More than 5,000 people notified of layoffs in Sweden, Americans in Sweden warned of terror threat in wake of Koran burning, and the Swedish Migration Agency presents a new forecast for 2023. Here’s the latest news.
Published: 7 February 2023 06:29 CET
Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
The Swedish Public Employment Service has released new statistics about job cuts. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
More than 5,000 warned of layoffs in Sweden last month
A total of 5,328 people were affected by potential layoffs in Sweden in January, according to preliminary statistics by the Public Employment Service.
Swedish law states that employers in most cases have to first give employees and the service notice that there may be layoffs, so not all of those people will necessarily lose their jobs. Here’s a link to The Local’s guide to what happens if you lose your job in Sweden.
In January last year, the corresponding figure was just over 1,400 people, but it has been increasing every month since, writes Swedish news agency TT.
Swedish vocabulary: a notice (when notifying staff that they may be laid off, but they could still end up keeping their jobs or get a new job at the same company) – ett varsel
US citizens in Sweden warned of terror attack in wake of Koran burnings
In a new notice, the US embassy warns its citizens in Sweden of possible terrorist attacks in retaliation of recent Koran burning incidents in Europe.
In Sweden, a far-right extremist last month burned the Koran outside the Turkish embassy, causing Turkey to suspend Nato talks with Sweden and Finland, and causing outrage in many Muslim countries.
The notice advises US citizens to “use caution” in busy public venues, diplomatic facilities and gathering sites such as places of worship. Sweden has not changed its terror threat level, which remains at level three on a scale from one to five.
Swedish vocabulary: a terror threat level – en terrorhotnivå
Swedish Migration Agency’s new forecast for 2023
The Migration Agency estimates that 16,000 people will seek asylum in Sweden in 2023, and 15,000 Ukrainians will seek protection. However, it adds that the number of Ukrainian arrivals could vary from 8,000 to 100,000 depending on how the war develops.
It also believes that around 80,000 people will apply for Swedish citizenship this year, and that the agency will receive 60,000 work permit-related first-time applications (this also includes for example family members of work permit applicants and job hunters).
Swedish vocabulary: a refugee – en flykting
Cost of living: How food prices rose in Sweden in early 2023
The increase in food prices in January was 1.4 percent – one of the largest increases reported since food prices started rising almost a year ago, according to independent comparison site Matpriskollen.
In January, the price of groceries increased 1.3 percent on December, with the price of food specifically increasing by 1.4 percent. Food prices have now gone up 16.3 percent in the last 12 months. Read more in The Local’s article.
Swedish vocabulary: food prices – matpriser
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TODAY IN SWEDEN
Sweden’s first interest rate hike of 2023 is expected today, police have blocked a new Quran burning bid over the risk of terror attacks, and you get a sneak peek at The Local’s new interview with the migration minister. Here’s the latest news.
Published: 9 February 2023 06:50 CET
Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Is Sweden’s first interest rate hike of 2023 on the cards?
The new head of the Swedish Central Bank, Erik Thedéen, is expected to raise the country’s key interest rate by 0.5 percentage points on Thursday morning.
It’s the first such announcement of 2023 and it would see the interest rate climb to 3.0 percent.
What happens after that is not clear, and opinion is divided among experts on whether they think the bank should keep raising the rate or keep it steady.
The Riksbank is set to announce its decision, as well as its view on the Swedish economy in the months ahead, at 9.30am. We’ll keep you updated at The Local.
Swedish vocabulary: an interest rate – en ränta
Swedish police block new Quran burning bid
Swedish police have banned a new burning of the Quran in Stockholm, citing the increased risk of terror attacks.
The demonstration permit request was made by a small, little-known Swedish association, Apallarkerna, and was aimed at protesting against Nato membership, and like the earlier protest staged by far-right activist Rasmus Paludan would involve the burning of a Quran in front of Turkey’s Stockholm embassy.
“The burning of the Quran outside Turkey embassy in January 2023 can be determined to have increased threats against both the Swedish society at large, but also against Sweden, Swedish interests abroad and Swedes abroad,” the police decision, read by AFP, said.
“Sweden has become a higher priority target for attacks,” it continued.
Read more here.
Swedish vocabulary: a permit – ett tillstånd
Swedish security service warn of increase in terror threats against Sweden
Sweden is the target of an increased number of threats against the country following a far-right activist’s burning of the Quran in Stockholm, said the Swedish security service.
“Recent developments with threats directed at Sweden and Swedish interests is serious and affect Sweden’s security. The security service is seeing an increase in the number of threats of attack in our intelligence flow,” read a statement by Säpo on Wednesday.
Säpo said that the reactions after, among other things, the Quran burning, had been “significant” – especially in light of deteriorating global security and incidents such as last year’s disinformation campaign against the Swedish social services.
It said it considered Sweden to be “in greater focus than before for global violent Islamism”, adding that “the situation after recent events is problematic”.
Swedish vocabulary: a threat – ett hot
Swedish Migration Minister: Brexit deportations ‘complete news to me’
Sweden’s Migration Minister has promised The Local to look into why Sweden has ordered more Brits to leave since Brexit than any other EU country.
Data published by the EU statistical office, Eurostat, last month revealed that about 2,205 UK citizens were ordered to leave EU countries between 2020 and September 2022 – with around half of this number from Sweden alone.
“This is actually complete news to me,” said Swedish Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard when The Local asked for her comments in an interview.
“I can’t, at this moment, explain it. But, I promise that I will look into it and get back to you,” she added. Continue reading the interview here.
Swedish vocabulary: Brits – britter
Source: the local
