Iido from Somalia has studied SFI for 16 years – can barely make herself understood in Swedish

The demands for migrants to learn Swedish when coming to Sweden have been virtually non-existent. Many struggle for years at SFI without meeting the study requirements. One example is Iido from Somalia. She came to Sweden 16 years ago and has been studying SFI for just as long. Yet today, she can barely make herself understood in her broken Swedish.

39-year-old Iido Karshe from Somalia, now residing in Falkenberg, belongs to what SVT has described as the “competence rain” over Sweden, which former Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (S) in a party leader debate organized by state television assured would “become an asset to society a little further down the line“.

Iido came to Sweden in 2008, which is 16 years ago. For her, what Löfven described as “a little further down the line” is still a long way into the future.

For as long as Iido has been in Sweden, she has been studying SFI – Swedish for immigrants. As a comparison, it’s the time it takes for others to complete elementary school, high school, and study for a couple of years at university.

However, despite 16 years of studying at SFI, Iido has still not passed the courses. This is illustrated by the fact that she can only barely make herself understood in Swedish when SVT comes to interview her – the segment is accompanied by a text banner where they have tried to interpret what Iido is saying into understandable Swedish for the viewers.

Mother, job, and illiteracy cited as reasons

Iido herself does not find it strange that she has struggled with the basic Swedish language course for so long. She claims not to be lazy or lacking in reading ability. Additionally, she had only attended school for half a year in her home country of Somalia and was illiterate when she came to Sweden.

Furthermore, Iido states that it takes time to learn Swedish, especially if, like her, you are a single mother of four and work alongside your studies in Swedish. Iido is employed in elderly care. The requirement for staff at a nursing home to be able to communicate in Swedish with the clients is often compromised. Iido is an example of this.

She is convinced that she would have completed SFI by now if she hadn’t been forced to work instead of receiving benefits.

– You study only SFI, I 100 percent can pass quickly, for example. But I miss a lot of school, she explains.

Believes only those on social welfare can meet the new requirements

SVT wants to highlight the government’s and the Sweden Democrats’ proposal that SFI should be completed within a maximum of three years. Iido finds this to be an unreasonable demand.

– It’s not possible to just study SFI, it’s not. Or someone pays for social welfare, they can study for three years.

At the same time as Iido has studied SFI for 16 years, she says it is important for her to complete the course. When asked why, she responds:

– Because I want to become an early childhood educator.

Swedish is not the only thing Iido struggles to integrate into. After 16 years in the country, she is still a Muslim fundamentalist and, in SVT’s segment, is dressed in black full-body covering with a tightly fitting veil.

One-third of migrants do not pass SFI

Iido is not unique. In a parallel segment, SVT reports that one-third of migrants have not completed a single part of the SFI course after five years of study, let alone completed the entire course. These figures come from the Swedish National Agency for Education.

Reality contrasts with the government’s and Sweden Democrats’ proposal that all migrants should complete SFI with a passing grade within three years. The intention of SVT’s segment is to highlight criticism of the proposal. For this purpose, they have invited Joel Persson, who researches the conditions for SFI among newly arrived immigrants with limited education at Umeå University.

READ ALSO: Half drop out of SFI

On Umeå University’s website, it is stated that Persson is a “PhD student in social work researching migration, integration, and educational science. Examining the conditions for language studies (SFI) among newly arrived immigrants with limited education and their ability to meet society’s expectations for integration and establishment“. He, like state TV, is critical of imposing requirements for migrants to learn Swedish within a time frame equivalent to a full high school education.

– It will affect those who have not previously attended school. It happens at the expense of those with the worst conditions, he says.

Temporary residence permits create “anxiety”

Persson believes that a large part of the explanation for so many never completing SFI is due to so-called socio-economic factors. Furthermore, he believes that the system of temporary residence permits instead of permanent ones creates “anxiety” and makes it difficult for migrants to concentrate on their Swedish studies.

SVT’s reporter Aina Olsson echoes a similar sentiment in a filmed segment, where she speaks to the camera while catwalk-walking through corridors and classrooms that are usually used for SFI studies but have been emptied of students for SVT’s visit.

No opposing voices in SVT’s segment

Neither of the two segments includes any commentary from the government or Sweden Democrats to explain why they believe it is reasonable to impose higher demands on migrants to learn Swedish, something that there is widespread agreement is one of the most important keys to integration in Swedish society.

It has been argued from that side that the lack of study motivation can be a significant factor when there are no requirements on how long one can study SFI without making progress, and when there are also no incentives – carrot and stick – in the form of a clear link between residence permits and passing or failing.

Anyone who believes that a segment on public service media lacks impartiality can report it to the Swedish Broadcasting Commission. The e-service for this purpose can be found HERE.