Sweden has made since the last report was issued at the end of 2017. This include the fact that Sweden has set up a museum about the Holocaust and criminalised Holocaust denial, issued new guidelines for investigating hate crimes and is attempting to increase the number of children with immigrant backgrounds attending preschool. However, it also found that there were some areas of concern ‒ many of which are policies directly listed as government aims in the Tidö Agreement ‒ which it argued could increase "the feeling of marginalisation and exclusion among migrants". "There are shortcomings in many teachers' capacity to teach about racism and intolerance, including LGBTI issues, while current confrontations and conflicts in and outside Europe (including the current conflict in the Middle East) and manifestations of racism and intolerance in society are reflected in classrooms," the report reads. It also highlighted the fact that Sweden's Discrimination Act does not list sex as a protected characteristic, nor does the Criminal Code list it as a potential motivation for hate speech or hate crimes. "Available statistics show that Black persons and people of African descent, often young, are common victims of hate crime, despite significant underreporting due to a lack of trust in the criminal justice system on the part of the victims," the report reads. Advertisement ECRI specifically mentioned some policies included in the Tidö Agreement as cause for concern, writing that proposals such as tightening the conditions for family reunification, restricting permanent residency rules and deporting foreign nationals for conduct not considered appropriate "are likely to increase the sense of marginalisation and exclusion among migrants, and thus be harmful to integration". In addition to this, it criticised the introduction of "security zones" or areas where the police are able to carry out stop and searches of people or vehicles without necessarily suspecting that a crime has been committed, warning that they bring "great risks of racial profiling." Sweden was given a number of recommendations. The commission said that Sweden should "reinvigorate the role of education as a tool to better live together in intercultural societies" as well as creating a better understanding within education of issues linked to racist and homophobic stereotypes, or stereotypes related to religion and beliefs. This, it said, could include better publicising existing resources as well as providing compulsory training for teachers on these issues. Swedish authorities and public officials were also encouraged to take a "prompt, firm and public" stance against racism and hate speech against LGBT people. It also called for Swedish authorities to collect "anonymised and disaggregated" data on hate crimes and review police guidelines on stop and search activities, specifically when it comes to the treatment of children and young people.
Local Sweden
7 days ago
- Business
- Local Sweden
Inside Sweden: What do those stats about immigrants' net contribution actually mean?
The Local's editor Emma Löfgren rounds up the biggest stories of the week in our Inside Sweden newsletter. Advertisement Hej, 'Sweden long had an overly generous migration policy which led to a rapid increase in the number of immigrants. The government and the Sweden Democrats are now implementing a paradigm shift which is significantly reducing immigration to Sweden. However, to better understand the long-term consequences of the previous policy and to learn lessons for the future, more knowledge and analysis is needed.' That was the first paragraph of an opinion piece published by the Moderates, Christian Democrats and Sweden Democrats in the Aftonbladet newspaper last summer, in which they announced that the government had ordered Sweden's National Institute of Economic Research (NIER) to calculate the net effects of immigration on the economy. NIER's report was published last week, but it has mostly flown under the radar. It's perhaps no surprise that the government hasn't been wanting to shout about it from the rooftops, as it shows that not only do immigrants as a group have a positive net contribution to the Swedish economy – it's in fact greater than that of native Swedes. Let's get one thing out of the way first: NIER warns that the figures in its report should be taken with a pinch of salt – certain expenses and incomes can either not be calculated directly or the available data is not broken down on an individual level, such as healthcare or infrastructure, so many of them are based on assumptions. The figures also do not take into account other effects of immigration in the Swedish economy, such as higher productivity or effects on the labour market. And it's purely based on contribution as a financial transaction – for example if I need healthcare I'm taking money out of the state and if I pay tax it's money into the state. It doesn't take into account 'soft' contributions such as getting involved in community events or just being a nice neighbour – I think it's important not to forget about those things. Advertisement Anyway, the report found that foreign-born people as a group contributed six billion kronor to Sweden's public finances in 2022, whereas native Swedes had almost exactly the opposite figures, with a negative net contribution of six billion kronor. But what I think is almost more important than the stats, is looking at the why. For example, a major reason why native Swedes have a negative net contribution is that this group includes a large number of children, young people and pensioners, which means that it has high costs associated with children and the elderly's needs – groups that don't pay as much money into the system because they're not working. Similarly, Finns as a group have a substantial negative net contribution, because many Finns who arrived as labour migrants between 1950 and 1970 are now middle aged or older, meaning that they have high costs for pensions, healthcare and elderly care. If you break it down to 'refugees' and 'other immigrants', refugees as a group have a negative net contribution (but it's been rising in recent years). This is because refugees arrive without a job so they don't immediately start paying into the system – but if you look at refugees who've been in Sweden longer, their net contribution is positive. Indians have by far the highest net contribution to the Swedish economy – in fact enough to offset the entire negative contribution of people born in Sweden. This is because most Indians moving to Sweden already have highly-qualified jobs ready when they arrive in the country and work in highly-paid industries such as tech. Most Indians in Sweden arrived in the past decade or so, so they're at peak working age. Advertisement But all of this is a snapshot, based on figures from 2022. It doesn't take into account the lifetime Swedish pensioners spent working, or the decades newly arrived refugees will spend paying into the system as soon as they enter the labour market. If anything, looking only at the financial benefit to the Swedish state, it's obvious from the report that more barriers need to be removed for foreigners trying to get a foot through the door of the labour market, and that decision-makers need to stop implementing policies that are actively turning work permit holders away. But what it mainly tells me rather than who is financially valuable (!) and who isn't, is that these things come and go in waves. Every single one of us goes through phases of life when we pay into the system and phases when we take our fair share out of it. And the key difference is where we are in life, rather than our immigration status. Immigrants, work permit holders, native Swedes, refugees, trailing spouses, children, pensioners – we all contribute to the world around us in our own individual way. What does the word 'contribution' mean to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Before I move on to the rest of the top stories we've covered this week, I just want to take a moment to say that we've been overwhelmed by the response to our appeal last week for donations to help us do the journalism that matters to you. Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared the appeal, or is just here reading us. Advertisement In other news This week's episode of Sweden in Focus Extra for Membership+ subscribers features an interview with Indian lawyer Aakritee Tiwari. My latest budget tip is to swap your morning coffee for a cauliflower (not really). Anyone running the Copenhagen-Malmö Bridge Run this weekend? If not, here's what you need to know about how it will affect travel – and where you can watch. GAMES: Have you tried The Local's games for Membership+ subscribers yet? We've got a new crossword and word search puzzle out now Good news at last for work permit holders. The rule that if you want to change employer in the first two years you have to get a new permit will be scrapped next year – and the grace period for laid-off work permit holders will be extended (for some). More than 30 teachers at the IES school chain have lost their permanent contracts and either been made redundant or moved into other roles after Sweden's Schools Inspectorate criticised the group for its use of teachers without a Swedish certification. Swedish property prices saw a modest increase in May. Advertisement In many ways, Sweden grinds to a halt during the summer, as workers head out to the countryside for a well-earned rest. That's not quite true though – here are the new laws and other changes in store for June, July and August. I really enjoyed speaking with Francisca Leonardo, or Frankie, for our My Swedish Career interview this week. She shares the story of how a major health scare, just a couple of years after arriving in Sweden from Canada, sparked a radical career change: from biotechnology to running her own, unique travel brand in Stockholm. After a disappointing spring for much of the country, this weekend brings with it hotter temperatures, with the mercury potentially hitting 27 or 28C in Stockholm on Sunday. Thanks for reading, Emma Löfgren Editor, The Local Sweden Inside Sweden is our weekly newsletter for members which gives you news, analysis and, sometimes, takes you behind the scenes at The Local. It's published each Saturday and with Membership+ you can also receive it directly to your inbox.
Euronews
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Sweden reaches deal with Estonia to rent prison cells to house inmates
Sweden has reached an agreement with Estonia to house up to 600 inmates in rented prison cells in the Baltic country in a bid to alleviate its prison overcrowding crisis. The deal, which was confirmed on Wednesday by Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer, will allow Sweden to rent 400 cells in the prison in Tartu in the south-eastern part of Estonia. "Sweden and Estonia have reached an agreement that will significantly relieve the burden on the Swedish prison system," Strömmer said. The cost of a prisoner in Estonia is estimated to be €8,500 per month, excluding costs for transport to and from Sweden. In Sweden, the cost is around €11,500 per month. The entire prison will be made available to Sweden and Estonian law will apply on site, according to the agreement. Swedish prison staff will be on the ground to train Estonian guards. Differences in the legislation on prison sentences in the two countries have been analysed. "Estonia is bound by the same international commitments as Sweden and there is established cooperation between the countries in the area of criminal law," a statement from the Swedish Justice Ministry read. Certain exceptions have been agreed, so that the experience will be similar to that of a Swedish prison sentence, the ministry added. Whether an inmate can be sent to Estonia to serve their prison sentence will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Broadly speaking, only men over the age of 18, who have been convicted of serious crimes such as murder or sexual offences will be considered for transfer. They must not be considered to pose a major security risk. Those with an extensive need for care or who are deemed to pose a higher security risk, for example those convicted of terrorist crimes, crimes against national security or who have links to serious organised crime, will not be eligible. Renting prison places abroad was a key component of the Tidö Agreement, the government agreement for the Swedish coalition between the Sweden Democrats, the Moderate Party, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals following the 2022 elections. The aim was to remedy the shortage of places in Swedish prisons, caused by a stream of inmates arising due to gang crime escalating in recent years. This trend has resulted in the Nordic nation topping the rankings of deadly gun violence per capita in Europe. Sweden and Estonia negotiated the deal this spring. An investigation concluded that there are no legal obstacles in either the Constitution or the European Convention against renting prison cells abroad. The agreement is expected to be signed in mid-June. Meanwhile, legislation that makes it possible to place convicted persons in Estonia is intended to come into force on 1 July 2026. However, legislative changes must be approved by Sweden's parliament, the Riksdag, where a qualified or three-quarters majority is required.
Local Sweden
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Sweden's Constitution Committee criticises government for citizenship slowdown
KU, the Swedish parliament's constitution committee, has criticised the leaders of all three government parties for writing an article in a Swedish newspaper calling for a slowdown or stop in granting Swedish citizenship applications. Advertisement On November 29th, the three governing parties of Sweden's right-wing coalition and the Sweden Democrats published an opinion piece in the Dagens Nyheter newspaper titled 'It should be harder to become a Swedish citizen'. The parties pledged in the article to 'as much as possible, take measures to stop more Swedish citizenships from being granted until new rules are in place', hinting that they would take steps to get the Migration Agency to slow down the processing of citizenship applications. They did not explicitly say how they would do so, but the government did in January order the Migration Agency to make extra efforts to identify potential security threats in citizenship cases. These security checks, which came into force on April 1st, led to a near two-month freeze in citizenship applications this spring, and have slowed down the process of issuing new citizenships by forcing all applicants to attend in-person ID checks before their applications can be granted. READ ALSO: The Green Party reported the government to the Constitution Committee for ministerstyre or ministerial governance ‒ essentially, individual ministers trying to influence or meddle in the affairs of a public agency. Advertisement
