nordstjernan The Swedish Newspaper of America
Published by Swedish News. Volume 144 No. 03, February 15, 2016. Price per copy $2.50
This Week, Page 4
Chess Grandmaster A magician never reveals his secrets, and neither does The Swedish Wall, the Viking of chess, Ulf Andersson.
Anders Ygeman announces migration rejections.
Sweden, Page 2, 3
The best country in which to raise a family / Swedish foreign minister in a housing scandal / Sweden’s persona non grata in Israel / job market opens wide in 2016 / age limits may be enforced on social media / UNICEF appoints Swedish professor as health chief.
Perspectives, Page 3
Some questions answered, others to consider. Change is coming.
Feature, Page 18
HRH Crown Princess Victoria accepts appointment as global change advocate.
Life on the professional chess circuit: Leading Swedish chess player Ulf Andersson, who was awarded the International Master title in 1970 and the Grandmaster title in 1972 by the World Chess Federation interviewed by Ulf Kirchdorfer. / Page 5
Continued on page 4
Page 16 Swedish Minister Mikael Damberg closes NASDAQ, opens a new page for NYC Swedes
Dashboard, Page 10, 11 Photo: Migrationsverket, Tomislav Stjepic
The acceptance of migrants over the last year has put a lot of strain on a country with a population of less than 10 million. A total of 163,000 people applied for asylum in Sweden last year alone. The government now expects that a large proportion of them will be expelled. “As part of Sweden having many asylum applications, it’s also a fact that a number of people will have their applications rejected and will have to return to their home countries,” Swedish Interior Minister Anders Ygeman recently said during interviews with Swedish media. The proportion of applications that are rejected is around 45 percent, meaning that of the 163,000 cases in 2015 alone, the government expects to deport 60,000 to 80,000 people. But it won’t happen immediately. “It will be spread out over a number of years, depending on when they receive their decisions,” Sweden’s
Sweden and U.S. fight crime together / A new skyline near Stockholm / Police force expansion needed / Celebrating Swedish clogs in America / Swedish actor appears in American drama and American classic premiers on Swedish stage. Page 12
A large number of the 2015 asylum applications will be rejected, says Sweden’s Interior Minister.
Shrove Tuesday variations
In the beginning, a semla was simply a bun soaked in hot milk and known as hetvägg. It was eaten on fettisdag (Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday) when the last feast was enjoyed before Lent. Swedes and Finns alike began resisting the strict observances of Lent, however, and started eating a semla every Tuesday between Shrove Tuesday and Easter — the Swedes added cream and almond paste to theirs, and the Finns added cardamom and raspberry jam to theirs. Like a dialect, a person’s origins can be identified by how they like their semlor. And if you’re a Finn living in Stockholm, you needn’t fear because Finska Butiken has semlor just the way you like them. / Page 15
Page 11
Photo: Bo Zaunders
Not everyone can stay in Sweden