Iraqis in Sweden
Encyclopedia
Iraqis in Sweden numbered at 118,000 people as of 2009, or 1.3% of the total population of Sweden.
They are one of the largest ethnic minority groups living in Sweden
, second to the Sweden Finns
(5.1%).
The size of this group has doubled in the period of 2002 to 2009; the influx of Iraqi refugees has increased dramatically during the 2006 to 2009 as a result of the Iraq War.
and the Gulf War
, but most Iraqis in Sweden today have migrated as a consequence of the Iraq War of 2003 to 2010.
Christian Iraqis, fearing persecution in their homeland, make up a large part of that influx after Iraq occuption in 2003.
Sweden accepts more than half of all asylum applications from Iraqis in Europe
. In 2006, over 9,000 Iraqis fled their country and came to Sweden seeking shelter, a fourfold increase over 2005.
In 2007, Sweden attempted to throttle the influx of Iraqi refugees by tightening the rules for asylum seekers, but in 2008 there were again record numbers of Iraqi immigrants, close to 12,000. In 2009, the number of immigrants fell again slightly, to 8,400.
Iraqi-born persons in Sweden by year:
The Swedish Migration Board decided in early 2006 that all Iraqi asylum-seekers from Central and Southern Iraq whose claims had been rejected as part of the normal status determination process would nevertheless receive a permanent residence
permit, allowing the majority of Iraqis in Sweden to begin the process of fully integrating into Swedish society with a secure legal status.
In the context of the generally low recognition rates for Iraqis in other EU states, Sweden's generosity led to a surge in the number of applications received from Iraqis. Figures increased from 2,330 in 2005 to 8,951 the following year, with a further 1,500 new arrivals per month in the first half of 2007. Most of these persons have joined the existing Iraqi community in Sweden in municipalities such as Malmö
and Södertälje
, with the scale of the influx to these areas forcing newcomers to live in very poor conditions. Speaking in June 2007, Södertälje's mayor Anders Lago described the situation as being close to breaking point, with the authorities barely able to provide basic services and many newcomers sharing apartments with up to fifteen people.
They are one of the largest ethnic minority groups living in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, second to the Sweden Finns
Sweden Finns
Sweden Finns are a Finnish speaking minority in Sweden. The Finnish-speaking Swedes are not to be confused with the Swedish speaking Finland-Swedes in Finland . In 2008 there were over 675 000 people in Sweden who were either born in Finland or have at least one parent or grandparent who was born...
(5.1%).
The size of this group has doubled in the period of 2002 to 2009; the influx of Iraqi refugees has increased dramatically during the 2006 to 2009 as a result of the Iraq War.
Migration history
Many Iraqis fled to Sweden during the 1980s to 1990s as well, due to the Iran-Iraq warIran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
and the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, but most Iraqis in Sweden today have migrated as a consequence of the Iraq War of 2003 to 2010.
Christian Iraqis, fearing persecution in their homeland, make up a large part of that influx after Iraq occuption in 2003.
Sweden accepts more than half of all asylum applications from Iraqis in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In 2006, over 9,000 Iraqis fled their country and came to Sweden seeking shelter, a fourfold increase over 2005.
In 2007, Sweden attempted to throttle the influx of Iraqi refugees by tightening the rules for asylum seekers, but in 2008 there were again record numbers of Iraqi immigrants, close to 12,000. In 2009, the number of immigrants fell again slightly, to 8,400.
Iraqi-born persons in Sweden by year:
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| 49,372 | 55,696 | 62,751 | 67,645 | 70,117 | 72,553 | 82,827 | 97,513 | 109,446 | 117,919 |
Refugee status and naturalization
In 2006 Sweden granted protection status to more Iraqis than in all other EU states combined. In 2005 only 0.1 percent of Iraqis were recognised as refugees, but the total recognition rate including those granted complementary protection was a relatively high 24 per cent. In the year 2006 however, recognition rates leapt to a total of 91 per cent.The Swedish Migration Board decided in early 2006 that all Iraqi asylum-seekers from Central and Southern Iraq whose claims had been rejected as part of the normal status determination process would nevertheless receive a permanent residence
Permanent residency
Permanent residency refers to a person's visa status: the person is allowed to reside indefinitely within a country of which he or she is not a citizen. A person with such status is known as a permanent resident....
permit, allowing the majority of Iraqis in Sweden to begin the process of fully integrating into Swedish society with a secure legal status.
In the context of the generally low recognition rates for Iraqis in other EU states, Sweden's generosity led to a surge in the number of applications received from Iraqis. Figures increased from 2,330 in 2005 to 8,951 the following year, with a further 1,500 new arrivals per month in the first half of 2007. Most of these persons have joined the existing Iraqi community in Sweden in municipalities such as Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
and Södertälje
Södertälje
Södertälje is a city and the seat of Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 86,069 inhabitants in 2010.The industrial city, about south of Stockholm, is the home to truck maker Scania AB and a top 10 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca....
, with the scale of the influx to these areas forcing newcomers to live in very poor conditions. Speaking in June 2007, Södertälje's mayor Anders Lago described the situation as being close to breaking point, with the authorities barely able to provide basic services and many newcomers sharing apartments with up to fifteen people.
Notable people
- Ahmad Ahmad, bodybuilder
- Bovar KarimBovar KarimBovar Mohammed Karim is a France-born Swedish footballer of Kurdish decent, who currently plays for Limhamn Bunkeflo.-Early life:Bovar Karim was born in Paris to an Iraqi-Kurdish family and son of Sulaymaniyah FC's former player Mohammed Karim.-Notes:...
, footballer - Minas al-Yusifi, politician
- Urban Hamid, filmmaker
- Zeyn Al-Abidyn S-Latef, footballer
- Mohamed Said (actor)Mohamed Said (actor)Mohamed Said , is a Swedish actor of Iraqi parentage. He lives in Huddinge in Stockholm. He played one of the lead characters, Raddi, in Daniel Fridell's full-length film Säg att du älskar mig in 2006...
, actor - Salam KaramSalam KaramSalam Kamel Karam is a Swedish journalist.Salam Karam was born in Baghdad in Iraq. He speaks fluent Arabic as well as Swedish. He has a bachelor's degree in Middle-Eastern studies from Uppsala University. He has worked as a Middle East reporter for the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet and in the radio...
, journalist - Modhir AhmedModhir AhmedThe artistic journey of Iraqi-Swedish artist Modhir Ahmed coincided with the sweeping political changes of Iraq and Poland in the mid-1980s and concluded in Sweden, the country that has opened scores of new opportunities for the young determined artist....
, visual artist - Araz YassinAraz YassinAraz Yassin is an Iraqi-Swedish football player who currently plays for Al-Wahda in Syria.-External links:* *...
, footballer - Denise Roxenhamn, Swedish bassist for band, The Laundry Shop (half Swedish and half Iraqi)
- Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, suicide bomber
- Abdukmnam S. Kadhim, senior lecturer in sociologySociologySociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and social psychologySocial psychologySocial psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. By this definition, scientific refers to the empirical method of investigation. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all...
at Umeå UniversityUmeå UniversityUmeå University is a university in Umeå in the mid-northern region of Sweden. The university was founded in 1965 and is the fifth oldest within Sweden's present borders....
See also
- Demographics of SwedenDemographics of SwedenThe demographics of Sweden is about the demographic features of the population of Sweden, including population growth, population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population...
- Iraqi refugees
- Assyrians/Syriacs in Sweden
- Iraq–Sweden relationsIraq–Sweden relationsIraq-Sweden relations are foreign relations between Iraq and Sweden.Iraq has an embassy in Stockholm, although temporarily the Swedish Embassy conducts its work in an office from Amman, Jordan, however, the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs plans to establish a Swedish Embassy in Baghdad in the...