Swedish far-right party launches anti-immigration policy

LONDON (AA) – A populist party in Sweden has launched a plan on Wednesday to bring immigration to Europe to the lowest level.

Sweden Democrats put forward 30 proposals to tighten the immigration law and asylum policy.

“There is no single factor that has affected Sweden as much and as negatively as the large, uncontrolled and careless migration policy,” said party leader Jimmie Akesson.

The party wants to take down the Swedish asylum legislation to the EU legal minimum level.

“This would mean almost zero asylum immigration,” said Akesson.

Akesson stated the proposals had already been agreed with the right-wing Moderate and Christian Democrat parties.

“I’m assuming that the Liberals will support this too,” he said.

The party is hoping to change the entire immigration policy, including who has the right to claim asylum in the country, how the entire process is dealt with, and the reception and benefits asylum seekers get.

Akesson added: “We cannot continue to hold Sweden’s welfare system open for everyone who wants to access it.”

The party also wants to change the rule on the family reunion current law and to refuse asylum to those who proclaimed themselves as asylum seekers by claiming that they have converted to another religion or to those who claim that they are homosexuals.

Akesson said long-distance migration from other cultures is still the main reason for a more dangerous Sweden.

He said: “It’s claimed that we have very low immigration today, but the truth is that Sweden continues to have a relatively high level of asylum immigration.”

Once banned due to neo-Nazi ties, the far-right Sweden Democrats are set to become the second-largest party in Riksdag, the country’s parliament, after legislative elections on September 11.

Racism, Islamophobia and hate crime targeting immigrants have steadily increased in Sweden over the years, leaving minority communities feeling vulnerable and insecure. The anti-immigration policy is likely to exacerbate the plight of Muslims and immigrant populations in Sweden.