Sweden: ‘Force municipalities to accept refugees’

Municipalities in Sweden should be required to accept refugees, a government inquiry has concluded.


Next week the results of a state commission will be presented which suggest that all municipalities should be forced to take in refugees, reports the Dagens Samhälle newspaper.


Last year county administrative boards took over responsibility for managing the receiving of refugees. Since then, the boards have begun a dialogue with municipalities on how many refugees every municipality should accept.


But if a municipality refuses, the process now grinds to a halt.


"If the Migration Board decides that 10,000 people will be placed out in the country and the county administrative board can only find places for 9,500, then the boards much be able to force municipalities to accept refugees," said Monica Werenfels-Röttorp, who led the government inquiry, to the TT news agency.


Around 25 municipalities in Sweden refuse to take in refugees, often pointing to housing shortages when saying no. But such an excuse ought not to serve as an argument which absolves a municipality from responsibility, argues Werenfels-Röttorp.


The report will be handed over to integration minister Nyamko Sabuni on Monday.


Source: The Local (English)