The Local Sweden

Here's what Swedes say it takes to be truly Swedish

Tue, 14 Feb 2017 16:54:24 +0100

The struggle to try to integrate is one many internationals experience, and Sweden is no exception. So what exactly does it take to be considered truly Swedish, according to the Swedes themselves?

More Swedes changing their names

Sat, 04 Apr 2015 18:42:11 +0200

The number of applications for a name change in Sweden keeps growing, according to the Swedish Patent and Registration Office. But before choosing a new moniker, the office reveals some things people should take into consideration.

Mum, I'm Swedish, right?

Tue, 11 Mar 2014 07:43:00 +0100

When my seven-year-old daughter asked me if she was Swedish or Iranian, I chose to dodge the question. She soon let me know what mistake I had made, writes Iranian-Swedish local politician Sepideh Erfani.

Swedish journos in court for rape victim pic

Mon, 19 Aug 2013 17:43:00 +0200

A woman in Gothenburg who opened up to a reporter and a photojournalist about being raped has taken them to court demanding compensation, after she was left feeling exposed by a portrait that showed part of her face.

British man stuck in Swedish ID nightmare

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:06:00 +0200

A British man's attempt to gain Swedish citizenship has been marred by a bureaucratic black hole that has left him stranded in the country without a valid ID.

'Sweden isn't a socialist hell hole after all'

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:44:00 +0200

Sweden can be eye-opening for any foreigner, but for American Carmen Price, it took more time than she expected in Sweden to disarm her American cultural defense mechanisms.

'Swedish society forces 'immigrants' to emigrate'

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:06:00 +0100

Swedish society is failing its "immigrants", many of whom, such as football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, are forced to look elsewhere to build successful careers, social commentator and author Tove Lifvendahl argues.

'Sweden can't afford to lose clever immigrants'

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:27:00 +0100

Sweden can't afford to keep discriminating against those living in the suburbs and thereby missing out on the payback of years of investment in education and skills, journalist Carlos Rojas argues.

'Immigrants in Sweden are treated as a homogenous, deviant group'

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:19:00 +0200

All deviant behavior which does not fit into dominant Swedish social norms is lumped together and attributed to immigrants, writes Salam Zandi, drawing parallels with concepts developed by thinkers such as Edward Saïd.

Police baffled by man with 'no identity'

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 20:51:00 +0100

Police in Gothenburg have been unable to identify an injured and confused man found wandering around the city’s harbour on Sunday morning.

Swedish parents keep 2-year-old's gender secret

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:24:00 +0200

A couple of Swedish parents have stirred up debate in the country by refusing to reveal whether their two-and-a-half-year-old child is a boy or a girl.

Tax agency ready for June 1st ID card rush

Fri, 29 May 2009 17:57:00 +0200

After two and half years of waiting, immigrants arriving in Sweden will finally be able to obtain Swedish national identity cards.

Immigrant ID cards set for June launch

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:07:00 +0200

Immigrants living in Sweden will be able to receive national identification cards from the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) from June 1st, it was announced on Friday.

June date set for immigrant ID cards

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:41:00 +0100

Immigrants to Sweden will likely have to wait at least another six months before being able to receive Swedish national identification cards from the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket).

Identity fraud targets foreign students in Stockholm

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:41:00 +0100

A Stockholm-area gang numbering around 30 people is suspected of having made off with over one million kronor ($125,000) by stealing people’s identities, with foreign students being the preferred target.

Forgery charges dropped because fake ID was so bad

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:30:00 +0200

The falsified identity card fashioned by an 18-year-old from Malmö was so poor that the court decided to have the charges against him dropped.

Kids' books become ideological battleground in Sweden

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:33:00 +0200

Boys in pink sandals and girls breaking wind with their armpits - two new Swedish publishers of children's literature are causing a stir with books deliberately designed to propagate the country's social values, writes AFP's Nina Larson.

Fraudsters target foreign students

Sat, 03 May 2008 12:48:00 +0200

Foreign students at Swedish universities are being targeted by fraudsters. Criminals are stealing students' identities and buying goods in their names, reports Dagens Nyheter.