Morgan Johansson – Sweden’s Migration and Asylum Policy Minister – has spoken in defence of migration at a conference in Sweden, citing Eurovision 2012 winner and Paris Saint-German striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic as examples of the positive potential of refugees.
In the speech at the Swedish headquarters of the EU Commission in Stockholm, Johansson stressed the importance of emphasising the benefits of migration in any discussion of the issue:
On Zlatan and Loreen, Johansson noted how “proud” Sweden is of the stars, adding that, “those who come here now may give us the Zlatan and Loreen of 2030.”
Sweden hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 after Loreen won in Baku in 2012 and Ibrahimovic is a world famous soccer sensation.
Johansson added that too much focus in the migration debate was given to the “burden” of rehoming refugees.
Johansson was joined by MEP Cecilia Wikström, Director of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Charlotte Petri Gornitzka and Head of the European Commission in Sweden Katarina Areskoug Mascarenhas, in acknowledgment of the benefits of migration and common call for a collective resolution to the European migration crisis.
Ibrahimovic will be familiar to ESC fans for welcoming 170 million viewers to Malmö for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013.
Sources: The Local.se, The Independent
Swedish politicians are pure idiots. Firstly Loreen is born in Sweden (not much of a refugee??). She even grew up with a Swedish Stepdad due to her biological Moroccan father left her, her mother and her siblings. Also ABBA were more or less all Swedish, and what then? The Swedish politicians making these juvenile comments want to take every chance to glorify the most failed, infantile and right-out dangerous immigration policies in the whole western world. I mean sure we have Loreen, who again is born in Sweden and not a refugee (nor was her mother either, just an immigrant),… Read more »
Migration is sick in sweden. honestly. we can soon say goodbye to everything swedish and say hello to sharia laws and suicide bombings…
its sad but true.
@Fatima: Lord Zlatan does not approve of your comment.
I was very disappointed when Zlatan Ibrahimovic popped up to ruin the exquisite opening sequence to Malmö 2013. I never heard of him before or since.
Let’s invite whole Africa and South Asia to Europe, shall we? I recommend inviting ‘the warriors’ from Syria and Iraq first! 🙂
Dear @Oostenrijk then it is time to change and let love lead the way!!!
I feel sorry for Sweden, but as Austria is the Alpine blueprint of Sweden, I also feel sorry for Austria now, where the gates are wide open for everyone. Everyday there is a shootout or a stabbing in Vienna. Even in the Eurovision tram close to Stadthalle a guy got stabbed by a killer in public.
This kind of immigration is the end of tolerance and progress. It’s sad how the some people who preach tolerance, equality and progress, also promote immigration. We cannot have gay marriage and Sharia law mindset in the same country.
@Davve- It was the most ridiculous thing I’ve read. Muslim State? It’s just crap propaganda. I am Swedish, and I am so ashamed I feel sick when I read such statements as yours.
well it’s now deleted so nobody can check or react at the comment but i think it didn’t state all immigrants are and in our local media it’s like the exact opposite they don’t dare to say anything negative. also the netherlands is a small country with about 17 million people so there really isn’t much room left for more people. another problem is that the government wants to place the asylums in sparsely populated places there was this plan where they wanted to place a asylum with about 2000 refugees in a village of 500 people how will they… Read more »
@jr esc nl: So claiming that all immigrants are rapists and criminals is not offending? And you call that discussion? I think you are misinformed, Europe is not “drowning in asylums”. Did you know that for example, the country who welcomes the most asylum seekers compared to its population is Pakistan? Did you know that 80% of the 11 millions refugees in the world are actually welcomed in countries of the southern hemisphere? Did you know that in 1992 the 15-country-European Union was welcoming 670.000 refugees/year, whereas in 2010 the 27-country-European Union was only welcoming 236.000 refugees (3 times less).… Read more »
The criminality of Sweden has been increased dramatically because of immigrants from 3rd world countries..
Sweden has to take care of this issue 4 sure..
There are too many immigrants in Sweden that are troublemakers.criminals,homophobic,backward & possibly supporters of terrorism..
Just get rid all of them & make your top priority to accept as many as possible gay homosexuals immigrants that are seeking shelter and have been refugees from their dangerous homophobic countries..
Davve i’m sorry west europe can’t help you we are also drowning in asylums
Did you guys literally delete a comment because one special person gets offended?!
Wtf wiwibloggs yahel offended nobody with that comment apparently discussions are not allowed on here. And you can only state positive things about immigrants because there are obviously no serious problems with any off them…
Blacks and arabs – what a great neighborhood!
Sweden is mishandling their refugees so much. there are no real integration.
i sometimes feel ashamed to be swedish..
the rest of europe needs to help out with the issue…so sweden doesnt become a muslim state…
OH what a lovely quote. I’ll surely think of that when swedes are called by their own government as “People of no culture, of their own” and when swedes themselves can’t find a home and work due to the increased amount of immigrants. I mean come on, in Malmo Swedes are actually a minority which is a shame since Swedes are very beutiful people. Immigration is not bad, but increasing a countries population by 10% in just 5 years due to immigration is just horrible. Maybe the EU should help Sweden by spreading the immigrants across Europe, since Sweden should… Read more »
In this time of economic crisis, people only focus (and largely exaggerate) the so called burden of immigration. It’s SO nice to finally hear somebody highlighting the value that migrants bring to their new countries.
@William Lee Adams: Thank you for sharing this news, but could you please do something about Yahel’s disgusting comment? Thank you.
Of course..
Loreen is the most famous immigrant winner/artist of EuroVision! <3
She is one of my most favorite ever visionary artists! <3
The eurofans's crowd in London's Greatest Hits Party went wild & cheered Loreen as hell when she was on stage! <3
I can see her smash anthem *Euphoria* winning again 4 a record fourth year in row in the voting 4 the top250! <3
I do not think that any song from this year's Vision is really strong opponent 4 our Loreen! <3