Navigating the Murky Waters

For the last four years I have been following the stories of immigration in the Nordic or Scandinavian region of Western Europe. Sweden, Denmark and Norway are three of the richest nations in the world, with some of the highest quality of living on the globe. They are also suddenly having to deal with immigration pressures and problems that countries like the USA have had for many years. The only difference is, they have just as quickly taken measures to deal with it. Those measures are being seen as drastic by some. In Denmark, the story of "Love's Refugees" detail how exchanging wedding vows with a non-Dane, particularly Muslim, can bar them from living in their own country even though they must continue to pay Danish taxes. Over in Norway, rejected asylum seekers from Ethiopa who fled for political reasons but not for persecution are starving in the streets of Oslo. Sweden is currently the place that those in Denmark and Norway flee to in order to escape the new immigration problem in the other two countries.



These countries opened their doors to immigrants from Islamic countries in the 60s and 70s because they needed workers. But how does the door get closed now without outcry? Or is it a matter of leaving the door open but choosing who comes through and for what purpose? When you are objective about it, all countries have essentially operated this way.



Is this a viable solution?: Returning asylum-seekers to their country if it is inhabitable, and sending humanitarian aid workers and money to help them rebuild their societies. NGOs can accomplish a lot. Would this be better than the culture shock that is being faced by the native Scandinavians and the immigrants seeking asylum? The social welfare systems can't handle, forever, the burden of having so many immigrants on welfare. The crime rate among Muslim immigrants in Denmark is alarming, to the native Danes and objectively in and of themselves. Taxi drivers frequently no longer want to pick up Arab-appearing men because they fear more beatings and robberies. Rape is an issue (with Danish sexuality being condemned according to Muslim sharia law). I cannot say I have easy answers.



At this point it is not my understanding that those who want to immigrate, take language lessons and have some sort of income/financial support are routinely rejected - especially if they are Judeo-Christian. Denmark, for example, is a religiously Christian country that appears to have separated religion from its politics and daily living. Islam is not such a religion, hence much of the clash. But I have also come across an incident related by a Christian African-American living in Denmark who has faced discrimination there (denied access to a nightclub).



But if racism is truly the national character of, for example, Denmark, why do so many of them fall in love with and marry non-Danes, particularly non-Caucasian non-Danes? The same goes for Swedes and Norwegians.



I would like to speak at length with Pia M. Kjærsgaard of the Danish People's Party about her goals regarding immigration. She is revered by some and reviled by others because she has taken a hardline stance against asylum-seekers.



The waters of immigration have turned from grey to black in the Nordic region and it will take Navy SEAL capabilities to navigate it.