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THE PANEL

THE PANEL

Would you ever consider becoming a Swedish citizen?

Ever week we ask a panel of readers to give their views on a particular issue concerning the international community. This week we wonder whether the panelists are keen to get their hands on a Swedish passport.

Would you ever consider becoming a Swedish citizen?

Nabeel Shehzad

Nabeel Shehzad

If I had the chance to become a Swedish citizen, I would definitely take it. A great social system, ease of movement in Europe and the rest of the world, good healthcare, advanced technologies, excellent transportation and a very un-biased society all contribute to making Sweden an excellent country.

Though there are some concerns, like high taxes (sometimes you have to pay tax on tax), a very cold winter season, and so on, the benefits of living in Sweden as a Swedish citizen far outweigh the negatives.

Carrying a Swedish passport makes it easier for international travel and earns the holder a respect which unfortunately is not afforded to some of the passports from developing countries.

Claudia Tenenblat

Claudia Tenenblat

Not only would I consider it, I am already counting the time until I will be eligible for citizenship. Being Brazilian, holding dual citizenship will make my life easier when crossing borders and living in Europe.

Other than that, my son will also automatically receive a Swedish passport when I receive mine, as he will still be a minor, and that opens up a lot of possibilities for his future.

I know that my views about Sweden are quite unpopular among immigrants, who often complain bitterly about their host, but I think Sweden is very generous towards immigrants and offers us many benefits such as SFI (Swedish for Immigrants), free university education, healthcare and various subsidies with no strings attached.

I don’t know of any other country that does the same. And although I am aware that Sweden is very far from paradise and I will never surrender my “Brazilianness”, I am very happy with the choice I made about moving here and will be thrilled when I become a citizen.

Robert Flahiff

Robert Flahiff

Whoo, this is a question I have had rattling around my head for some time, as I am eligible for Swedish citizenship in the near future.

Now, this is a subject that will expose my ignorance of things legal, but I am under the impression that I am able to carry dual citizenship (in my case, American/Swedish), although neither country really likes the idea of a person having two passports and countries of citizenship.

I guess the real question is whether it is worth it – it would be kinda cool to travel to a few places with a Swedish passport where Americans traditionally have trouble, like Cuba for example.

But how often, if ever, will I get there? Unknown. And if I choose not to be a full-on Swedish citizen, what potentially will I be losing out on in the future, other than the right to vote in national elections? Pension problems? Healthcare for the elderly ? Social services? I just don’t know.

This is a topic that actually could be given much more exploration and clarification, so we all may avoid the pitfalls and have a chance to see what would be the best possible option for a person, based on the country they have emigrated from.

But, to answer the question: yes, I would consider it, most likely as an insurance policy rather than a point of patriotism.

Tiffany Hoffman

Tiffany Hoffman

Voluntary dual citizenship is discouraged by the American Immigration Board (and sometimes leads to the loss of American citizenship), so I’d be hesitant to risk applying for Swedish citizenship.

And, since the majority of the benefits of being a Swedish citizen are granted to those who have permanent residence permits, there’s really no driving force to become a full citizen.

By maintaining my American citizenship, the kids that I plan to have in the next ten years or so with my Swedish mate will automatically be both Swedish and American citizens. They’ll have more choices, and maybe they can run for the Riksdag, since I can’t.

Marcus Cederström

Marcus Cederström

Would you ever consider becoming a citizen of another country?

This is a tricky one for me. I have both an American passport and a Swedish passport. I blame my parents for that completely.

So the answer would have to be yes. I would definitely consider becoming a citizen of another country. And of Sweden for that matter.

Mostly because that’s just the way I grew up. Having the ability to move very freely throughout Europe on my Swedish passport is amazing. And having the ability to forgo long lines and finger printing in the US just by showing my American passport is hard to beat.

The benefits of dual citizenship have allowed me to travel easily throughout Europe. It allowed me to pick up and leave, not having to consult the Migration Board on what was necessary to move to Sweden. All in all, I can’t imagine not having dual citizenship.

But if anyone can offer me another passport, maybe to a South American country, which allows me to keep both my American passport and my EU passport, I’m all ears.

Sanna Holmqvist

Sanna Holmqvist

Would you ever consider becoming a citizen of another country?

That is a very tough one to answer especially since I, like many other Swedes, haven’t had to give it too much thought.

I have never been in any situation where being a Swedish citizen was an obstacle. So, would I? I suppose the answer is: probably, if there was something very important to gain from it that I wouldn’t get otherwise.

If being a Swedish citizen stopped me from living with the person I wanted to live with, or something similarly important, then maybe. I wouldn’t do it just like that, not very easily, absolutely not.

And I wouldn’t do it just because I happened to live in another country. It would definitely have to be for a very important reason.

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

What’s your favourite Swedish dialect?

The Local's regular panel grapples with Sweden's many dialects and tries to decide whether they should be classified as throat diseases or things of poetic beauty.

What's your favourite Swedish dialect?
Image: Paulo Correa

Tiffany Hoffman

Tiffany Hoffman

Since I’m still new to the Swedish language, it’s quite difficult for me to distinguish between the dialects, but I can recognize a few. Here in Linköping, I think the dialect is easy to understand, but Skånska–really deep Skånska–is like its own language.

Because of my own southern American accent, I can definitely appreciate and respect the Skåne dialect–and the teasing that comes with it–and I think it’s fun to hear. I haven’t heard many dialects from the north, but I look forward to the day when I’m fluent enough in Swedish to pick them out.

Robert Flahiff

Robert Flahiff

Dalarna’s Dalmål! C’mon, who doesn’t get a chuckle from “Jordpäron” (Earth Pear), which is a potato in my parts. Funny part is that we have so many sub-dialects that old-timers can tell people their neighborhood or village just by listening to them for a few sentences.

But I think the real reason I like Dalmål is that I just don’t comprehend Skånska – it sounds like somebody speaking out of their nose with their mouth full of gravel. And I know I may take some heat for that, but if you are speaking in Skånska, I just won’t be able to understand you anyways….

Sanna Holmqvist

Sanna Holmqvist

Without any trace of doubt in my mind – Skånska. The Skåne dialect. That is what I have grown up with and that is what makes me feel comfortable and at home.

There are so many kinds of Skånska, every district or city has its own. Within the cities, the different parts may have their own too. Old people in Malmö, where I live, tell me that in their youth, they could easily decide from which side of town someone was (so it is worth remembering that the city used to be perhaps even more segregated than it is today).

Posh Fridhem or workers’ Möllan; Kirseberg, Holma or Kulladal; your specific version of Malmöitiska gave you away instantly (to native Malmö ears). But this is probably true in many cities.

Skånska is soft and singing, yet with a rougher touch from the r’s (that are pronounced as in Denmark, Germany and France) and the diphthongs, somehow: cursing or getting angry in Skånska is more efficient than in other dialects… But when spoken in a friendly voice, there is nothing that sounds nicer and kinder.

And Skånska is absolutely impossible to imitate, if you don’t speak it naturally. So many actors and comedians and imitators have tried and failed (embarrassingly enough, often without realising). It is almost impossible to get the melody absolutely right and the r’s flowing effortlessly.

We mostly get embarrassed and feel awkward when people try. Especially if they think they are funny. I haven’t ever heard anyone succeed. I don’t know if this is good or bad – it is simply how it is.

Nabeel Shehzad

Nabeel Shehzad

I am very new to the Swedish language and still do not understand it fully. In the beginning all the dialects were the same to me. I couldn’t understand anything. Now when I have started understanding, I can see the difference in dialects too.

The Swedish dialect spoken in southern Sweden, like Gothenburg, seems best to me as it is easy to understand. I think they speak it very calmly. Stockholmers on the other hand speak much faster and always look like they’re in a hurry and skip over words. I find it very difficult to understand even a single word sometimes.

Then there is this Rinkeby Swedish, Swedish spoken by immigrants mostly. I like it too as it comes in a different flavour, a bit harsh and a bit loud and with an Arabian accent to it, though a friend of mine calls it a throat disease.

I am still in the learning process and since I am living in Gothenburg I have more influence from Gothenburgish (that’s what I call it at least). To me it is simple, slow and easy to learn and the good thing is people are very cooperative even if you speak it wrong.

Marcus Cederström

Marcus Cederström

I am constantly amazed by the number of dialects in Sweden. In a country of only nine million people there seem to be countless dialects, some that differ significantly from one another in regions that are just a few Swedish miles apart.

But of all those different dialects, my favourite by far is Skånska. And I blame my father completely for that.

My father and his family originate from Skåne. He spent his childhood there and still carries the classic dialect of the region. While he spent his childhood in Skåne, I spent mine in the next best thing. Colorado, in the middle of the United States. Which is almost the same.

Seeing as how my old man was the only Swedish speaker for miles around though, I grew up hearing nothing but Skånska. When we returned to Sweden for our summer vacations, we travelled to Skåne. I have been inundated with the dialect all of my life. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Living in Stockholm, I am surrounded by the classic accent of the region, but every time I hear that Skånsk accent, my ears perk up and I feel like I’m home.

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