Deploy armed border guards in Africa

The gang crime that is spreading is a result of too much immigration, according to M-top Tomas Tobé.

Now he wants the EU to deploy guards at Africa’s border to prevent refugee flows.

– It is controversial. But it is the only long-term sustainable path.

The moderate Tomas Tobé has led the work to produce the “migration pact”, the EU Parliament’s new refugee policy. The proposal is now being negotiated in EU institutions and is expected to be completed around the turn of the year.

In the meantime, Tobé is working on new policies in the area of ​​migration. According to him, the most important thing is to keep the border with Africa.

– The majority of those who come are economic migrants, and I think that Europe must close the door there. Today, people smugglers completely control the volume and it is increasing sharply, it is the highest since 2015-206. Some cynically state that the smugglers are trying to squeeze out the last bit before the migration pact is in place, he says.

See you in the Riksdag’s cafe, it’s Friday and empty. News reporting is dominated by new reckless acts of violence in Stockholm, something that is also being talked about in Brussels.

– People talk with surprise about what is happening in Sweden, there is an image of Sweden as a welfare country that is safe. Many naturally ask the question why you got this situation. There are, of course, several answers to that, the biggest one being that for a very long time we have had too much migration, which we combined with deep segregation problems.

Armed guards

Tobé wants the EU to set up asylum centers in Africa so that people seek asylum there instead of in Europe. In order to prevent asylum seekers from crossing the boat route, the M politician also wants the EU’s border police Frontex to monitor areas on the African coast where people smugglers operate.

Do you want to see armed staff there so people don’t get over?

– Yes, Frontex can absolutely be armed. The important thing is that we get cooperation with the countries, it will not come for free. We can offer job opportunities or educational opportunities, and this is where the entire aid policy comes into play.

Tobé believes that the EU should make aid to African countries conditional. Simply put – without asylum centers and border guards, there will be less aid.

– The countries want a positive development for their country and for their population, we can offer investments but we also have to make demands. The aid policy has been united with very few demands. Here we need to make a change, he says.

Strict policy for a long time to come

Wouldn’t border guards and asylum centers effectively make it impossible for people to get to Europe and seek asylum?

– There are a great many people in refugee camps who have no possibility whatsoever to apply for asylum in Europe. It is those who can afford to pay people smugglers who get the opportunity to apply for asylum. This would open up an examination in a third country, more people who do not have financial means would have their asylum examined.

It is far from the politics that Reinfeldt and Löfven pursued – can you see Sweden going back to it?

– With the deep problems we have in Sweden, I think we will see a strict policy for a very long time. Europe will to some extent open up to more labor immigration to meet the needs of the labor market. But I think this policy will last for a long time.

Regrets migration settlement with MP

Should the Moderates have settled with the Sweden Democrats on migration policy under the Alliance government, instead of with the Green Party?

– For Sweden, it would have been wise, and is still wise, if the three major parties had a decent consensus on these issues, that is, S, M and SD. For me, there is no doubt that it was not wise for the Alliance to build the migration policy together with the Green Party. Unfortunately, it then continued with the Social Democrats.

After the interview, the terrorist attack against Swedish football supporters in Brussels takes place. Tomas Tobé writes in a text message that it has been a dark week where Swedes were designated as terror targets simply because they were Swedes.

– It is, of course, terrible. My thoughts are mainly with the victims and their loved ones. I am also grateful for the support shown to Sweden from European colleagues. We need to increase security and terrorists to get out of Europe.