Sweden was once a socio-economic model — a utopia ranked high on global happiness indices, with physical and social security. However, since the country opened its doors to immigration primarily from Muslim countries, without proper filters, the nation has become a symbol of failed integration policies.
Personal security has plummeted, becoming a central issue in the last election. Once a country that prided itself on democracy, liberalism, human rights and freedom of speech, one in five Swedish citizens voted for the far-right Swedish Democrats in the 2022 election — a party with roots in neo-Nazism.
The party offered populist solutions to two main issues: limiting immigration and asylum requests and taking a tougher stance on gang wars, which have spread from the suburbs into major cities. Sweden has recently become the world’s rape capital, the capital of gang wars, shootings and murders by firearms.
In 2022, the last year for which these statistics are available, there were 363 shootings with 53 fatalities — double the number compared to 2013. The shooting rate in Stockholm was 25 times that of London. There were 147 explosions in Sweden.
The country ranks second in murders per capita, after Albania. after ranking 14th in 2010. While the average rate of firearm-related murder victims in Western Europe is 1.6 per million residents, in Sweden, the number is four per million and is expected to be higher still, in 2023.
Most of the weapons and explosives come from the former Yugoslavia. Special offers on social media tempt Swedish buyers with deals such as "buy an AK-47 rifle and get a grenade for free." Gangs answer to bosses, many of whom have already been deported back to their home countries, such as Turkey or Algeria. One of the most infamous is Ismail "Strawberry" Abdo, the drug kingpin in Sweden and Denmark.
Almost 50% of crimes are committed by youth and young adults aged 15–20. They aren’t afraid of Sweden's threat to impose longer prison sentences on minors involved in gang wars — they have nothing to lose.
It now appears that, like any successful Swedish brand in the local market, Sweden has started exporting crime, particularly juvenile criminals, to all Scandinavian countries. In recent weeks, tensions between Sweden and its neighbor Denmark have flared, nearing a diplomatic crisis.
Exporting crime
Numerous reports, including official statements, detailed how Swedish minors were being recruited by crime organizations in Denmark to cross the border and commit serious crimes. There's even a price list for these crimes. Need someone shot in the leg? Pay 50,000 Swedish krona, and a Swedish gang will send someone to take care of it for you.
A murder? that will cost 75,000 krona. Here too, jobs are displayed on social media, particularly on Telegram, using emojis to avoid detection by algorithms: an apple instead of a grenade, a water gun for murder.
Swedish police published statistics earlier this year, showing that at least 93 Swedish boys under the age of 15 were suspected of planning and committing murders and that 700 were candidates for recruitment to commit crimes in Denmark.
"The reality right now is that not only Denmark but large parts of the Nordic countries are feeling the consequences of Sweden’s long-standing failed immigration and legal policies, and we take that extremely seriously," Denmark's Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said.
His words came following 10 arrests made since January for attempted murder, illegal possession of weapons, three shootings, an explosion of an explosive device and the arrest of a Swedish resident carrying two grenades in Denmark in one week — all part of the trend of importing young criminals from Sweden to carry out crimes.
Most of the detainees were 16–17 years old. Hummelgaard explained that around 35 such cases have been recorded since April alone, with only five minors being formally charged.
According to reports, it’s difficult to apprehend these kids because they often have no prior criminal record and commit crimes within a couple of days from the time they accept the job.
As a result of the increasing incidents, the Danish government began monitoring borders between the countries, including the train route between Malmö and Copenhagen. The countries discussed the possibility of reinstating full border inspections and Danish police were granted the authority to make arrests and conduct searches without solid cause.
Representatives from other Nordic countries are set to meet with Denmark's justice ministers to study and implement this new anticrime policy which includes double penalties for gang-related crimes and the option to deport families of gang crime suspects as adopted by Denmark.
Police forces also considered exchange programs where Swedish officers would be stationed across the border and Danish forces would serve inside Sweden to foster cooperation and prevent the export of "child soldiers," as they are now called. In some cases, when youths were recruited, they were tasked with simpler activities like threats, vandalism, or spying.
Some of the recruits were as young as 11. "We're seeing more and more cases of organized crime gangs looking for people to commit crimes for them outside Sweden," said Danish police investigator Torben Svarrer, "and unfortunately, we're seeing more young people accepting these jobs, mainly for the tempting financial rewards.
"We used to say we wanted to be like Sweden," says Danish sociologist Mena de Nergård, "now Sweden is our worst nightmare. We're afraid the same conduct of gags would be copied here. There’s always been Swedish crime in Denmark, but it was within the framework of gang wars.
In Denmark, as in Sweden’s other neighboring countries, there's a term for the phenomenon: "the Swedish situation," representing both a fear and a desire to avoid a similar situation.
Last year, 12 people were killed in a gang war between Abdo and his former boss. After dozens were killed , including family members and neighbors, It became clear that rules of honor dictating who should remain outside the blood feud were no longer in effect.
Denmark successfully eradicated young gangs through prevention, education and stricter law enforcement. But it has yet to find a solution for crime spilling over the border
Denmark, Norway, and Finland have always treated "the Swedish situation" as something happening elsewhere. Now they can no longer avoid the problem.