An historic deal

 “Historic” is the adjective used by Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeld to define the agreement on the new immigration policies reached by the government. Following long negotiations between the centre-right alliance government and the Green party, the deal should insure illegal immigrants the right to public healthcare and education.

New access to public healthcare for illegal immigrants would cost several hundred million kronor per year, according to Social Affairs Minister Goran Hagglund, this would be nothing compared with the total cost of healthcare.  Education Minister Jan Bjorklund declared that, according to his preliminary calculations, extending the right to education to illegal immigrants would cost taxpayers 50-100 million kronor (500 thousand-1 million euros) per academic year, not much if compared with the total cost of 100 billion kronor (about 11 billion euros) paid every year at present.

“The deal lays long-term groundwork for a humane, just and orderly migration policy” declared Reinfeldt during the press conference.

The agreement was specifically designed to discourage the influence of the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats and as it has been declared by the Prime Minister “it is a choice which closes the door on xenophobic forces”.