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At some level, Sweden has probably always had immigrants, and judging by the situation of today it is not likely that the future is going to be much different. In fact, it looks as if the immigrant "problem" is going to be even more complex in the future. Therefore, it is important that we work out careful plans of how to deal with the situation so it does not get out of hand, but according to some it already has. The media sometimes gives you the impression that most Swedes would rather have no immigrants at all interfering with our business. Whether this is true or not is difficult to tell. Sweden has decided to accept a certain amount of immigrants, and the way they are introduced into our society is going to decide whether they will be seen as a "problem" or not .
The question is then, should we fit them in on an integrating or an assimilating basis? The lazy uninterested Swede would probably go for the latter. Because would it not be lovely if everybody behaved like us? We could go on living blissfully unaware of the outside world, because everybody would speak perfect Swedish, enjoy the same things as we do and there would be no disturbing differences whatsoever. Of course, in reality, we must try to accept these differences (to a certain degree) and make the best of them. Only with the intention of integrating immigrants can we create a peaceful and harmonious society .
It is worth considering what the word immigrant really means. We use it for people coming from Africa and Finland as well as for refugees and those that have come to Sweden to look for a job. Obviously, some immigrants will integrate easier in Swedish society than others. It is important though, that everybody is treated equally. Sadly, it is no secret that a kaukazian immigrant coming from a Western civilization will blend in more easily than, for instance, a muslim African .
The politicians' task is to make this integration as smooth as possible. They have to make sure that immigrants are not cramped together, so as to avoid areas with no mix of Swedes and immigrants, for instance .
However, the most important work has to be done by the Swedish people and the immigrants themselves. All it takes is a little understanding. We do not have to pretend that we all love each other, but we need to show some respect for differences. Many problems between Swedes and immigrants have to do with religion and cultural traditions. I do believe that you should have the freedom to belong to whichever religion you like, but sometimes you have to make amends. For example, I know that immigrant children, not belonging to a Christian church, are sometimes relieved from religious studies in Swedish schools. In this case, I think that immigrants should assimilate and try to understand the Swedish culture. Likewise, immigrants should be given the opportunity to maintain their culture .
be able to create the society we want we have to stop looking at immigrants as a burden. New influences from all over the world should of course be seen as assets, and some thing we could benefit from. Something is wrong when we waste valuable knowledge, letting immigrants with university degrees claim benefits instead of helping them find proper jobs. Then again, the question of how to integrate immigrants in our society is extremely difficult and we can never expect to come up with straightforward solutions. The golden middle is what we should aim for and that means hard work for both Swedes and immigrants .
