How Swedish immigration rules fuel 'chronic anxiety' for foreign researchers
In this week's episode we talk about why Stockholm is at loggerheads with the US Embassy over anti-diversity demands and we examine a scathing new report on how Sweden’s immigration policies are harming foreign researchers.For Membership+ subscribers we look at the ongoing saga of Sweden’s failed attempt to appoint a national security advisor after the latest pick for the job stepped down within hours over leaked photos from the Grindr app.We also have more from last week’s interview with the migration minister, Johan Forssell, and we look into why the Migration Agency rejected an unusually high number of citizenships applications in April.Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and James Savage. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:EnvironmentHow to prepare for a water shortage in Sweden this summerSweden and the USStockholm v Trump: 'If US embassy wanted a building permit, they would have a problem''Completely bizarre': Stockholm hits back at US embassy's anti-DEI contractStudying in SwedenSweden's university union slams 'exploitative' migration policyFive things Sweden should do to attract foreign researchersGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
17 Mai 18min
Why Johan Forssell wants to change Sweden's 'weird' immigration system
In this week's episode we talk about Sweden’s chances of winning the Eurovision Song Contest for a record-breaking eighth time with KAJ's song Bara Bada Bastu.On a related note, we immerse ourselves in sauna culture and the Swedish language as it’s spoken in Finland.We discuss new comments from Sweden’s migration minister, Johan Forssell, on the three-month deadline for job seekers on work permits and how he’s taking inspiration from Finland when it comes to attracting highly skilled workers to Sweden.Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Emma Löfgren and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:EurovisionWhy Sweden's bizarre sauna hit could actually win EurovisionWhat do the lyrics of Sweden's Eurovision entry Bara Bada Bastu actually mean?LanguageKiva! Seven unique Finland Swedish words the world needs to knowSwedish traditions'Bara bada bastu': The ultimate guide to Swedish sauna etiquetteImmigrationSwedish Migration Minister: 'No formal decision' made on future work permit salary threshold'Enormous potential': How Sweden's migration minister wants to attract international talentOPINION: Want to make Sweden more attractive, Johan Forssell? Listen to those already hereOPINION: Sweden needs to reconsider 'three-month deadline' for laid-off non-EU workersGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
10 Mai 27min
'Sweden was like a paradise at first – but then reality hits'
In 2013 Jamil Walli, a journalist, filmmaker and painter, moved to Sweden from Damascus as an exchange student. Two years later, tens of thousands of his compatriots fled Syria to seek shelter in the country he has since come to call home. As a journalist, he documented the stories of those fleeing persecution as part of a project for The Local where he interviewed asylum seekers in Arabic about their new lives in Sweden and how they were adapting.This makes him very well placed to talk about his experience of what became known as the refugee crisis of 2015 when an unprecedented 163,000 asylum seekers made their way to Sweden.After gaining citizenship in 2019 he went on to pursue studies in filmmaking, graduating in 2022 with a film that tackles xenophobia and what it means to be Swedish. In this week's episode of Sweden in Focus Extra, Walli explains what brought him to Sweden, his own relationship to the country, and how attitudes to immigration and immigrants have changed in the past decade. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
7 Mai 32min
How Sweden tightened immigration after the 2015 refugee crisis
In this week’s episode we talk about the surprise resignation of the Liberal Party leader Johan Pehrson.Ten years on from the arrival of record numbers of refugees we also look at how Sweden reacted to the 2015 crisis how how its approach to asylum immigration has changed since then.Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:PoliticsSwedish education minister and Liberal leader Johan Pehrson resignsImmigration2015 ARCHIVE: Refugee centres packed as cold winter calls2015 ARCHIVE: Sweden split over move to tighten asylum rulesGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
3 Mai 24min
Why Sweden celebrates spring with bonfires and songs
In this week's episode we talk about the possibility of there being a Swedish pope and the state of Catholicism in Sweden today. We also dive into the history of Sweden’s Valborg celebrations and why bonfires will be lit across Sweden on the last day of the month.For Membership+ subscribers we jump forward a day to the first of May and what to expect on the public holiday that is Labour Day.We discuss what to make of a recent burst of activity from the Social Democrats, the party most closely associated with May Day in Sweden.Finally, with the deadline for filing taxes coming up next week, we give some last minute tips before checking out what readers of The Local are telling us are the most annoying things about Swedish bureaucracy.Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Emma Löfgren and Richard Orange. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:Swedish traditionsWhat exactly is Swedish Valborg, and where are the best places to celebrate it?ReligionCould a Swedish cardinal become the next pope?'It would be fun to have a Swedish pope but I think it's pretty unlikely'Get Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
26 Apr 17min
All about Eves: Why Sweden celebrates holidays a day early
In this week's episode we talk about why Sweden celebrates on the eve of holidays rather than the day itself, and we look at what you need to know about Sweden’s new spring budget.For Membership+ subscribers we give you background on the proposed new leader of the Centre Party and what her nomination means for Sweden’s complicated political arithmetic.And finally we’ll examine efforts underway by a couple of Swedish municipalities to attract American academics who might be eager to leave the United States amid funding cuts and worries about academic freedom.Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Emma Löfgren and Becky Waterton. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:EasterWitches and herring: Seven traditions that reveal it's Easter in SwedenWhy do Swedes celebrate holidays a day early?Sign up for The Local's Swedish Fika CalendarMoneyWhat do we know about Sweden's 2025 spring budget?Sweden was on the road to economic recovery – then Trump happenedGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
18 Apr 15min
What the fika! How Swedes are reacting to sky-high coffee prices
In this week's episode we talk about about a rush to buy coffee amid rocketing prices and we hear from an expert on Sweden's coffee culture, Henrik Scander.We also examine the political fallout after an official inquiry recommended stricter regulation of Sweden’s much-debated free schools.For Membership+ subscribers we look at efforts to stop motorists running over frogs and we discuss differences between how animal noises are described in English and Swedish.We also dig into calls by the opposition Social Democrats to extend the current three-month time limit given to work permit holders to land a new job when they find themselves out of work. And finally we have the latest on Sweden’s moves to make it impossible for asylum seekers to get permanent residency.Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Richard Orange and Becky Waterton. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:Podcast awards The Local's Sweden in Focus podcast shortlisted for awardCost of living Coffee prices hit record high in SwedenWhat's the history behind Sweden's regional coffee varieties?Sign up for The Local's Swedish Fika CalendarSchools How far-reaching are the government's proposals to reform free schools?Why free school profit curbs could matter for Sweden’s next electionGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
12 Apr 18min
Will Sweden's 'poor conduct' law muzzle immigrants?
In this week's episode we talk about the government’s push to eject more immigrants for bad behaviour, and we have an interview with migration minister Johan Forssell on attracting and retaining highly skilled workers.We also hear from Américo Fernández, an SEB economist and personal finance expert, on how foreigners in Sweden can navigate difficult times in the Swedish economy.Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Richard Orange and Becky Waterton. Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:Immigration What's in Sweden's new 'poor conduct' proposal for residence permits?Sweden set to make 'poor conduct' ground for revoking residence permitsOPINION: Swedish media must get better at covering immigrant perspectives'A trust breaker': Foreign tech workers campaign against new Swedish citizenship lawINTERVIEW: 'We are working intensively to attract more high-skilled workers to Sweden'Cost of LivingWhat's on the horizon for the Swedish economy and how will that affect internationals?Why the pay rise negotiated by Sweden's industrial unions mattersGet Membership+ to listen to all The Local's podcastsSign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+For signed-in members: Upgrade to Membership+For new members: Get Membership+ Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.Already have Membership+ but not receiving all the episodes? Go to the podcast tab on your account page to activate your subscription. Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
5 Apr 30min
