Swedish Politician Accused of Misleading Public on Elderly Care and Asylum

In an opinion piece for Dagens Nyheter, Bengt Westerberg, chairman of the Frisinnade klubben, directly challenges the narrative put forth by Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the Sweden Democrats (SD). Westerberg asserts that Åkesson's 2014 assertion—that supporting asylum seekers came at the expense of aid to elderly Swedes—was a deliberate misrepresentation, or 'bluff.' This claim, Westerberg argues, is demonstrably false given the current situation.

Westerberg highlights the irony that even as Sweden has drastically reduced its asylum intake following the Tidö Agreement, reports of municipalities ceasing meal deliveries to the elderly persist. This reality contradicts Åkesson's core argument that restricting asylum would directly alleviate the plight of vulnerable seniors. The author cites research and concerns from the National Food Agency about increasing malnutrition among the elderly, underscoring that the problem of elder care is not being solved by the current restrictive immigration policies.

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I can not look an elderly person in the eye and say: 'Sorry you are starving to death but we must have asylum immigration.'

Furthermore, Westerberg delves into Åkesson's own words from 2014, suggesting that even then, the Sweden Democrats leader understood that resources could be directed to aid people in their regions of origin, implying that the argument about Swedish resources being solely diverted to asylum seekers was disingenuous. Westerberg posits that the resources used for humanitarian aid abroad could equally be applied to refugees within Sweden. He concludes that while helping refugees in their immediate vicinity might be cheaper, it is not a viable solution for those seeking a new life elsewhere, and that Sweden's reception of refugees is a humanitarian commitment that should be maintained alongside aid in neighboring regions.

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In times of mass flight where millions of people flee war, murder and disasters, it is about helping as many people as possible. You do not do that through immigration to Sweden, but by directing resources to the areas where the people are.