Sweden Discrimination

With foreign names and a different skin color, immigrants can find it difficult to get work or rent an apartment, even if they've lived in the country for decades and speak fluent Swedish.

Discrimination in the workplace is particularly problematic for Sweden’s ethnic minorities and several studies have shown that people with "foreign-sounding" names are disadvantaged when applying for work. Africans in particular suffer from this type of discrimination.

Africans are often seen as “fun to be around, but not the kind of people that you would hire”, said Kitimba Sabuni, the head of the National Association of Afro-Swedes.

According to Sabuni, the employment rate for Africans in Sweden is thirty percent below the national average, making Africans one of the minority groups in Sweden with the lowest employment.

Sabuni worries that the younger generation of Afro-Swedes has a lack of role models.

“They never ever see people looking like them in positions of authority,” he said. “What does that do to your own self confidence and the way you feel about yourself and your possibilities?”

Too few complaints

Ousman Sane spent a year looking for employment after moving to Sweden from Gambia two years ago, despite learning Swedish quickly. When Sane finally got an interview after numerous rejections, his potential employer asked him whether he had AIDS.

Sane sought help from the local newspaper and filed a complaint with the Ombudsman Against Ethnic Discrimination (DO) – his case is now pending in court.

Unfortunately, however, this is a rare occurrence. The DO estimates that only five to six percent of those who suffer from discrimination actually take the step to file a complaint.

Katri Linna, an ombudsman in Sweden, saw 800 complaints registered with her office last year. Linna believes that the figures are on the rise, although she admits that it is difficult to know if the acts of discrimination are actually increasing, or whether a greater number of people are coming forward.

The DO has launched a campaign to encourage more people who have been discriminated against to come forward with the aim of both urging people to stand up for their rights, and showing Swedes that their country's human rights record still has a long way to go.

Stop-Gap Measures?

One measure that has been suggested to reduce discrimination is the removal of names from resumes to disguise an applicant’s ethnic origin. But Anna-Theodora Karlsdottir, a legal advisor at the DO, isn’t convinced.

“How can you be anonymous, for instance, if you have an education from the University of Teheran?” she asked. “It can help in some cases, but we don't think it solves all the problems.”

Changing names is another increasingly popular option with many foreigners. Twenty percent of the 1,400 applications received by the Swedish Patent and Registration Office last year were from individuals with non-Swedish names.

The measure can make life easier for immigrants. According to Kitimba Sabuni, a study made by the Swedish trade union showed that immigrants who changed their name had higher incomes.

“Some would say that's very positive, I would say that's proof of discrimination,” he said.