Inga-Lill Bengtsson: Inga-Lill Bengtsson: ”Last year Kristianstad municipality received 707 new citizens. This may be a record”
Many of the decisions made in Brussels affect out everyday life. Environment, climate, social questions and how to stop criminal leagues were burning questions before the election.
To use one's vote in a democratic election is a right. There are some countries where people are forced to go and vote, and others where they have no franchise at all.
Only Swedish citizens are eligible to vote in the EU election. In 2018 61 312 people from outside Scandinavia were given Swedish citizenship. The biggest group came from Syria, more than 11 000. 7 000 were from Somalia, and 2 100 from Afghanistan.
Last year 28 000 EU citizens took up residence in Sweden. Sweden is one of the countries which has more EU citizens who come to live in the country than who move out. The majority of the EU citizens who come here are from Poland, Finland and Germany, as is shown in statistics from SCB published in DN.
Last year Kristianstad municipality received 707 new citizens. This may be a record. There is a law which says that every municipality must hold a ceremony to welcome its new citizens.
In Kristianstad about 200 people will attend the ceremony in the Town Hall on 6th June.
”That's how we think it should be in Sweden. Sweden has always been dependent on trade and contact with other countries”
The Saeed family from Iraq will be there.
”Now we can have an influence aand take part in decision-making. We've become part of this big community”, says the father, Ahmed Saeed, on becoming a Swedish citizen. He works as a janitor at Rönnow school.
Mohamad Kanina is longing for the day his family are told they have been given Swedish citizenship. He checks every day on the Swedish Migration Agency.
When he was young he dreamed of living in a secure, democratic country. When the war came, he and his family fled. They have been living in Sweden for five years. During this time he has become more tolerant as regards different life-styles, political opinions and religions.
That's how we think it should be in Sweden. Sweden has always been dependent on trade and contact with other countries, and has been open to ideas from other places and cultures. At the same time we have stood up for human rights. Read Mohamad's chronicle on page 20.
We can enjoy the Eid festival and Pride parades in both Hässleholm and Kristianstad. At Midsummer, the shortest night of the year is full of magic. You can read about that on page 23.
The school year will soon be over, school-leavers sing about the bright future that awaits them. Four women who have completed their training as machine operators are Rosa Gonzalez, Rachida Ibrane, Temi J Poulsen and Doinlita Mocanu. Read about the four proud women on page 12. We congratulate them and wish them all the best in the future.
