Sweden loses patience with refugee champion role

Sweden has a reputation as the most welcoming European country for Iraqi asylum-seekers, having absorbed tens of thousands in the past decade. Since 2008, however, numbers have dropped sharply as Sweden shows signs of losing patience with its role as champion of refugee rights. The main factor was a Swedish court ruling in 2008 placing a greater burden on refugees to prove they were in danger.

The tougher approach is welcomed by some Swedes, amid unease over the changing face of their traditionally homogenous society. More than a tenth of the population is now foreign-born, with Iraqis among the largest group.

Website: Swedish Migration Board / Migrationsverket http://www.migrationsverket.se/info/start_en.html

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