Sweden in Focus is The Local’s weekly podcast where we discuss the big news and talking points in Sweden as well as explore and explain the issues that impact life in the country. We also answer your essential questions and look ahead at what’s coming up.
In each episode presenter Paul O’Mahony chats about the most important news and must-know information with The Local Sweden’s James Savage, Emma Löfgren, Richard Orange and Becky Waterton. They are frequently joined by other expert commentators.
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
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Sweden in Focus is The Local’s weekly podcast where we discuss the big news and talking points in Sweden as well as explore and explain the issues that impact life in the country. We also answer your essential questions and look ahead at what’s coming up.
In each episode presenter Paul O’Mahony chats about the most important news and must-know information with The Local Sweden’s James Savage, Emma Löfgren, Richard Orange and Becky Waterton. They are frequently joined by other expert commentators.
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's quiz time again in this week's episode of Sweden in Focus Extra for Membership+ subscribers.
Can our panelists pass the vocabulary section of högskoleprovet, the Swedish university entrance exam?
Host Paul O’Mahony is joined this week by The Local's Becky Waterton and James Savage.
Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.
Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode we talk about why Sweden is paying Somalia to accept citizens deported from Sweden and whether the political scandal is helping or hurting the government.
We also explain why a lot of Swedes will be eating goose blood soup to celebrate St Martin’s Day.
For Membership+ subscribers we discuss why a growing number of Swedish towns are refusing to help the government with its plan to encourage more people who came to Sweden as refugees to leave the country.
Finally, we’ lift the lid on some of the biggest taboos in Swedish politics.
Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and James Savage.
Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:
Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's episode of Sweden in Focus Extra for Membership+ poses some seriously tricky Swedish language questions.
It’s time again to learn some Swedish as our panelists try their hand at the tricky vocabulary section of högskoleprovet, the Swedish university entrance exam.
Host Paul O’Mahony in Stockholm is joined this week by The Local's Becky Waterton and James Savage.
Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.
Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode we talk about Sweden’s new men’s football manager Graham Potter and we ask how good his Swedish is.
We dig into a survey of readers of The Local asking how people found their jobs in what has become a very difficult country to find work.
For Membership+ subscribers we’ll look ahead to what to expect from next week’s autumn school break and the Halloween and All Saints holidays.
And finally we examine the latest citizenship news after the Migration Agency announced that it will grant citizenship to far fewer people this year than last.
Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange.
Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:
Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When the hummus bar he founded really started to take off, Ibra Idrees employed his parents and brought them to Sweden But his mother and father now face deportation after the Migration Agency rejected his mother’s work permit.
In his conversation with The Local’s Becky Waterton, Idrees explains how he developed Hummusson into one of Malmö best-loved haunts and how the establishment's family-made hummus ended up on supermarket shelves.
But mostly he talks about why he thinks the Migration Agency botched the case and why he's determined to fight to keep his parents in Sweden.
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Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.
Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode we talk about last weekend’s rowdy party leader debate and what it tells us about next year’s election.
We also dig into some insights from readers of The Local on what prompted people to pack their bags and move to Sweden.
For Membership+ subscribers, we discuss accusations that politicians are using xenophobic language to describe pro-Palestinian protestors.
And finally we hear whether readers of The Local agree with the old cliché of Sweden being one of the most sexually liberated countries in the world.
Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and James Savage.
Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sweden is one of the worst countries in Europe when it comes to providing job opportunities for educated foreigners, according to an investigation last year by Lighthouse Reports and media outlets including the Financial Times.
The study found for example that Sweden had the second-worst employment gap for college-educated migrants and that 68 percent of immigrants educated abroad were overqualified for their job.
In this clip from Sweden in Focus Extra, The Local’s contributor Amélie Reichmuth speaks about this issue of "brain waste" in Sweden with Laurence Romani, who is a professor and Director of the Center for Responsible Leadership at the Stockholm School of Economics.
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Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.
Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode we talk about the politics behind Sweden's planned new salary threshold for work permit holders.
We also look at what readers of The Local always make sure to do when they’re back visiting the countries they moved from.
For Membership+ subscribers we discuss the Swedish government’s controversial plan to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13.
Finally, we’ve been trying to get answers on who will potentially be affected by a proposal to withdraw permanent residency from some immigrants and we bring you the latest on what we know.
Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Richard Orange and James Savage.
The episode also features interviews with Ibra Idrees, a Malmö-based restaurateur whose parents face deportation over a work permit issue, and Ludvig Aspling, the Sweden Democrats' spokesperson on immigration and one of the driving forces behind a plan to revoke permanent residency from as many as 120,000 immigrants.
Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:
'Everything except Wasabröd': What's cheaper or better in your home country than Sweden?
Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
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In this clip from the latest episode of Sweden in Focus Extra, The Local's Nordic editor Richard Orange interviews José Naves Moura Neto, a Brazilian software engineer.
Neto, who was working at Volvo, moved back to Brazil last month after his 19-year-old son was ordered to leave Sweden just weeks after graduating from high school.
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Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.
Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode we talk about bilingual English-Swedish schools in Sweden and why they’re under fire from the authorities.
We also discuss the pros and cons of rail travel in Sweden after the launch this week of a multi-billion kronor plan to improve Sweden’s railway network.
For Membership+ subscribers we examine the government’s controversial plan to revoke permanent residency from more than 100,000 people.
Finally we find out how people in Sweden spend their time online after the publication this week of the annual Svenskarna och internet report.
Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and James Savage.
Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:
Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week’s episode The Local's Nordic editor Richard Orange interviews the Gothenburg-based immigration lawyer Tomas Fridh.
Many of The Local’s readers have been directly affected by a law that has led to the young adult children of permanent residency applicants being forced to leave Sweden unless they’re able to fully provide for themselves.
When the government recently proposed new family reunification rules they indicated that this would effectively put an end to teen deportations.
While he believes the problem is easy to solve, Tomas Fridh fears that the new proposals will actually make the situation worse.
Listen to the interview to find out more about why he’s sceptical of the government’s new plan and to hear what he thinks more broadly about Sweden's increasingly strict immigration policies as someone who’s dealing with their consequences on a daily basis.
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Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.
Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode we talk about whether immigrants will soon have to sign a contract promising to follow Swedish norms, and what's in the Swedish right's radical new plan for the next four years if it wins the 2026 election?
We also examine reactions to a bumper budget and its impact on voters.
For Membership+ subscribers we have updates on the issue of the Migration Agency not accepting some passports as a valid form of ID.
Finally, we look at what readers of The Local have been telling us about things that make life in Sweden convenient.
Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange.
Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:
Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this clip from Sweden in Focus Extra, The Local's Nordic editor Richard Orange chats with Moa Bursell, a sociologist from Mälardalen University who specialises in ethnic discrimination on the labour market.
Richard caught up with the researcher recently for an article about why some immigrants change their names to sound more Swedish.
They also talk about how big a role ethnicity plays in the chances of getting called for a job interview, and whether Sweden is getting more or less open to people with foreign names.
READ ALSO:
Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.
Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode we talk about anti-immigrant attacks in Stockholm and why a government minister won’t answer questions in parliament on how much he knew about his son’s involvement, until recently, with an extremist group alleged to be behind the attacks.
We’ll also discuss the Swedish language and how the words we use every day gradually creep into how we speak English.
Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists James Savage and Richard Orange.
Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:
Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this clip from Sweden in Focus Extra, The Local's Richard Orange talks to Masoud Jamshidian, a solutions architect from Iran who is facing deportation from Sweden as a result of an insurance error made by his employer.
Deportations of this kind are often referred to in the Swedish media as kompetensutvisningar, or talent deportations. They used to be relatively commonplace but a 2017 court case was supposed to have brought an end to him.
In the interview Masoud Jamshidian, also known as Farnham, tells us about the details of his case, why he and his lawyers think it qualifies as this kind of talent deportation, and how the court ruling has upended the life he has built for himself in Sweden.
READ ALSO:
Sweden in Focus Extra is a podcast for The Local's Membership+ subscribers.
Sign up to Membership+ now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode we talk about Sweden’s expansive new budget and how it’s likely to affect our pockets – and next year’s election.
We'll also help hone your Swedish language skills as we explain the subtle but all-important differences between different words for the English ‘put’.
For Membership+ subscribers we look at the fallout after Sweden’s civil defence minister was pursued in the street by angry pro-Palestinian protestors.
And we examine how Sweden is planning to make it harder for the family members of immigrants to move here.
Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange.
Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:
Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this clip from Sweden in Focus Extra, The Local's Richard Orange catches up with Douglas Thor, the head of the Moderate party’s youth wing, to talk about his ideas for combating teen deportations.
As we’ve reported quite a bit recently, Sweden is routinely deporting the young adult children of permanent residency applicants if they can’t support themselves financially, and Douglas Thor has been vocal in his criticism of how the country is essentially forcing away families who he believes have a lot to contribute to society.
He also has a lot to say about the salary threshold for work permits, how he thinks his own party has gone way too far in bending to the will of the far-right Sweden Democrats, and much more besides.
Membership+ subscribers can listen to the interview in the latest episode of Sweden in Focus Extra.
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Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
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In this week's episode, panelists Becky Waterton and Richard Orange tell us how they've recently embellished their Swedish credentials through woodland activities and crayfish parties.
In news, we look at how the government is planning to combat high food prices as well as what property prices and the value of the krona are telling us about the state of Sweden’s economy.
We also dive into the new Swedish cultural canon that was presented this week and we hear what people are saying about a list spanning everything from Ikea to Pippi Longstocking.
Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:
Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this clip from Sweden in Focus Extra, host Paul O'Mahony chats with Iain Forbes, a medical professional from the UK who moved to Falun shortly after the 2016 Brexit vote.
In the interview Forbes speaks in glowing terms about the integration package offered to him by the Dalarna Region, which included six months of fully paid language instruction as well as assistance with relocation and housing.
Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode we talk about the government’s plans for citizenship tests and why universities want nothing to do with creating them. And when does autumn start in Sweden? Have we given up on summer already?
Host Paul O'Mahony is joined this week by regular panelists Becky Waterton and James Savage.
Here are links to some of the topics discussed in the episode:
Sign up now and get early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday.
Please visit the link that applies to you and get a 40% discount on Membership+
Read more about Membership+ in our help centre.
Become a member at https://www.thelocal.se/podcasts/podcast-offer?tpcc=padlock.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
