In 2023 alone, 195 shootings and 72 bombings have resulted in 30 deaths in the European Union (EU) member state of Sweden. Migration-background gangs are responsible for much of the criminal activity, with gang members from Sweden recently killed in Muslim-majority countries like Bosnia, Iraq, and Turkey, which have exported a significant number of their nationals to the Nordic country. The gang activity is escaping containment within Sweden’s borders, with neighboring countries like Norway and Denmark suffering from a spillover of Swedish gang activity.
The left media, as well as liberal politicians and parties in the Western world, have long attempted to portray Sweden as a “shining example” on the topic of mass migration. The reality, however, has become extremely dark.
“They would like to be this shining example: have a lot of refugees coming to Sweden, [and] have a good economy, and don’t have any right-wing, populist parties in parliament. But that just fell apart,” opined Patrik Öhberg, a professor of political science at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
In Norway, former Justice Minister Sylvi Listhaug warns that the country must avoid falling into “Swedish conditions,” referring to the growing gang violence. Norwegian police suspect that a bombing in Drøbak, near the capital of Oslo, is the work of Sweden-based gangs, now believed to operate in all 12 Norwegian police districts.
Danish authorities have also reported a rise in Sweden-based criminals crossing into their country. In early September, Danish authorities charged two Swedish teenagers with attempted murder. Danish police say organized crime gangs operating in both Sweden and Denmark recruited the teens. Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard expressed concern over the recruitment of young “child soldiers” to carry out attacks on Danish soil.
Swedish and Danish officials held emergency talks in August, with Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer acknowledging the severity of the issue and promising more decisive action.
Sweden’s center-right government, backed by the populist Sweden Democrats (SD), is increasing penalties for gun crimes and introducing stop-and-search zones. It also plans to offer migrants $34,000 to return to their homelands.
Stricter asylum policies since populists gained influence in government saw migration figures turn negative this year, but this may have been a statistical trick. Many issues with social division and lack of integration remain endemic.
