Sweden's Parliamentary Committee May Question PM Over Migrant Influx

Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven and his predecessor Fredrik Reinfeldt may testify before the parliamentary Committee on the Constitution (KU) on the mismanagement of the country's recent refugee influx, local media said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Saturday, some 100 people took part in a rally staged by the anti-immigration Peoples' Demonstration group, calling for Lofven and his government to resign due to the refugee crisis mismanagement. Several people were detained, according to local media.

"We will address a series of questions to both the current and previous government. Ultimately, we may summon both Stefan Lofven and Fredrik Reinfeldt for hearings. We can also request documents which are not public," Jonas Millard, a lawmaker from the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats party, said on Sunday, the Swedish Dagens Industri newspaper reported.

Millard's move came a day after the Moderate Party's parliamentary leader, Jessica Polfjard, also reported the Social Democrats leader Lofven to the KU, along with several government ministers, local media reports said. The Social Democratic Party responded later Friday, reporting former Moderate Party Chairman Reinfeldt to the KU.

The failure of both the Moderate Party and the Social Democrats at handling Sweden's immigration policy has now been revealed, Millard said. It is therefore pleasing to see both parties notifying the KU of each other’s mismanagement, he added.

In late 2015, Sweden became one of the top European destinations for asylum seekers. According to Eurostat, the number of applicants rose from just over 6,500 in June to almost 40,000 in November. In late December, a border rail fence between Sweden and Denmark at Copenhagen’s Kastrup rail station was set up as part of Sweden's effort to curb illegal migration.