HOW TO RELOCATE TO SCANDINAVIA. a thread.

Coz I get this question every week in DMs. If there is anything I work hard at, it is ignoring DMs Though I really wld like to be helpful.

1. Studies

1. Studies
It's easily the easiest way if you can afford it. I moved to Sweden for a bachelors at Stockholm Uni. There are many unis you can study at in Scandinavia.

If u move for yr bachelors, you must learn their local language. While Masters r in english, bachelors r in local

To study in scandinavia, you apply to the uni from where you're at. You prove you can pay for your way for a yr. Let yr uncle help you as I did.

If you succeed, b intentional. Learn the local language! Learning Swedish opened the doors for me. Graduate! So they will employ u

When u study in Scandinavia, you get a student visa. If u learn their language, you are an investment, an asset. Scandinavia needs educated labour. Experts

It is rare to study here n leave. Usually you get a job n papers as soon as you have yr bachelors. Or, u can study n leave

You can study in Scandinavia n leave with your degree to other European countries. A Swedish degree is highly respected in EU n US. A Kenyan/Nigerian/etc...not so much.

Some pipo study their bachelors in Scandinavia n move to US or UK cos English.

If you want to relocate to Scandinavia via studies, I cannot emphasize language enuff. You will get around in english. You will even get a job. But you will never grow or earn to your potential in english.

Tomorrow, I will do "relocate via marriage."

2. Relocating to Scandinavia by marriage

The 1st thing is how do you meet the Scandunavian bride or groom, (one that is willing to relocate you) right? Well am not sure online dating? Tourists hang outs in yr city? Twitter? Thru a friend?

Basically you have to meet a human

To relocate to Sweden, you don't even have to marry. You can move as partners (sambos), boyfriend/boyfriend n all other combinations in love, fiance, co-parents to a child etc

You then receive a temporary stay and have to work at getting your citizenship.

I have friends who brought their siblings for a visit (family visit visa), found them a love. They went back home, n the love invited them back to Scandinavia. Hv also heard of people who bought papers by living with someone, paying them for "partnership" until they got papers.

Once you are in Scandinavia with your love, you get registered to language courses. Then you work yrself into papers from there. Note: you can be denied citizenship if you breakup with said "love of yr life" within 1st 3yrs.

So find a love u can live with for over 3yrs.

Warning: in Scandinavia, winter comes with a vengeance. No shallow love survives the winter depressions, low energy, n lack of vitamin D glow. It almost explains why single households are the thing.

Most people here would rather live alone, than live with an energy drainer.

If u plan to move to Scandinavia by marriage/relationship, learn what gender equality really means. Not that "both pay the bills" hogwash you feed yr boys n girls. In Sweden, equality extends to consistent actions, values n beliefs.

talk the talk, walk the walk, act equal. Daily

Without equality mentality, yr marriage/relationship won't last 3yrs in Scandinavia. This equality goes both ways too, men expect equal contribution to their life.

Well, what more can be said? Go find that equal love n let us know how it goes!

Tomorrow, we do refugee status

3. Refugee relocation to Scandinavia

This one is the most interesting AND heartbreaking of relocations. It is a complex journey of waiting that breaks some people down completely.

In Europe, you apply for refugee status at the 1st country you enter.

There are many reasons to seek asylum in Scandinavia. Mostly, leaving a warzone trumps all others.

For Sweden (Scandinavia) click on link:
https://www.migrationsverket.se/English/Private-individuals/Protection-and-asylum-in-Sweden/Applying-for-asylum/Asylum-regulations.html

If you leave your country, pay someone to transport you via boat from Tunisia/Morocco/Algeria etc you end up in Southern Europe. Italy, Spain, Greece etc

That is where you are required to apply for asylum. And you are required to stay there n wait for your verdict.

Because these southern EU countries are so congested with African refugees, there is very low chance that you get asylum here. You can wait 7yrs, no work, no studies, no nothing and still not get asylum.

Some "marry" an EU citizen as they wait. It helps sometimes

Some who arrive to southern EU take the next bus/train/smuggle truck out to the country they want to live in. If they have the fare needed. These do not apply for asylum in the country of arrival.

If you don't have the fare, you hide and find work to make fare.

This is the tough part of paperless-asylum seeking. Xposed n vulnerable. To find work while illegal is almost impossible. Traffickers of all sorts r waiting to sell you for whatever. Some employers will take you on, make you work and not pay you a cent.

Where to report them?

A paperless-asylum seeker, cannot go to the police or to the hospital. Exploiters know this. If you "marry" or live with someone for the papers, they know you need them more than they need you. Is there love n respect?

You become a slave whichever way you bend it.

How do arrive in Scandinavia as a refugee from Africa?

There are no neighbourhood borders or waters between Africa and Scandinavia.

You apply for asylum from Africa. And wait n struggle there.

Or you smuggle yrself to southern EU n struggle from there.

I heard a story of a Kenyan man who arrived in Sweden after roaming from Italy to Sweden. It took him 8 months to arrive to Sweden. In Sweden he applied for asylum on grounds of persecution at home.

But Kenya doesn't "persecute" homosexuals n Sweden knows this

Uganda persecutes homosexuals and Sweden knows this. So dude became Ugandan when he arrived to Sweden. So he had to throw his Kenyan passport away. This ensures you cannot be deported, coz if you don't have a passport you don't have a country.

Refugee authorities filed his case

And he waited. Denial after denial. Re-application after re-application. No work. No wife he has said he is homosexual. No male partner coz he is really not homosexual Life stagnated in a foreign country and nobody gives a shit.

He broke down completely.

I don't want to discourage you. If you have good reason to seek asylum, do it! It may take years to process and to get approval. While you wait, you are non-existent. You are stagnant.

If you come from war-zones, you may get asylum quick. Then you get refugee status

If you have good reason to apply for asylum in Scandinavia, apply from an African country. Wait there.

It will be worth it if you get approved. If not, you are safer and can keep some of your dignity in Africa. In EU, without papers, you do not exist at all.

If you get refugee status and papers in Scandinavia, you get state-support (financial) language classes, an education n a work permit. You don't get citizenship at 1st. You just get a refugee passport...waiting for your country to find peace.

With time, you may bcome a citizen.

If you don't have a good reason to seek asylum in Scandinavia, check out 1 and 2 above.

Love or studies Did I miss or misrepresent something? pls feel free to correct me

Tomorrow, we do relocating to Scandinavia for or with work.

4. Relocate to Scandinavia to work
You know how some countries are good at 'harvesting' African professionals? Canada for example?

Scandinavia is not good at it. Periodt.
The reasons being:
1. language and
2. educational value

You do your 7yrs at uni to become a doctor. you move to Scandinavia n there's almost no way you can start practising at a hospital during the 1st yr.

Your African education will be evaluated against the Scandinavian education. It will come short. No doubt.

You will then be required to:
1. Go back to uni and 'complete' your education
2. Learn the local language

Because you will be serving local patients, and people really can't be bothered to speak a foreign language when they are sick in their own country.

Think of yr own mom.

Of you are moving for love and have an education from home, be ready to work on completing those papers and learning the language for up to 5 yrs.

During which time you will be doing odd jobs for low pay. Which is not sooo bad if you are patient and positive.

The other option is for a company that already employs you, to relocate you to scandinavia. I have met IT professionals who moved here for IBM, Tata etc

When you relocate in this way, your employer applies for your visa and its future extensions.

If you move to Scandinavia with an international employer, you do not automatically become a citizen. You have a work permit.

You can change this by changing employer once you are here, falling in love and starting a family. It is not easy bt I hv seen it done.

3rdly a Swedish company may be looking for rare competences and you may be one of those with rare competences. Of you get lucky on this, the company will process your relocation and yr housing once you get here.

You still only get a work visa to start with.

Conclusion:
There is no easy way to move to Scandinavia. Love relocation is very common. Asylum is also common but obviously most refugees do not end up in Scandinavia. Work is a drop in the ocean and illegal refugees are even fewer compared to other countries.

If you find yourself in Scandinavia, congratulations! You are in 1 of the most beautiful corners of the earth.

Don't look for the bars! Put yr head down n invest time into learning the language, completing yr education n finding work. Build a family!

Winter comes every year