The Swedish population is too small for the size of the country and yes, they DO have big immigrant problems in areas with high concentrations of refugees.

Malta is a completely different ball. It is a small country and cannot be compared to Sweden in any way.

We are Malta, not Sweden, and decisions about taking in immigrants must be based on the island’s capabilities… immaterial of what other countries of completely different size and economics, choose to do.

Unfortunately all matters end up with a political polarisation and not was is in the country’s best interests. THAT is something one would wish we could learn from Sweden.

Also the real story in this article is the fact that the residency offered is permanent. Previously the residency offered was temporary.

Syrian refugees won’t get a visa on grounds that when they get there they will probably seek asylum. Which means that the only way to get there is illegally.

If Syrians try to get to Sweden from Malta they will be denied asylum in Sweden on the grounds that they should seek asylum in the first EU country they entered. That’s EU law. If they apply for a visa in Malta and enter Sweden with it they will be sent to Malta.

I do not correlate the RIGHT TO SEEK ASYLUM whatever is the size and population density of the countries concerned.

I correlate population densities and geographical size with an honest assessment of the MAGNITUDE OF THE CONTRIBUTION made by receiving nations with a huge disparity between their respective sizes and population densities.

If our policies spared us what Stokholm went through this year, and we are called ignorant and close-minded for that, then I am proud to be ignorant. For whatever you say, and unlike yourself, I don’t go by what people think or say of me, but by the quality of life I am living.

Apart from that, Francis, with his great analytical skills explained it all. And he is right.

[Daphne – Nobody should ever be proud to be ignorant. But then the worse one’s ignorance, in Malta, the prouder one is, and the more self-satisfied. Introspection requires intelligence, so the sad truth is that those most in need of introspection are those least likely to. And it’s Stockholm.]

‘Sweden is geographically empty’ … By your reasoning, the North-West of Malta is ‘geographically empty’ as well.

Putting matters into correct perspective:

These Syrians must necessarily include people from all walks of life. This might involve a minor risk of having a few real criminals given permanent residency status. Sweden is willing to take that risk if this means saving thousands of lives.

We, on the other hand, threaten to indiscriminately push all Africans back.

That is the fundamental matter.

Yes right, because this sparse population is spread all over Sweden’s vast icy wilderness. I think you’ll find that the population density in urban areas is just as high as Malta’s national average.

Putting matters into correct perspective:

Place of origin and size of destination are not factors that diminish the right to seek asylum.

On a sadder note, I get the niggling feeling that it wouldn’t have been such a calamity to have Syrians arriving by the boatloads – after all, they are very close to us in complexion – unlike Somalis, Ethiopians, Eritreans etc, so would have been labelled as “jahasra” and “imsieken”.