The Speed-dating last Friday brought Swedish and international students together to express their disagreement towards the current law that forces non-EU students to leave Sweden right after graduation.
A big, pink love cake, red candles and thoughts from philosophers and writers created the ideal atmosphere for the Friday-evening event at the Social Sciences Student Union, one day after Valentine’s.
“It’s very hypocritical to take foreign students and kick them out immediately after graduating. I think it’s very inhuman and not according to the standards of Sweden and Nordic countries when they say they are so tolerant”, says Ella Alin, a Sociology student from Finland.
Under the current law, if a non-EU student does not have a job by the time of graduation, one of the few ways to be granted permission to stay in Sweden is by being in a relationship and cohabiting with a Swedish person. As an attempt to bring this issue to discussion and promote a change in the law, the Social Sciences Student Union and the Teknologkåren, the union from the LTH, decided to organise a speed dating on Friday, where both Swedish and international students met.
“The law is strange considering that the Swedish government has allowed them to come here, so why not make use of that workforce?”, Victor Norgren, a student of Biotechnology from Sweden, raises the question, and Obinna Onuoha, from Nigeria, seems to have an answer: “Personally, I am very grateful that the government gave me a scholarship but I also feel I would like to give something back as well and if they can help me stay and get a job, that would be wonderful, I would love to stay!”, says Obinna Onuoha, who has just finished his degree in Public Health.
There was a petition to ask for a period of six months after graduation for non-EU students to be allowed to stay in Sweden and it was signed by many students who attended the event.
The power of love in the air can certainly circumvent the power of law. But it remains to be seen whether it will influence its development.
1 Comment
Daniel Wahlgren
Unbelievable how poor some folks are getting it together, untasteful.