Wikileaks documents are bringing information to the fore on the worldwide refugee situation (I bet there is so much we would love to see) and one such communique gives us some background on the present situation in Sweden where Sweden is deporting Iraqis in the midst of public protests.
This is from Monsters and Critics: (emphasis mine):
Stockholm – Two Swedish cabinet members raised concerns over the flow of refugees from Iraq in 2007 during talks with US officials, a Swedish daily said Friday, citing leaked US diplomatic cables.
While Sweden was prepared to receive asylum seekers there was need for ‘a return agreement’ with Iraq for refugees whose applications were rejected the ministers said, according to US diplomatic cables leaked by whistle-blower site WikiLeaks and quoted by the daily Svenska Dagbladet.
During a September 2007 visit to Iraq, Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and Tobias Billstrom, minister for migration and asylum policy, met with Iraqi officials and US embassy officials in Baghdad.
According to the US cable, Bildt and Billstrom mentioned concerns that many arrivals after 2003 were ‘more difficult to assimilate.’
Contributing factors were that the asylum seekers were destitute, and often had poor education or lacked language or professional skills. [Since when did anyone consider those factors in refugee resettlement or in granting asylum!—ed]
Iraq and Sweden in early 2008 agreed on a repatriation agreement stipulating that Iraqis whose applications were rejected should voluntarily be sent back to Iraq. Baghdad would guarantee their security.
Sweden in 2007 expected some 20,000 asylum seekers from Iraq and about three in four applications were likely to be approved, Bildt said according to the US cable.
In 2007 there were some 100,000 Iraqis in Sweden, a country of 9 million.
So Swedish immigration officials thought they had an understanding that the new Iraqi government would protect anyone Sweden rejected. But, so much for agreements, when pro-migration political activists in Sweden demonstrate against every departing planeload.
STOCKHOLM – Swedish authorities detained about 70 people while breaking up a protest against the deportation of Iraqis near the southwestern city of Gothenburg, police said Tuesday.
The demonstrators had started protesting at the weekend, notably by blocking the entrance to the Swedish Migration Board offices in the Gothenburg suburb Kaallered with parked cars.
“Some 70 people were arrested overnight (Monday) for disturbing the peace and three cars that were obstructing traffic were moved,” the Gothenburg police said in a statement, adding that all those arrested were released at 9:40 am (0840 GMT) after questioning.
A public hearing on the deportation of Iraqis was to be held at the building on Tuesday as many non-governmental organisations called for a halt to expulsions.
Amnesty International has called on Swedish Immigration Minister Tobias Billstroem to “stop all forced expulsions back to Iraq.”
I would really like to see the facts on who is being deported and would protest myself if they are sending Christians back to face the Muslim lions.
Readers, if you are interested in more information on Iraqi refugees, we have posted 484 posts on the subject since 2007. Here is a link to our archive on the subject. We have also written a lot about “welcoming” welfare-state Sweden. Use our search function for Sweden for more. See especially ‘Sweden joins the club’ about a terrorist attack in Sweden perpetrated by a former refugee.