Swedish County Finds Direct Link Between Mass Migration and Increased Drug Problems, Social Strain

The Swedish county of Blekinge has released a report showing the effect of mass migration on the area which has stretched local resources and led to an increase in drug problems.

The report by the county administrative board shows that Blekinge, located on the south-east coast of Sweden, has seen a strain on many areas due to the sudden influx of migrants since the height of the migrant crisis in 2015, Swedish broadcaster SVT reports.

County Administrative Integration Counsellor Lena Ekroth cited three main areas which have been directly affected by mass migration including housing, the local school system, and the public healthcare system.

“There are homes, a need to find shelter over the heads of those who come here. Then we have schooling, in the form of finding it difficult to find teachers and premises so that we have enough. Then there is health and especially dental care that has seen increased pressure,” Ekroth said.

Blekinge administrative board also sent out questionnaires to the various municipalities within the county and found that a strain on social services was a common complaint. The questionnaires also revealed an increase in drug problems with asylum seekers, particularly those who came as unaccompanied minors.

“The mental health of the lone children has deteriorated, and in the reports, it is said that there is a major drug problem in this group. That’s something we need to look at, whether that’s right or not,” Ekroth said.

The report comes after some have suggested that the strain of mass migration in Sweden will likely force many municipalities to increase their tax rates and has seen the current government propose raising the retirement age to pay for the added costs.

Another problem the Swedish government has been faced with is the massive unemployment rate of migrant-background Swedes as opposed to native-born Swedes. A report from last year claimed that native Swedes had an unemployment rate of just 3.9 per cent, while the migrant unemployment rate stood at 21.8 per cent.

 Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com