- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Crime Pays? Sweden to Integrate Former Jihadists by Giving Social Benefits

© AFP 2023 / ALBARAKA NEWSIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants - Sputnik International
Subscribe
The Swedish government can no longer ignore the fact that its unpopular immigration policies are quickly pushing its public towards the “right” end of the political spectrum, Swedish newspaper Fria Tider reported.

As of late, Scandinavia could easily be Europe's main jihadist recruitment center, as more and more Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish citizens are traveling to the Middle East to join the Islamic jihad as members of terrorist organizations. Oftentimes, these people come back to their home countries to "rest" or even worse, to recruit new jihadists. The situation is particularly bad in Sweden, where such recruiting "agencies" have spread all over the country, the newspaper said.

To tackle the problem, the Swedish government responded with a strategy of reintegrating former jihadist-returnees. According to this program, jihadist fighters who are now back in Sweden will receive a number of social benefits, including low-cost housing and help with finding employment. Needless to say, this has caused anger and resentment from the rest of Swedish public, Fria Tider said.

Members of the Swedish Democrats, a far-right populist political party, proposed another strategy that is becoming ever-more popular.

Sweden's intelligence agency Sapo is conducting a preliminary investigation into nationals suspected of having fought alongside jihadists in Syria - Sputnik International
Sweden Investigating 40 Suspected Jihadi Fighters Returning From Syria
"If it was the will of Swedish Democrats, these people will never return to Sweden. And those who are involved in recruitment and training of future jihadists must be expelled from the country and deprived of citizenship," the Swedish Democrats' political secretary Pontus Andersson told Fria Tider.

Considering that the far-right party is gaining popularity, one could expect that soon the country will finally get rid of former terrorists. When that happens one could only guess where these "Nordic" jihadists will go, the Swedish newspaper concluded.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала