Gothenburg police chief Erik Nord has been labelled a “racist” for commenting on social media that foreign criminals do not belong in Sweden.
Nord made his comments on Twitter last Friday, saying: “Yesterday, we arrested two young men who do not belong in Sweden on suspicion of theft from cyclists (bags, computers from bicycle baskets, and package holders).”
The phrase “do not belong in Sweden” led to criticism from leftist users on Twitter and from Left Party MP Lorena Delgado Varas, Nyheter Idag reported on Saturday.
“This is how a police chief expresses himself in an account he has as part of the [police] service. Whose trust is he trying to get? And is it okay for a police chief to express himself like this? How normalised is racism starting to become?” Varas said.
Nord reacted to criticism from one user, saying: “[They were] two young men from another EU country who probably travelled to Sweden only to commit crimes. Part of what we call the IBN (International Criminal Network).”
“The government has commissioned us to fight them. But you do not think that a police chief should give a statement?!” Nord added.
While many came out to criticise Nord, others praised the Gothenburg police chief. Moderate Party MP Hanif Bali slammed the leftist reaction, stating on Twitter on Saturday: “Today, the left is trying to tell us that it is racist to think that foreign criminals without residence in Sweden do not belong here.”
“Foreign criminals WITH residence in Sweden do not even belong here. Is the Left Party against deportation as a sanction?” he said.
The city of Gothenburg has a growing problem with violence linked to migrant gangs, according to a leaked police intelligence report from September that stated various migrants have clashed in the city centre over the sale of drugs.
“There are regular large violent clashes in central Gothenburg between young Afghans and especially young Syrians, but also Somalis where they fight for good drug sales. There have been several stabbings in connection with these brawls and police have on various occasions found street fighting weapons,” the report said.