VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSM #0609/01 2681241
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 251241Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4748

UNCLAS STOCKHOLM 000609 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR S/GPI AND S/P 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL BEXP BITO EAID OEXC OIIP PGOV SW
SUBJECT: DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT IN SWEDEN 
 
REF: A. STATE 86401 
     ¶B. 2009 STOCKHOLM 375 
     ¶C. 2008 STOCKHOLM 716 
     ¶D. 2009 STOCKHOLM 457 
     ¶E. 2008 STOCKHOLM 557 
     ¶F. 2007 STOCKHOLM 555 
 
¶1. Summary: Diaspora communities are vibrant and visible in 
Swedish life.  Many of these groups arrived because of war 
and conflict at home.  Some of the largest diaspora groups in 
Sweden include Iraqis (110,000), Iranians (80,000). Kurds 
(60,000) and Somalis (25,000).  In-country outreach to 
immigrant groups is strong, particularly during the first two 
years of an immigrant's arrival to Sweden.  Despite many 
generous migration policies, however, immigrants face steep 
economic and social hurdles as they integrate into Swedish 
life.  To address some of these challenges, the Swedish Trade 
Council and the MFA launched the "Kosmopolit Project" on 
September 15 to establish networks where foreign-born 
entrepreneurs can meet, exchange experience and support each 
other.  A new Swedish study shows that if immigration 
increases by 12,000 people, the result will be an increase in 
exports by some $1 billion.  Post outreach to diaspora 
communities through visitor exchange programs, cultural 
events and educational/career development has been 
well-received and represents an area ripe for bilateral 
engagement.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. Answers are keyed to questions in ref A. 
 
¶A.  Diaspora communities in Sweden are quite visible in 
Swedish social life.  Statistics Sweden reports that 1.2 
million or about 14% of the Swedish population of 9.2 million 
is foreign-born.  Sweden today is a multicultural and diverse 
country.  Non-Swedish communities have traditionally lived in 
concentrated areas, both strengthening group identity while 
at the same time highlighting differences between Swedish and 
non-Swedish populations.  Sweden's population has increased 
by over 240,000 people in the last five years, 77% of whom 
are immigrants. 
 
¶B.  Many diasporans have educational ties to the Swedish 
community.  For example, there are nearly 2,000 Iranians 
currently studying in Swedish universities, a pattern which 
has continued since the 1970s.  Other groups, such as the 
Iraqis, have strong family connections in Sweden.  The 
Swedish Migration Board reports that over 33,000 residency 
permits were granted on the grounds of family ties in 2008, 
representing about one third of all permits granted that 
year. 
 
¶C.  The Kurdish Diaspora is well organized through several 
friendship associations that promote Kurdish language 
instruction and Kurdish cultural events.  Through these 
organizations, Swedish Kurds, in collaboration with 
international development cooperation organizations like the 
Olaf Palme International Center, are financial contributors 
to programs aimed at the reconstruction of infrastructure and 
the rebuilding of civil society in Iraq. 
 
¶D.  Post is aware of several programs that reach out to 
diaspora communities in Sweden.  The Swedish Trade Council 
along with the MFA's Iraq Desk sponsor regular meetings of 
Iraqi business leaders in Sweden to foster trade (ref B). 
The "Kosmopolit Project," launched by the MFA on September 
15, aims to establish networks where foreign-born 
entrepreneurs can meet, exchange experience and support each 
other.  Andreas Hatzigeorgiou, who heads the project, notes 
that such networks are common in countries like the U.S. 
According to the MFA, one in five companies set up in Sweden 
is started by a person with a foreign background. 
Hatzigeorgiou points to a study he conducted showing that if 
immigration increases by 12,000 people, the result will be an 
increase in exports by some $1 billion.  Currently, the 
Kosmopolit Project will focus on small and medium-sized 
companies. 
 
¶E.  Many immigrants such as Iranians have high levels of 
education at the time of their arrival to Sweden.  Sweden 
also attracts many new labor migrants.  The Swedish Migration 
Board reports that permits for agricultural, gardening, 
forestry and fishing applications are on the rise.  In 
previous years, Sweden has received a high number of IT 
specialist workers.  This multicultural labor pool represents 
a rich resource for reaching out to various diaspora 
communities. 
 
¶F.  Muslim youth in Sweden have organized around messages of 
peace and tolerance.  About 100 young Swedish Muslims, ages 
16 to 25, have been trained as "Peace Agents" with the 
support of two educational associations, Sensus, with 
Christian roots, and Ibn Rushd, with Muslim roots.  Peace 
Agents visit schools and organizations to promote dialogue 
about the role of Islam in Swedish society.  At an April 
ceremony attended by Swedish Minister for Trade Ewa Bjorling, 
the Peace Agents announced their hope of replicating the 
program in other EU Member States with the goal of training a 
thousand more Peace Agents in the coming months. 
 
¶G.  N/A 
 
¶H.  The International Compact with Iraq (ICI) conference held 
in Stockholm in May 2008 reviewed political and security 
progress in Iraq and launched a five-year peace and 
development plan.  The conference was attended by some 100 
organizations.  At the conference, the Iraqi Women Network 
and the Swedish organization Kvinna till Kvinna (Woman to 
Woman) spoke out about violence against Iraqi women and 
called for more women to take part in democratic and 
development processes in Iraq.  This is one prominent example 
of how Iraqi women in Sweden organized to promote democracy 
and civil society reform in their home country. 
 
¶I.  Goran Lindqvist, Deputy Director in the Department for 
Integration and Urban Development at the Swedish Ministry of 
Integration and Gender Equality, says that there are few 
programs directed to specific immigrant communities.  This is 
likely the result of Sweden policies that prevent targeting 
groups based on race, ethnicity or religious affiliation. 
Instead, immigrants are viewed as part of the overall social 
welfare system.  From a U.S. perspective, this stance can be 
problematic when developing outreach programs because of the 
reluctance among some Swedes to identify specific immigrant 
groups. 
 
¶J.  In Sodertalje, a large city south of Stockholm with a 
substantial Iraqi population, Mayor Anders Lago approached 
the Embassy about developing an "opportunity fair" to provide 
information on education and job opportunities in the U.S. to 
Sodertalje youth.  Since 2003, Sodertalje has received nearly 
10,000 Iraqi refugees.  With strong leadership from the 
former Ambassador, the October 16, 2008, opportunity fair 
attracted over 700 youth (ref C).  Post has maintained 
connections with the community and has developed further 
intercultural initiatives at two local universities. 
 
¶K.  At a recent meeting with Poloffs, Ambassador Marika 
Fahlen, Director of the MFA's West Africa and Horn of Africa 
Department, expressed a keen interest in continuing outreach 
programs between Somali communities in Sweden and in the U.S. 
(ref D).  She noted that Somalis in the U.S. had an easier 
time integrating than their counterparts in Sweden.  At the 
annual Embassy-sponsored Iftar this fall, a young Muslim 
woman told Poloff that a visiting delegation of Muslims from 
the U.S. had been well-received in Sweden, and she looked 
forward to similar programs in the future. 
 
¶L.  In summer 2007, Post sponsored a week-long series of 
entrepreneurship seminars by Somali-American business leaders 
that directly reached more than one percent of the Somali 
community across Sweden and resulted in extensive positive 
media coverage and the opening of three new immigrant-owned 
businesses (ref E and F). 
 
¶M.  Recommendations for support: 
 
--It would be helpful to have demographic information about 
diaspora groups both in the U.S. and abroad more readily 
available such as on a shared "diaspora website." 
 
--To encourage exchange programs between host country and the 
U.S., engagement initiatives from U.S. diaspora groups should 
be supported by the Department. 
 
--It would be interesting to see "best practices" or a 
showcase of innovative diaspora programs at Posts around the 
world to encourage new program development. 
 
--Visits by diaspora experts to Post would offer new tools 
for defining, identifying and engaging diaspora. 
 
¶3. Post Contact:  Susan Szmania, Professional Associate, 
szmaniasj@state.gov. 
BARZUN