Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
Man injured in shooting south of Stockholm, Sweden launches new digital passport checks for residence permit applicants from 23 countries, and Sweden Democrats willing to discuss banning political parties' anonymous social media accounts. Here's the latest news.
Man injured in apartment shooting south of Stockholm
Police are investigating after a man, described as being in his 60s, was injured in a shooting in Flemingsberg, south of Stockholm, at around 9pm on Sunday.
The state of his injuries was not immediately known and no arrests had been reported by the time of publication.
According to unconfirmed reports to the Aftonbladet tabloid, the man was shot through the door after the shooter knocked on the door and said he had a food delivery.
He was, according to Aftonbladet, not believed to have been the intended victim, but a relative of his was the target of another recent shooting.
Police confirmed the shooting had happened "in connection to an apartment" when asked by the TT news agency.
Swedish vocabulary: a food delivery – en matleverans
Sweden launches new digital passport check for residence permit applicants
In a new scheme by the Migration Agency, applicants for a Swedish work or student permit will be able to verify their passport digitally instead of having to travel to a Swedish embassy – but so far only if they come from one of the 23 countries involved in the pilot.
"Some applicants will now be able to download an app, scan their passport and perform facial recognition to identify themselves for their residence permit applications for studies and work," said Fredrik Larsson, from the Migration Agency's foreign operations unit, in a statement.
Applicants who may be able to take part in the pilot scheme, including those who have already made an application but haven't yet shown their passport, will receive an automated email a few days after applying, containing a link to an e-service that's valid for one week.
Freja eID Group AB, which is one of the companies that provide digital IDs in Sweden, will carry out the check.
The new scheme is expected to benefit around 19,000 work permit applicants and 5,000 students a year from the following countries: USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, UK, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Chile, Singapore, Malaysia, North Macedonia, Georgia, Ukraine, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Albania, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Swedish vocabulary: a passport – ett pass
Sweden Democrats willing to discuss ban on anonymous accounts run by political parties
Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson told public broadcaster SVT's Agenda that he would be willing to discuss banning political parties from using anonymous social media accounts, but that his party had no intention of scrapping its anonymous accounts for now.
His comments came after TV4 Kalla Fakta went undercover to reveal that the party operates a far-right troll factory that shares, among other things, anti-immigration content and smear campaigns against other parties, including its supposed allies in the right-wing government. The news prompted Liberal party leader Johan Pehrson to call for an inquiry into banning anonymous accounts run by political parties.
Åkesson said he would be open to discussing the proposal, but added: "I have a hard time seeing how you would carry out the proposal in practice. Should it apply to anyone who has a connection to a political party and is on social media?"
He also said that he found most of the content produced by the accounts linked to the troll factory harmless. Some of the material spread includes white power propaganda, which the Sweden Democrats last week said had been created by a junior employee who didn't understand what kind of material he was spreading, reported anti-fascism magazine Expo.
Swedish vocabulary: an account – ett konto
Spring flood warning in northern Sweden
Sweden's weather agency SMHI is warning that the Nedre Torneälven and Nedre Kalixälven rivers in northern Sweden may burst their banks following a spring flood caused by fast-melting snow.
This could include flooding of roads and buildings, it says.
"As water levels increase along with river flows, flooding can occur along the river. The river flows are still rising and are expected to peak between the 20th and the 22nd of May," reads the orange-level warning (the second most serious) on SMHI's website.
A less serious yellow warning of high water discharge is also in place for the entire Norrbotten region.
Swedish vocabulary: a spring flood – en vårflod
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Man injured in apartment shooting south of Stockholm
Police are investigating after a man, described as being in his 60s, was injured in a shooting in Flemingsberg, south of Stockholm, at around 9pm on Sunday.
The state of his injuries was not immediately known and no arrests had been reported by the time of publication.
According to unconfirmed reports to the Aftonbladet tabloid, the man was shot through the door after the shooter knocked on the door and said he had a food delivery.
He was, according to Aftonbladet, not believed to have been the intended victim, but a relative of his was the target of another recent shooting.
Police confirmed the shooting had happened "in connection to an apartment" when asked by the TT news agency.
Swedish vocabulary: a food delivery – en matleverans
Sweden launches new digital passport check for residence permit applicants
In a new scheme by the Migration Agency, applicants for a Swedish work or student permit will be able to verify their passport digitally instead of having to travel to a Swedish embassy – but so far only if they come from one of the 23 countries involved in the pilot.
"Some applicants will now be able to download an app, scan their passport and perform facial recognition to identify themselves for their residence permit applications for studies and work," said Fredrik Larsson, from the Migration Agency's foreign operations unit, in a statement.
Applicants who may be able to take part in the pilot scheme, including those who have already made an application but haven't yet shown their passport, will receive an automated email a few days after applying, containing a link to an e-service that's valid for one week.
Freja eID Group AB, which is one of the companies that provide digital IDs in Sweden, will carry out the check.
The new scheme is expected to benefit around 19,000 work permit applicants and 5,000 students a year from the following countries: USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, UK, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Chile, Singapore, Malaysia, North Macedonia, Georgia, Ukraine, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Albania, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Swedish vocabulary: a passport – ett pass
Sweden Democrats willing to discuss ban on anonymous accounts run by political parties
Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson told public broadcaster SVT's Agenda that he would be willing to discuss banning political parties from using anonymous social media accounts, but that his party had no intention of scrapping its anonymous accounts for now.
His comments came after TV4 Kalla Fakta went undercover to reveal that the party operates a far-right troll factory that shares, among other things, anti-immigration content and smear campaigns against other parties, including its supposed allies in the right-wing government. The news prompted Liberal party leader Johan Pehrson to call for an inquiry into banning anonymous accounts run by political parties.
Åkesson said he would be open to discussing the proposal, but added: "I have a hard time seeing how you would carry out the proposal in practice. Should it apply to anyone who has a connection to a political party and is on social media?"
He also said that he found most of the content produced by the accounts linked to the troll factory harmless. Some of the material spread includes white power propaganda, which the Sweden Democrats last week said had been created by a junior employee who didn't understand what kind of material he was spreading, reported anti-fascism magazine Expo.
Swedish vocabulary: an account – ett konto
Spring flood warning in northern Sweden
Sweden's weather agency SMHI is warning that the Nedre Torneälven and Nedre Kalixälven rivers in northern Sweden may burst their banks following a spring flood caused by fast-melting snow.
This could include flooding of roads and buildings, it says.
"As water levels increase along with river flows, flooding can occur along the river. The river flows are still rising and are expected to peak between the 20th and the 22nd of May," reads the orange-level warning (the second most serious) on SMHI's website.
A less serious yellow warning of high water discharge is also in place for the entire Norrbotten region.
Swedish vocabulary: a spring flood – en vårflod
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