Refugees and Sweden: My perspective PART FOUR

From FSAOF blogg

On the website of the Swedish Democratic Party you can read the following words: “den sammanlagda nettoeffekten av massinvandringen från avlägna länder starkt negativt, såväl ekonomiskt som social”. My translation: the combined effect of this mass immigration of people for countries far removed from Sweden, is strongly negative for both the economic sphere as well as in the social sphere.” Let me quote from the OECD publication Migration Policy Debate, issued September 2015:  “Refugees have skills (many of them have college degrees)…. (need help in language training for them and) their successful integration as well as for a positive economic impact of these flows in destination countries.” 

So according to OECD the net effect economically is positive and not negative. Once again you can read the following: “…European countries, even if initially caught off guard, were generally able to deal successfully with the situation and largely integrated those migrants who remained. Countries also have benefited economically from these inflows in many cases, at least in the longer run.” The party’s words – “från avlägna länder starkt negativt” – my translation is “countries far removed from Sweden”. 

I suspect this is only another way of saying countries from which Muslims come. It appears to reveal a fear of Islam as a religion. A fear that the Muslim population of Sweden will seek to change our laws and put in its place Muslim law, that is, Sharia law. 

Everything is based on cost, but should it be? My answer is simple – NO! The response mandated by Scripture; don’t think about cost – use your resources in the best manner. 

Here I would like to quote from what the Founder of The Salvation Army had to say: “Brought it all on themselves, you say? Perhaps so, but that does not excuse our assisting them!” He goes on to say: “But what shall we do? Content ourselves by singing a hymn, offering a prayer or giving a little good advice? NO! Ten thousand times no!” and further he says: “But our business is to help them all the same. And that in the most practical, economical and Christ-like manner.”

The fourth General of The Salvation Army said: ”There is no reward equal to that of doing the most good to the most people in the most need”. 

And finally the words of our Lord Jesus, the Christ when He said: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” None of these individuals talk about, first you see what it costs to help, and then you decide on whether or not you want to pay the cost – no they all call for action from us. The action expected is to offer help to all who need help. No questions asked. 

In the short-term there is an increase in the costs to help these refugees, but in the long-term view it will be an economic plus to Sweden and all other countries giving refugee status to these fleeing refugees. Sweden along with most other countries of the EU has a low reproduction rate – we don’t have enough babies. We know that in the near future we are going to need people to replace those that will be entering retirement. We are then going to have to import people to Sweden, from other countries, in order to keep the Swedish Welfare System functioning. That is a simply fact. 

In the short-term there is an increase the costs to help these refugees, but in the long-term view it will be an economic plus to Sweden and all other countries giving refugee status to these fleeing refugees. Sweden along with most other countries of the EU has a low reproduction rate – we don’t have enough babies. We know that in the near future we are going to need people to replace those that will be entering retirement. We are then going to have to import people to Sweden, from other countries, in order to keep the Swedish Welfare System functioning. That is a simply fact.

In the article “Sweden Close to Collapse”, written by Ingrid Carlqvist, a Swedish Journalist, published by Gatestone Institute. As I wrote earlier, “From my research some of the leaders of this organization seem to espouse rather right-wing views.”

She writes: “If the wave of migrants keeps coming, in 10-15 years, Swedes will be a minority in their own country.” She also writes “For the last few weeks, the central train station in Sweden’s third largest city, Malmö, has been overrun with migrants; the volunteers that for the first few days showed up with food, water and clothes now seem to have lost interest.”

“The number of people of Swedish descent – born in Sweden with two parents born in Sweden – has been stable at about 7.7 million and is expected to remain stable or increase slightly due to birth surplus.” This was quoted by Ingrid Carlqvist in her article as coming from SCB Statistics Sweden.  I have checked and searched the SCB website. I did this in an effort to verify the about quote as coming from SCB, but found nothing on the site.

Ingrid Carlqvist has written: “If the wave of migrants keeps coming, in 10-15 years, Swedes will be a minority in their own country.” This is, in my view, an incorrect assumption. She also quotes from SCB the following: “The number of people of Swedish descent – born in Sweden with two parents born in Sweden….” This definition would indicate that the number of Swedes covered by this definition would be applicable to those who are the Grandchildren of immigrant ancestry. They would, after all, be considered Swedes according the SCB definition. As what I have just said is obvious or should be to thinking people, how in all the world to you get to a situation where “Swedes will be a minority in their own country”?

Leonard Johnson
FSAOF Sweden