STOCKHOLM, Sept.16 (Xinhua) -- Expert Peder Hyllengren with the Swedish Defence University has expressed worries as Sweden faces challenges in the fight against extremism.
"Extremism does not meet a lot of resistance in Sweden," he said, speaking with Swedish public news broadcaster SVT on Saturday. According to the report, in the past seven years, the number of extremists has increased more than tenfold in Sweden, despite discussions and action plans.
"I think we have lost several years. Here Sweden could have done a lot more. There has been a lot of talk and papers written. But very little has happened in reality and that's why developments on the ground have gone in the wrong direction," he said.
Hyllengren said the Swedish Secret Service, Sapo, has done a good work to fight crime. But with today's legislation, there are seldom consequences for returning fighters. It was only in April last year that it became illegal to travel abroad and join terrorist organisations.
"For most of them it's just like coming back from a vacation," he said. "The municipalities need to be more proactive. They must seek out these individuals and not just wait to be contacted because that seldom occurs. This is about security," he said.
Anti-terror legislation in Sweden has been criticised for being too lenient and difficult to apply. But last year laws were sharpened. Now anyone who travels abroad with the aim of committing or preparing to commit a terrorist act can be sentenced to prison. Harsher consequences for financing terror activities were also passed, SVT reported.
Hyllengren pointed to one initiative in Angered, a suburb of Gothenburg, as an example of how other municipalities in Sweden should work with returning fighters. In Angered, returning fighters are identified and approached by local authorities.
"I see it as a way of protecting the local community, protecting society, to make sure that these people are brought into the fold of society and no longer pose a threat," Bettan Byvald, a social worker in Angered, told SVT. "We can see that they have a strong influence on other groups in the local community."
The conversations occur in different constellations, often with a social worker and a police officer. These can be meetings with returnees or individuals who have become radicalised.
