The world’s most northerly ski resort is being prepared to receive 600 migrants, as Sweden scrambles to find every last empty bed in the nation for newcomers.
With all conventional refugee accommodation, sports halls, and government bomb shelters full to capacity as Sweden experiences the greatest influx of people in it’s history ever, the government is having to turn to other options. Desperate to get the tens of thousands of new, imported citizens under shelter before the worst of Winter arrives the Migration Agency has now commandeered a ski resort – but the location may disappoint migrants newly arrived from warm countries.
Sitting 125 miles north of the Arctic circle, Riksgränsen ski resort is close to the Norwegian border and is the northernmost resort in the world. Although it isn’t a significant ski destination – it only has six lifts – it is well regarded for being the cheapest place to ski in Western Europe and benefits from the Arctic midnight sun, meaning snow lovers can stay on the slopes nearly 24-hours a day at the height of the season.
These qualities which make Riksgränsen so good for skiers might make it hell for the 600 migrants who will find a home there over winter before being kicked out in February for the start of the ski season. As they arrive they will experience polar night – perpetual twilight, and total darkness as winter bites. From now until February the resort and its new migrant inhabitants will receive zero hours of sunshine a day. Riksgränsen also experiences the heaviest snowfall of anywhere in Sweden – 16 feet a year – with temperatures falling as low as a record -35°C.
Speaking to Swedish media, Sven Kuldkepp, CEO of Lapland Resorts said of the decision to open the otherwise empty ski resort to migrants: “As everyone knows, there is a refugee crisis in the world. Now asylum seekers are arriving in Sweden and Migrationsverket has a major urgent need to find temporary housing to accommodate all those who need help. We at Lapland Resorts AB are very pleased to be able to help”.
“Why leave it empty and cold when it can be quite full and warm”.
As the owner of the facility and hotel, Mr. Kuldkepp might consider what actions his new guests may take to keep warm, or to stave off boredom in the freezing Arctic circle.
Breitbart London has reported on a string of recent cases where migrants appear to have attempted to burn down their own asylum accommodation. German police were investigating suicide as a possible motive after an Eritrean man was killed in an asylum fire in the town of Saalfeld. The man was found locked in his room after a fire which necessitated the evacuation of the building, and that an accelerant such as petrol had been used to start the blaze.
Also in Germany last week, police arrested a 22-year-old Syrian after he set fire to his own asylum accomodation, having already threatened his fellow lodgers with a knife, and smashed up a parked Porsche sports car outside.
In both cases, migrants and asylum seekers were quickly transferred to other nearby hotels from their own fire-damaged accommodation. They may not have the same luxury in remote Riksgränsen, where the nearest settlement is also a ski resort, is some 20 miles away, and only has 20 permanent residents.
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