Organized crime, which primarily seeks financial gain through drug trafficking, has become an increasing problem in the Nordic countries. It no longer respects national borders but instead spreads from one country to another. For these reasons, during the Nordic Council meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland announced that they would strengthen their cooperation to combat organized crime.
According to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, "In Norway, we can see parts of these networks coming from Sweden in all of our police districts. We must fight them together. When crime begins to cross borders, the police, government, and judicial systems must also engage in cross-border cooperation."
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also highlighted the organized crime coming across the border from Sweden, stating, "We cannot accept this. We are working closely with Sweden to address this issue."
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo likewise described gang crime and cross-border crime as a serious problem. He cited the cooperation between Finnish and Swedish police in the northern Baltic region as a good example of cross-border collaboration.
The roots of Nordic gang crime are in Sweden—likely because Sweden has practiced an even more generous immigration policy than the other Nordic countries. Only time will tell, however, whether the Nordic countries will succeed in reversing this trend or whether they will gradually transform into more closed societies in which people's basic security is slowly eroded.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Finland’s Minister of Finance Believes Not All Cultures Are Equally Good
Immigration-Specific Violent Crime Increases as Humanitarian Immigration Continues
Sweden's Gang Crime Recruits Children – Is It Time for the EU to Reevaluate Asylum Policies?
