Au pairs in Sweden are being exploited
Translated from Swedish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
At a glance
Opinion
Named sources
Context piece
- Columnist Elin af Klintberg argues that au pairs in Sweden face exploitation despite the system’s stated cultural-exchange purpose.
- She recalls dinner conversations ranking au pairs by nationality, with Filipinas described as the preferred group.
- The column opens with a Swedish family arriving at a house in France with three children and another person in the back seat.
“Which nationality is best at being an au pair?” Elin af Klintberg recalls hearing the question debated over dinner. The answer, she writes, was apparently Filipinas.
On paper, the au pair system is presented as cultural exchange. Klintberg asks whether that description matches reality, framing her column around the possibility that au pairs in Sweden are being exploited.
She begins with a scene at a house in France. A Swedish family arrives in a rented French car to stay there for two weeks, although the families have never met before. The husband and wife sit in front wearing large sunglasses, while three excited children jump out of the back seat.
Then another person unfolds from the cramped back seat. The brief opening places that person alongside the family while questioning the arrangements that bring au pairs into Swedish households.
About this summary
Originally published by Svenska Dagbladet in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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