Sweden takes notice of French report on Muslim Brotherhood infiltration
A French Interior Ministry report on the Muslim Brotherhood organization's influence in the country has continued to make waves – this time, however, in Sweden, where its publication attracted particular attention. The report repeatedly mentioned the Scandinavian country, and this was widely covered by local media outlets. Sweden's right-wing government and its far-right allies immediately seized on it and accused the Swedish Social Democratic Party (SAP) of having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Published on May 21, the report, entitled "Muslim Brotherhood and Political Islamism in France," names Sweden – alongside the United Kingdom, Germany, and Austria – as a country where "the need for an assessment of the [Muslim] Brotherhood movement is being felt." According to its authors, "evidence gathered attests to [the organization's] active presence" in Sweden, as well as in the Netherlands and Denmark.
The report asserts that the Swedish branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, "though small in size, is characterized by its influence over the movement's European structures." This influence, the report states, "is explained by the supply of funding from Qatar, the great tolerance of Sweden's multiculturalist policies, and the good relations between the movement and local political parties, particularly the Swedish Social Democratic Party."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
More than 1,100 migrants crossed Channel on Saturday: UK govt data
It brings the overall number of migrant crossings this year to 14,808, an unprecedented figure despite several measures in place by the French and UK governments to curb the crossings. French coastal authorities said they also rescued nearly 200 migrants between late Friday and late Saturday. The latest crossings, which UK Defence Secretary John Healey described as "shocking", fall short of the all-time record of 1,300 migrants arriving on small boats in a day in September 2022. But they will still prove a headache for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has been at pains to toughen his rhetoric on irregular immigration amid pressure from the far right to slash migrant numbers. "We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security," the Home Office said in a statement on the latest arrivals. Starmer unveiled tough new immigration policies this month that include doubling the length of time before migrants can qualify for settlement in the country and new powers to deport foreign criminals. The raft of measures was widely seen as an attempt to win back support from voters and fend off threats from the increasingly popular hard-right Reform party. Separate legislation to tackle irregular immigration, called the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, is currently going through parliament. But Saturday's crossings will be a fresh blow. The overall figure of 14,808 crossings is the highest for the first five months of the year since records began in 2018, when the route into the UK first became popular. It also surpassed the record for the number of crossings in the first six months of the year -- which stood at around 12,900 in the first six months of 2024. 'Shocking' On Saturday, a total 184 people were picked up in four different rescue operations on the French coast, the maritime prefecture for France's Channel and northern region said in a statement. In one instance, the motor died on a boat carrying 61 people. In another, nine people on a boat called for assistance. According to an AFP tally of official figures, 15 people have died so far this year trying to cross the Channel, one of the busiest areas in the world for shipping. "Pretty shocking, those scenes yesterday," Healey told Sky News in an interview Sunday. "We saw the smugglers launching elsewhere and coming around like a taxi to pick them up," he said, adding that "Britain's lost control of its borders". France this year agreed to allow its police patrols to intercept migrants in shallow waters, but they cannot stop a boat once it is on its way. "We've got the agreement (with the French) that they will change the way they work," Healey said. "Our concentration now is to push them to get that into operation." Healey also told the BBC: "What we now need is to work more closely with the French to persuade them to put that into operation so they can intervene in the water, in the shallow waters, which they don't at the moment." burs-aks/giv © 2025 AFP
LeMonde
3 hours ago
- LeMonde
Over 1,100 migrants crossed English Channel on Saturday, a record since beginning of 2025
Some 1,194 migrants arrived in the United Kingdom after crossing the Channel in small boats on Saturday, May 31, a record for this year according to Agence France-Presse (AFP), using government data. It brings the overall number of migrant crossings this year to 14,808, an unprecedented figure despite several measures in place by the French and UK governments to curb the crossings. French coastal authorities said they also rescued nearly 200 migrants between late Friday and late Saturday. The latest crossings, which UK Defence Secretary John Healey described as "shocking," fall short of the all-time record of 1,300 migrants arriving on small boats in a day in September 2022. But they will still prove a headache for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has been at pains to toughen his rhetoric on irregular immigration amid pressure from the far right to slash migrant numbers. After a drop in 2023 from record levels in 2022 under a Conservative government, irregular crossings rebounded sharply last year, with 36,800 arrivals. This year, the number of people making perilous journeys crossed 10,000 in April, the earliest the milestone has been reached since records began in 2018 when the route into the UK first became popular. Starmer unveiled tough new immigration policies this month that include doubling the length of time before migrants can qualify for settlement in the country and new powers to deport foreign criminals. The raft of measures was widely seen as an attempt to win back support from voters and fend off threats from the increasingly popular hard-right Reform party. France has also agreed to allow its police patrols to intercept migrants in shallow waters, but they cannot stop a boat once it is on its way. "We've got the agreement [with the French] that they will change the way they work," Healey told Sky News on Sunday. "Our concentration now is to push them to get that into operation." Healey told the BBC: "What we now need is to work more closely with the French to persuade them to put that into operation so they can intervene in the water, in the shallow waters, which they don't at the moment." According to an AFP tally of official figures, 15 people have died so far this year trying to cross the Channel, one of the busiest areas in the world for shipping.
Euronews
7 hours ago
- Euronews
Voting begins in decisive presidential runoff in Poland
Voting has begun in Poland to elect a new president. The contest pits Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, a liberal pro-EU figure, against Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian backed by the right-wing Law and Justice party. With conservative President Andrzej Duda completing his second and final term, the new president will be a significant factor in whether Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist government can fulfil its centrist agenda, given the presidential power to veto laws. Voting began at 7 am local time and will end at 9 pm, when an Ipsos exit poll is expected. Final results are likely to be announced Monday. The runoff follows a tightly contested first round on 18 May, in which Trzaskowski won just over 31% and Nawrocki nearly 30%, eliminating 11 other candidates. The campaign has highlighted stark ideological divides. Trzaskowski, 53, has promised to restore judicial independence, ease abortion restrictions, and promote constructive ties with European partners. Nawrocki, 42, has positioned himself as a defender of traditional Polish values, sceptical of the EU, and aligned with US conservatives, including President Donald Trump. Nawrocki's candidacy has been clouded by allegations of past connections to criminal figures and participation in a violent street battle. He denies the criminal links but acknowledges having taken part in 'noble' fights. The revelations have not appeared to dent his support among right-wing voters, many of whom see the allegations as politically motivated. Amid rising security fears over Russia's war in neighbouring Ukraine, both candidates support aid to Kyiv, though Nawrocki opposes NATO membership for Ukraine, while Trzaskowski supports it in the future. Nawrocki's campaign has echoed themes popular on the American right, including an emphasis on traditional values. His supporters feel that Trzaskowski, with his pro-EU views, would hand over control of key Polish affairs to larger European powers like France and Germany.
