Desperate situation in Filipstad after the refugee crisis - domestic-born leave the municipality

Autumn 2015. Thousands of refugees apply for asylum in Sweden every week.

Filipstad in Värmland is one of the municipalities that receives the most refugees in relation to their population. Entrepreneur Bert Karlsson has recently opened three new asylum homes and the municipality is protesting.

At the asylum houses, Assignment meets refugees who risked their lives on the trip to Sweden. Many are traumatized and worried about loved ones in their home country, but also about what would happen in the new country.

Soon, four years later, the asylum residents are gone. There are still empty buildings - and a municipality in crisis. For some years now, the cost of financial assistance has tripled and unemployment among foreign-born people has skyrocketed.

In the municipalities' latest financial report, municipal manager Claes Hultgren describes the situation:

“In Filipstad, around 750 adults live in Syria, Somalia, Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iraq. [...] In this group, unemployment and dependency are very high, while education levels are very low. This group runs the risk of ending in an eternal alienation that is already heavily burdening the municipal economy. "

- Many of these people do not really have the conditions to enter the labor market, says Claes Hultgren.

In order to?

- No, you are too old maybe and are illiterate, or have very low educational level. We must then accept that there will be some people who will need the support of society for their livelihood.

And never get to work?

- I think you have to realize that it is.

In 2012, something that did not happen in Filipstad in over 50 years occurred - the negative population trend reversed and the number of inhabitants increased. But when Assignment Review breaks down the statistics, another pattern emerges.

Only the foreign-born population is increasing, but at the same time the migration of foreign-born persons has continued. Between 2012 and 2018, the domestic-born group has decreased by 640 people, while the foreign-born group has increased by 963.

- We are changing and changing population. You can think of what you want, it depends on how you are laid. But it is only a finding of the facts that this is actually what we are doing and then we must deal with it, says Jim Frölander, integration manager in Filipstad.

The statistics also show that domestic-born people of working age (20-64 years) choose to relocate - that is, those who collect the largest tax revenue to the municipality.

Assignment review analysis shows that the emigration took place at all ages, except among those closest to the pension:

One who chooses to relocate is Caroline Eriksson, born and raised in Filipstad. For a few years now she runs a flower shop in the square.

- Growing up in Filipstad has been very good. It's a small town, but I think it's well located. There are many leisure activities, we have great skiing in the winter. When I was younger we had places you could go to, but for today's youth who are 18 and older, there are not so many places. It might make the larger cities more attractive, says Caroline Eriksson.

When Assignment Review visits the municipal council's meeting, the commander presents savings of approximately SEK 30 million. The Social Democratic Municipal Council Per Gruvberger (S) has ruled for 16 years in Filipstad.

He now demands that the state step in and take its responsibility.

- Resources and a national equalization are needed to fulfill this mission, which arose because of how we organized our asylum reception over a certain period of time.

Civilian Minister Ardalan Shekarabi (S) promises state support to Filipstad.

- Sweden has no problems that we cannot solve if we help, says Ardalan Shekarabi (S) to Assignment Review.

But what do you say to the municipal politicians who have basically almost given up?

- Yes, I have daily contact with those politicians. What they are looking for is more resources and better distribution - it will come into effect as early as January. It will not solve all the problems. We will need to increase resources over the coming years, there is no doubt about that.