Revaldo Mikhail, Tanya Merzoian and Rand Najeeb attend pre-school Snodden. Photo: Caroline Tibell/Scanpix.

Södertälje, a small town about 30km south of Stockholm, is the home of Swedish truck giant Scania and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. It is also where tennis ace Björn Borg grew up, perfecting his swing by smacking one ball after another against the garage door of his parents’ home on Torekäll street.

But these days, the town of just over 80,000 is attracting attention for other reasons — namely, for shouldering more of the responsibility for Iraqi refugees than many countries, including the United States.

Telling figures

Altogether, Södertälje has accepted some 6,000 refugees since the war began in 2003. In 2007, it accepted 1,268 Iraqis, whereas the US and Canada combined took in 1,027. The town also gave refuge to 5 percent of all Iraqis arriving in Europe.

As the town mayor, Anders Lago, said in his speech at the Helsinki Commission hearing in Washington in April, “We did not start the war in Iraq; however, we assume a huge responsibility for those people who are affected.”

The hearing, organized by the US government agency that monitors human rights and security issues, was attended by members of the US Senate, the House of Representatives and other government agencies. It even caught the attention of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

Upon meeting Lago, Obama praised Sweden, and Södertälje, for taking in so many refugees. He also said he was ashamed that the US was not taking more responsibility.


Barack Obama said the US had much to learn from Södertälje after a speech by town major Anders Lago. Photo: Olof Näslund/www.sodertalje.se

A refuge for many

Assyrians and other Christians from the Middle East have been coming to Södertälje since the 1960s, fleeing persecution in their home countries. Newly arrived immigrants often have family or acquaintances here and quickly feel at home in a community with a common language, history, and ethnic and religious ties.

Najman Najm Wajid, a mechanical engineer in his early thirties, arrived five years ago when the situation in Iraq was becoming unbearable. Like many other Iraqis, he came to Sweden because the immigration process was quicker than in other countries. And he made his way to Södertälje because he had relatives already living there.

He likes his new hometown because it is humming with life, easy to get around in without a car, and people are open. “But the best thing about Sweden is that it is so calm,” he says. “There is no war here, no bombs, and you don’t have to be afraid of the police here like you do in Iraq. In Sweden you go to bed and wake up the next morning to a regular day, and that is the most important thing in life.”


Najm Wajid from Iraq has lived in Södertälje for five years. Photo: Cari Simmons.

For Najm Wajid, who is studying Swedish at an intermediate level, the most difficult part of living in his new homeland is not being able to find a job doing what he has been educated to do. “I started working as a mechanical engineer with my father when I was about 16, and I love my profession. I fix broken fridges and things for friends every chance I get, but it’s hard not being able to use my skills professionally,” he says.

Coping with new arrivals

Jobs, accommodation, a place at daycare or school are all in short supply these days, as Södertälje struggles to keep up with the rapid influx of newcomers. Jörgen Eriksson, who is responsible for information regarding immigration issues at Södertälje municipality, says: “Longer term, the influx of immigrants will be a good thing for us, but right now we are having a hard time absorbing so many people.”

Most of the Iraqis who come to Sweden are from cosmopolitan areas like Mosul and Baghdad. They are educated, hard working, and used to blending in and starting from scratch. The municipality offers a program for immigrants to learn Swedish and get an introduction to Swedish society. “It is extremely important to help these new immigrants crack the cultural code,” Eriksson says. “But we urgently need help finding them jobs and homes. Södertälje is working with other parts of Sweden and building contacts with businesses, so that immigrants can enter the work force quicker. We are also encouraging companies to invest in Södertälje.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The author alone is responsible for the opinions expressed in this article.

Classification: A251EN

Cari Simmons

Although she didn’t come to Sweden to flee war or political unrest in Canada, “Love Refugee” Cari Simmons has experienced the trials and tribulations of learning a new language, finding work in a new country, and “cracking the cultural code.”