The Quotes are Powered By Forexpros, the Forex, Futures, and Stock Markets Portal.

Viking Line, in crisis meeting on alleged discrimination, why worried - this is Sweden and this is how we roll

Monday, 25 March 2013
The shipping company Viking Line was today showing aspects of seriousness, holding meetings with their coach drivers to discuss the alleged discrimination against people with foreign names and colour. The question is why this show of solidarity? This is Sweden and discrimination is the way of life here.

According to Swedish daily, Dagens Nyheter, travellers were waiting on to board Viking Line buses between Örebro and Stockholm. When the bus arrived, instead of respecting early come early served or queuing frequency, passengers were boarded based on their names and ethnicity. Swedish names boarded first and in a separate vehicle while non-Swedish names were left to wait for a later bus.

The paper reported last Saturday that the bus company Viking Line segregated its passengers that had different appearance and names, something that is not unique in Sweden. On two occasions in December, Viking Line drivers were provided with lists of passengers so as to divide them into different buses. One list contained the names that appeared to be "Swedish" and other names that appeared to be "foreign."

The bus company denies that they made any such divisions based on appearance, ethnicity, or name, according to Peter Hellgren, president of Viking Line.
On two occasions, people who travelled with Viking Line buses from Örebro to Stockholm say that they had been discriminated against in this manner.

According to Dagens Nyhteter, this must have taken place between 21 and 22 December last year. In the case of December 22, Viking Line said that travellers had to go in two different buses for space reasons and that the allocation of seats on the buses was not based on any racial force but just normal allocations of space.

Over the weekend, another allegation was raised by another transport company, Eckerölinjen, buses from the City Terminal in Stockholm to Grisslehamn.

There, passengers say that there had been a breakdown by colour in the boarding process. But according to the bus company that passengers were boarded based on the amount of luggage and not skin colour that decided where bus passengers would go in. But the driver who drove the bus was taken out of service until an internal investigation of the incident was complete.

Back to the Viking Line issue, the paper, Dagens Nyhteter identified one of those who were affected, Hassan Alizadeh and his wife and two sons, 16 and 19 years old and their narration went thus:

When they waited to board the bus from Orebro for further transport to the Viking terminal in Stockholm on 21 December last year they were met by a driver who had a list of names:
"We were three families who were going to Åland and arrived at the bus terminal on Fredsgatan, (the street address), at 12 o'clock. When the first bus arrived, it was a little late and the driver came out to us with a list in hand," said Hassan Alizadeh.

"When he began to read the names, they were just names that sounded Swedish but suddenly a person who did not look like Swedish boarded and then I saw how the driver responded, but because it was the right person, so he was released on board," he said.

When the list was out, the driver drove off and Hassan Alizadeh and others had to wait another 25 minutes before the next bus came. Also the driver had a list.
"I asked him why they had divided us in that way, but was told that they did not do so. Then he checked the list and confirmed that it was only foreign name on it."

People know Sweden as a very nice, successful country, a democracy, impressive welfare system with the best quality of life. It is true that Sweden is a wonderful country, a place one would love to live in but the problems of racism and discrimination is so strong here and has been like this for a very long time. Instead of improving, it is getting worse such that the government tends to suppress such issues for the sake of the country's international image.

Education, housing, career and job market opportunities, Entrepreneurship, and opportunities to start a business such as access to funding, travel are some of areas in Sweden where even how talented an immigrant is, he or she will hardly break through. What most none white looking Swedes do is either to start a low-grade company such as cleaning, landscaping etc., irrespective to their skills, education and training. Even if Sweden needs, skill that they have their skin colour exams will always fail them. So it is surprising to see how these companies are running up and down trying to make as if they care about discrimination. It is a way of life here - so just admit it and lets move on.
By Scamcomark.com Team

We welcome your contribution. Did you find anything wrong with this article? Do you want to contribute to our news network? Do have a news tip or assist us with a correction