Swedish PM says country clears refugee "crisis"

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on Tuesday said his country had moved past a "crisis" of refugee admissions and stressed the importance of integrating new arrivals, local media reported.

Fewer than 4,000 people sought asylum in Sweden last week, around half the peak levels noted in October, according to figures from the country's migration agency cited by daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

"The idea is that we will move from a crisis situation and into an establishment phase. Those who are granted a residence permit -- and that will not be everybody -- should have the best possible opportunity to start a new life," Lofven told the newspaper.

In late November, Lofven's center-left government proposed measures to stem migration to Sweden which included more frequent identity checks and temporary residence permits for all new arrivals apart from refugees allotted through a United Nations quota.

The Social Democrats' leader on Tuesday stressed that migrants who are successfully integrated into Swedish society may reap the benefits of a bright economic outlook.

"We have growing employment, the fourth highest GDP rise in the European Union and a rate of investment that is also fourth in the EU. All of this is a good base," Lofven said.

The Swedish welfare model offers immigrants "good preconditions" to make a life for themselves, the prime minister said. Endit