We’ve told you about this before, but apparently the time is rapidly approaching when Swedish municipalities that have not previously “welcomed” refugees will be forced to do so.
It sounds incredible that they wouldn’t get any say in the matter. But, in some ways it is no different than US cities and towns that are not given any say about whether theirs will become one of the 186 (and growing) resettlement sites. In America the difference is that there isn’t any law— one’s town is just expected to be “welcoming” until such time as it is not and then it’s usually too late.
And, on this issue of unaccompanied minors (a rapidly growing category in the US too). I don’t know how this came to be big business (with so many kids with no parents) unless there is an effort among the humanitarians to urge parents to let their kids loose and become wards of some government somewhere.
From The Local (emphasis mine):
Swedish municipalities are set to be forced to welcome more asylum seekers following a new bill introduced by the Swedish Migration Board with some saying it will be difficult to find housing for the influx.
The bill, which comes into force next year, allows underage asylum seekers who come to Sweden without parents or guardians to reside in the country.
At present 50 Swedish municipalities don’t have an agreement with the Migration Board (Migrationsverket) and are scrambling to find a solution before the law comes into effect.
“They are forcing us to come up with solutions that don’t exist and those kind of solutions are never good,” said Agneta Bode, who chairs the social welfare board in the Arboga municipality, central Sweden, to the Swedish Radio Ekot programme.
Bode added that her municipality of 13,000 would struggle to cope with a refugee influx due to a housing shortage.
Under the new law the Migration Board gets to decide where the asylum seekers live. Municipalities who don’t presently have any refugees will host the first set of new arrivals and are unable to appeal the decision.
As well as providing housing the legislation means the municipalities are also responsible for the welcome ceremony for the new refugees and their general care.
The photo is from a post at the Tundra Tabloids, check out the Jinn Busters, here!
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