"They were disappointed when they arrived here. It was cold and is not a big city. It is difficult for the police to do anything. We can't eject them from the bus — the matter must first be dealt with by the Enforcement Service," Bengt Stadin at Jämtland police said as quoted by The Local Thursday.
The asylum seekers that include at least one man from Syria were brought to a housing center in rural Grytan, south of Ostersund, but demanded that they be taken to Malmo or another large city, according to The Local. They refused to leave the bus when it brought them to Grytan. Police called to the scene declined to help escort the refugees from the bus.
The press officer stressed that Sweden is unable to provide all refugees that are arriving in the country in great numbers with housing in a location they find favorable.
According to the Migration Board, around a dozen people decided to move into the accommodation in Grytan after all while another three arranged for their own housing.
The Local reports that about 40 of asylum seekers are still protesting and are blocking the bus so that it does not leave them in Grytan.
Agha has told Sputnik that if a refugee has all the necessary documents, they can be granted asylum in Sweden in less than a month.
Once refugees arrive in Sweden, they go to a welcoming center where they spend several days, Agha explained. After that Swedish Immigration Services offer them accommodation in towns across Sweden. Refugees receive financial and medical assistance; they are offered social adaptation and language courses at no cost.
According to Agha, some 30,000 Syrians have come to Sweden since the beginning of unrest in Syria in March 2011, when peaceful protests in the Middle Eastern country turned into all-out fighting between government forces, rebels and jihadists.
The ongoing conflict in Syria has forced as many as 3.2 million Syrians to flee their homes, according to UN estimates.
