Swexit? Swedish support for EU plummets amid tensions over migrant crisis
SWEDISH could be in line for a 'Swexit' as support for EU membership has plunged amid tensions over the migrant crisis.
Sweden has seen uprisings against the aid being given to asylum seekers
A survey, conducted by Swedish polling company TNS Sifo and commissioned by public broadcaster SVT, asked 1,142 people what they thought of Sweden being a member state of the European Union.
It found that just 39 per cent of Swedes aged 18 to 79 believe that being in the EU is a positive thing, compared with 59 per cent last autumn.
Around one-fifth of the respondents said that membership was a bad idea, while over half said the EU was going in the wrong direction.
Only eight per cent said they believe things are improving.
Swedish support for the Union has plummeted since last year
Experts say the results are linked to the ongoing refugee crisis faced by Sweden, who took in more than 160,000 asylum seekers last year, and other EU countries.
Stockholm initially implemented an open-door policy for those fleeing war and persecution, but later back-tracked, saying it needed “respite” from the influx of new arrivals.
It then re-introduced border checks and tighter residency rules.
Camps for refugees such as this one in Stockholm have popped up across Sweden
Sweden initially had an open doors policy to immigration but had to later back track
Since then, refugee numbers have dropped dramatically, with around 500 to 600 people making the journey to Sweden each week, compared to 10,000 weekly last autumn.
Her family say their "angel" would still be with them if it Sweden had a different policy on refugees.
Meanwhile, Europe continues to face the worst crisis since the Second World War, with over a million asylum seekers arriving to the continent in 2015.
Sweden defends plan to deport tens of thousands of migrants
However, the polling company TNS Sifo noted that the results of their survey could have been affected by a change of methodology.
The most recent poll was based on an online questionnaire, while the previous poll consisted of individual interviews.
Discontent among Swedish residents comes as Britain gears up for the June referendum, which will determine whether it remains within or leaves the EU.
A YouGov poll released last week suggests that 40 percent of Brits will vote to remain in the bloc, while 39 support the UK leaving. The rest are undecided or do not plan to vote.