Beautifully written. As a highly skilled worker living here, this hits close to home. Changing the rules retroactively for people already in the system is a massive breach of trust. It makes it very clear where we stand, and it’s a strong incentive for many of us to take our skills and careers elsewhere to a country where we are actually welcomed and valued.
Well, that was a miserable read. Really appreciate you sharing it though, and very sorry to hear about your situation. It must have left you angry and unsettled. I knew Sweden was kicking the British out, but I just thought that was our own fault for brexiting and wasn't part of wider anti-immigration policy.
It's such a sad and paradoxical thing sweeping around Europe at the moment. Even if we remove the obvious and important human aspect, and just focus on the economy, we need immigration now more than ever. We have an ageing population and need working-age people to move on to the continent and into our countries, but rather than trying to work out how to do that sensibly and co-operatively, we are just spending a huge amount of time and energy on making it incredibly difficult. It's mind-numbing.
Yes, there has been quite a lot in the news here recently about Brits being deported. It is sad and paradoxical, and I appreciate you reading and sharing your thoughts, even if it was a depressing read.
I moved from the USA to Sweden in 2012 to be with my Swedish partner (now wife). I was employed by an American research institution for the first five years and received a permanent residency visa soon after arriving. I felt no need to become a dual citizen, even after accepting employment at a Swedish university. But witnessing the influx of 1 million "new Swedes" and the real consequences of that resettlement, I understood a shift in the political winds was inevitable. I filed my application for Swedish citizenship in spring 2022. It took less than a month for paperwork processing, and I was granted citizenship.
I have also watched Sweden go downhill in recent years with some anguish. Not because I ever considered immigrating, but because I always held it to a high standard of political maturity. So many countries are infected with this self-defeating nonsense now.
Thanks for this Scott. Coming from Australia, the country that has become known for The Australian Model, of sending asylum seeker arrivals to other poorer countries in the region and paying private companies and govts to lock them up in detention for years, I have witnessed how the shameful treatment of informal migrants has just got worse, more brazen and normalised and more inhumane. Now clearly it is extending to any migrants who skin tone is deemed wrong. Europe has been heading this way for years now and the AfD local govt victory in Germany last week is just another notch backwards. I dont want to plug my book but I have spent the last 4 years researching the tensions between white tourists (welcomed) and non white migrants (not) in the mediterranean. While it is a travel book, these themes run through it, especially in the north africa chapters. These are times eerily familiar for anyone with a knowledge of history. We have been here before. I thought we were too smart, too compassionate to go there again. I was wrong. To all humans out there who believe we are here to look after each other and acknowledge we are all on this journey together, part of the same family, we have a lot of work to do. It starts with love, kindness and respect for each other in our everyday activities. Politics has failed. Our common humanity must prevail.
JJ, thanks for the thoughtful comment. I agree completely. We are all on this journey together, are part of the same family, and we have a lot of work to do. I hope that we can recognize that and make those changes before its too late.
Latest election results I have seen seem positive, altho I fear even the old centre and left (i dont think those labels mean much anymore) is hardening on immigration…
Not only those currently stuck in the citizenship queue feel betrayed. I moved to Sweden in 2022, before the current government won the last election, and I did so with genuine trust in the rules and the long‑term path toward citizenship. My family built our lives here based on the system that existed at the time - learning the language, integrating into society, and planning for a stable future. When the rules suddenly change without transition protections, it doesn’t just affect applications on paper; it disrupts real families who made decisions in good faith.
I am so sorry this injustice has happened, for your sake and for Sweden’s. Switzerland, where I live, is voting this weekend on the “No to 10 Million” referendum proposed by the SVP (Switzerland’s right-wing party). If it passes, the permanent resident population here would be capped at 10 million, and—more importantly—various economic treaties and agreements for the free movement of people would be broken. The likely result would be a recession, along the lines of what the UK has seen since Brexit.
My husband and I already have permanent residency, so we wouldn’t be directly affected, but I still get angry when I think about how many people here support this referendum. In our eight years living in Switzerland, we have put hundreds of thousands of francs into the Swiss economy, either directly through our taxes or indirectly through our purchases. But I guess there are people out there who hate immigrants more than they like money.
That is brutal, Scott. Sorry to hear that government incompetence is worldwide. I'm going for residency in Argentina soon and hope they don't move the goal posts too.
Unfortunately, this wave of nationalism is quite wide. I hope for your sake they don't as well, they have a very favorable program there and glad you can make it your home.
Beautifully written. As a highly skilled worker living here, this hits close to home. Changing the rules retroactively for people already in the system is a massive breach of trust. It makes it very clear where we stand, and it’s a strong incentive for many of us to take our skills and careers elsewhere to a country where we are actually welcomed and valued.
Thank you, and I am sorry that it affected you as well.
Well, that was a miserable read. Really appreciate you sharing it though, and very sorry to hear about your situation. It must have left you angry and unsettled. I knew Sweden was kicking the British out, but I just thought that was our own fault for brexiting and wasn't part of wider anti-immigration policy.
It's such a sad and paradoxical thing sweeping around Europe at the moment. Even if we remove the obvious and important human aspect, and just focus on the economy, we need immigration now more than ever. We have an ageing population and need working-age people to move on to the continent and into our countries, but rather than trying to work out how to do that sensibly and co-operatively, we are just spending a huge amount of time and energy on making it incredibly difficult. It's mind-numbing.
Yes, there has been quite a lot in the news here recently about Brits being deported. It is sad and paradoxical, and I appreciate you reading and sharing your thoughts, even if it was a depressing read.
I moved from the USA to Sweden in 2012 to be with my Swedish partner (now wife). I was employed by an American research institution for the first five years and received a permanent residency visa soon after arriving. I felt no need to become a dual citizen, even after accepting employment at a Swedish university. But witnessing the influx of 1 million "new Swedes" and the real consequences of that resettlement, I understood a shift in the political winds was inevitable. I filed my application for Swedish citizenship in spring 2022. It took less than a month for paperwork processing, and I was granted citizenship.
Thanks for sharing, Brendan. I am glad that yours was processed so quickly, too.
I have also watched Sweden go downhill in recent years with some anguish. Not because I ever considered immigrating, but because I always held it to a high standard of political maturity. So many countries are infected with this self-defeating nonsense now.
Agreed and self-defeating is very appropriate.
Thanks for this Scott. Coming from Australia, the country that has become known for The Australian Model, of sending asylum seeker arrivals to other poorer countries in the region and paying private companies and govts to lock them up in detention for years, I have witnessed how the shameful treatment of informal migrants has just got worse, more brazen and normalised and more inhumane. Now clearly it is extending to any migrants who skin tone is deemed wrong. Europe has been heading this way for years now and the AfD local govt victory in Germany last week is just another notch backwards. I dont want to plug my book but I have spent the last 4 years researching the tensions between white tourists (welcomed) and non white migrants (not) in the mediterranean. While it is a travel book, these themes run through it, especially in the north africa chapters. These are times eerily familiar for anyone with a knowledge of history. We have been here before. I thought we were too smart, too compassionate to go there again. I was wrong. To all humans out there who believe we are here to look after each other and acknowledge we are all on this journey together, part of the same family, we have a lot of work to do. It starts with love, kindness and respect for each other in our everyday activities. Politics has failed. Our common humanity must prevail.
JJ, thanks for the thoughtful comment. I agree completely. We are all on this journey together, are part of the same family, and we have a lot of work to do. I hope that we can recognize that and make those changes before its too late.
Latest election results I have seen seem positive, altho I fear even the old centre and left (i dont think those labels mean much anymore) is hardening on immigration…
Depressing and at the same time not surprising given the state of politics nowadays... sorry you're caught up in it.
Thanks.
Not only those currently stuck in the citizenship queue feel betrayed. I moved to Sweden in 2022, before the current government won the last election, and I did so with genuine trust in the rules and the long‑term path toward citizenship. My family built our lives here based on the system that existed at the time - learning the language, integrating into society, and planning for a stable future. When the rules suddenly change without transition protections, it doesn’t just affect applications on paper; it disrupts real families who made decisions in good faith.
This is totally true, sorry to hear it has affected you as well.
Officially ashamed to be a Swede 🤡 Great write-up, Scott!
Thanks. The shame should be in parliament, not on you.
I am so sorry this injustice has happened, for your sake and for Sweden’s. Switzerland, where I live, is voting this weekend on the “No to 10 Million” referendum proposed by the SVP (Switzerland’s right-wing party). If it passes, the permanent resident population here would be capped at 10 million, and—more importantly—various economic treaties and agreements for the free movement of people would be broken. The likely result would be a recession, along the lines of what the UK has seen since Brexit.
My husband and I already have permanent residency, so we wouldn’t be directly affected, but I still get angry when I think about how many people here support this referendum. In our eight years living in Switzerland, we have put hundreds of thousands of francs into the Swiss economy, either directly through our taxes or indirectly through our purchases. But I guess there are people out there who hate immigrants more than they like money.
Thanks for sharing this. Sad to see the same thing playing out in Switzerland too. Hope it goes the right way this weekend.
That is brutal, Scott. Sorry to hear that government incompetence is worldwide. I'm going for residency in Argentina soon and hope they don't move the goal posts too.
Unfortunately, this wave of nationalism is quite wide. I hope for your sake they don't as well, they have a very favorable program there and glad you can make it your home.
Whelp, that's depressing...
It really is.