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Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Sweden: One Fine Day in Tjärna Ängar (Borlänge)

Hat tip Nyheter Idag. Translation by Fousesquawk.

-SVT (Sweden)


In the past couple of years, we have cross-posted and translated a few articles about the Tjärna Ängar neighborhood in  Borlänge, a town of about 43,000 people in Sweden, which is the home of Dalarna University.  Borlänge is also the site of considerable public housing and is now largely inhabited by immigrants, particularly Somalis. The Tjärna Ängar area has earned the nickname, "Little Mogadishu" due to its large Somali population. It is also considered one of Sweden's "vulnerable areas" in polite discourse, or more accurately, "no-go zones", where crime and violence are rampant. In October 2020, we translated an article describing how many foreign students of Dalarna who found themselves housed in this area decided to get out of town and out of Sweden altogether since it just wasn't safe. Also in 2020,  we translated two other articles about this charming neighborhood which can be read here and here.

So reporters from Swedish State Television (SVT) decided to venture forth into the neighborhood to see what all the fuss was about. What follows is translated from the conservative Swedish outlet, Nyheter Idag.

https://nyheteridag.se/svt-reportrar-attackerade-i-lilla-mogadishu/

SVT reporters attacked in "Little Mogadishu"

 Borlänge: Not everyone is happy when SVT's Investigative Assignment comes to visit in Tjärna Ängar in  Borlänge. Indeed, some become aggressive and violent. One person threw a rock at journalists and shouted, "F--- SVT."

Investigative Assignment has done reportage from the Tjärna Ängar neighborhood in Borlänge-the country's northernmost vulnerable area, which is called "Little Mogadishu" in the vernacular since at least half of the residents come from Somalia.

Among others, they meet an older woman who has lived there for 18 years but has still not learned Swedish.

"What are you doing? Hello! Don't film me, bitch," shouts one guy when reporters drive around the area.

Official statistics say that just over 3,500 people live in Tjärna Ängar, but according to certain politicians and police, the true number is upwards of 10,000. Families are large with many children, which leads to overcrowding.

The area is marked by high unemployment, welfare dependency, and by the rule of criminal networks and foreign customs while police control and intelligence are extremely limited.

When Investigative Assignment was there one evening, they were attacked by a person who threw a rock at them, screaming, "F---SVT!" then ran away.

Shortly thereafter, some masked men come and ask why they are filming in Tjärna Ängar. The guys are (insistent) on not being filmed and push the camera down.

"You have to say nice things about this area if you are going to record," says one of them.

"You have to focus only on the positive."

"Damn, we were attacked," exclaims one of the reporters, referring to the rock thrower.

SVT also meets with local politician Mursal Isa (MP-Green Party). He says that the foreigners who come to Tjärna Ängar primarily receive their information on the new country from other immigrants.

Newcomers are told that the "Swedish language is a local language", which you don't need to learn, that it doesn't pay to work, as well as that they should not testify against criminals since they themselves run the risk of being hurt.

"This is going still today, and I think it has even become worse," says Mursal Isa.


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