Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson recently announced that Sweden will allow its military to aid the police in the fight against organized crime. This announcement has come as a surprise to many. Kristersson and his fragile governing coalition were elected last year on a promise of crushing the gangs and cracking down on crime, but the crime wave has shown no signs of slowing down. While the next Swedish parliamentary election is not for another three years, polling numbers reflect this reality, and the government is struggling to regain control of the narrative.
In discussing Sweden’s immigration failures, I have pointed to immigration’s role in rising crime. Over 60 percent of gang members in Sweden are first- or second-generation immigrants. There are now an estimated 30,000 gang members in Sweden, which on a per capita basis means Sweden now has more organized crime than the United States. While gun violence is still less prevalent here than in the U.S., the trend is quite dire: The number of deadly shootings has tripled in less than ten years. Meanwhile, possession with the intent to sell has quadrupled in just 20 years. Both types of crimes are predominantly committed by criminal gangs.
Comments