"Asnawi, Never Becomes Indonesian Citizen Anymore"


WHEN many Acehnese in overseas who are interested to be Indonesians, Achehnese in Sweden named Asnawi Ali just his own the opposite. He chose not to return to Indonesia anymore. The men who was born in Acheh are proficient in English, Swedish, Norwegian, and Malay speaking, asserts that although given an Indonesia free passport, he will not want to become these citizens. He was even more interested becomes a Malaysian citizen.


"No, I would never become an Indonesia anytime, except Malaysia. If I were a Malaysia citizen, next week would come back . If an Indonesian citizen, although given the money, I should never accept it at all. His opinion that, when he heard about Indonesia would becomes a traumatic life. Conversely, he would be ashamed as an Indonesia people. I never become an Indonesian citizen anymore, even if given a free passport, "said the man who is working as Fastighetsskötare or people who works at the commercial building properties.


Once again he emphasized that about his hurt feeling and  traumatic life was also not due to have been living in developed countries with the economic establishment as his own reason that he never wants back to his original land. "General presumption about someone who wants to be living in Europe that he/she would be a prosperous life, it could never be done . I say honestly that actually we are Asians here, sometimes get racist treatment. It is also difficult to compete with the Europeans themselves. So, if you say that Europe countries are not a really a prosperous place, because I've got here and have seen in myself. "


However, he said that it would not be a valid case forever. For the second generation, third and the next on, it can be able to adapted within the bright future life, because he/she was born and grow up in the new state. He explained that Achhehnese people first time came to Sweden in 1981 as a recipient of asylum. Recipient of asylum itself mostly exists in the Scandinavian countries including Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.


Especially Sweden, a haven of political asylum seekers. The Acheh War makes many of its citizens to leave and chose the Scandinavian country as a refugee place. Asnawi himself had once time ever come to Acheh after the tsunami. It was still martial law, about mid-April 1 to 30, 2005. He returned clandestinely. At that time he was in Norway (March 2003 - August 2005). He moved to Sweden since August 2005. It's has 5 years already in northern European country. Previously, Asnawi fled to Malaysia in 2001 to 2003. Nowadays, in Sweden he have never been to Acheh  anymore. Although it's peacetime day, Asnawi still do not believe to go home. Then while he went back to home, he could see the possibilities way.


Then, when he as the first generation was still 'hurt' by his country of origin, how he talked about the ancestral land? Typically, Asnawi said that his parents explained that Aceh is located in northern Sumatra and is situated next to Indonesia.


"For example, a father told his son that his father was born in Acheh and then being chased, that’s why he escaped to this Sweden country. That's when the father asked by his child that where is his father originally village from. In spite of this, when asked that where the grandmother and grandfather who had never met, "he explained. Asnawi said that they do not know anything about Indonesia. They are more familiar with Malaysia. In fact, almost every year come the holidays to Malaysia. So no wonder about the Achehnese peoples in foreign countries have more emotional attachment with our countryside. [Dwi]

*****

It’s Really Hard to Get A Sweden Citizen


As immigrants who feel unfamiliar in this new country like Sweden, one way to integrate is to be a Sweden citizen but it’s not easy going. It can be ascertained that if the immigrant who comes from outside the European region that pitted his fate here either through family ties, the adoption of children, immigrants patterned economic recovery or receiving political asylum, it is always longed definitely for that status. For the latter class of these immigrants, the first obvious reason is the need to guarantee security and freedom are concerned, if still active control of politics in exile country. It is much to know if the recipient of asylum in Sweden can not be extradited or taken any legal action, although also to interfere in domestic political affairs of another country, except involved with international terrorism network.


There is an another condition where someone were receiving an asylum, although not  becomes a citizen yet but who are entitled to receive a passport and if in Sweden called "resedokument". With this passport can travel to anywhere place in this hemisphere except homeland and original country was listed on the first page of the passport. The status is still attached, although pocketed a permanent resident already and will disappear by itself to obtain the most recent status of a Swedish citizen.


In general, someone who wants to become a Swedish citizen should be required to stay in Sweden for 5-6 years continuously with a residence license and working permanence license in Sweden. Then if someone wants to obtain the citizen state is really difficult, because it requires about 6 months to determine a person if the application form endorsed as citizens or be postponed until all conditions have been required. Until now, the writer himself has not received such status and only wife and child who has obtained a positive answer from the Swedish immigration. If he wants to get it also requires a fairly expensive cost, once had to beg to pocket 1,500 Kronor (about Rupiah 2 million) as the official cost of maintenance. However, Benefits are derived equivalent facilities such as the Swedish citizens can live and work in 27 European countries. This allows for Sweden including from one EU member state. In addition, if you want to go out into all European countries without requiring a visa and arrived at the airport even if only to check whether someone has a genuine identity card or passport made a member of the European Union.


As usual the other European countries, Sweden began to tighten immigrants become citizens as immigrants flocked to the northern European country. Actually the facts show that in Sweden itself needs to support the population outside for Industry sector workers, especially for jobs that do not appeal to citizens of Sweden. Similar experience is never experienced before while wandering writer in Malaysia (2001 - 2003) which Malaysia country were really need The Indonesian Workers named TKI  to build his own country.


The presence of immigrants in Sweden as well as mutualism symbiotic that is equally beneficial. Over time, due to the abundance of immigrants then began to apply stricter rules. When the general election in the autumn, some ruling party in Sweden started to give signals of new wisdom, which is a necessary condition for citizenship must master the language of Sweden is the Swedish standard sizes such as the ability to read, hear, written, and spoken the Swedish language and their knowledge of governmental functions Swedish empire.


The author's experience during the integration in Sweden is really appears if immigrants from Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kurds, and Iran is the largest number of immigrants in Sweden. According to Swedish statistics bureau data, immigrants who were arriving to Sweden each year never goes down even showed significant improvement and thus it has been going on since the end of the second world war in which modern industrial revolution in Sweden began to grow up. In fact this is not surprising that according to the statistics bureau was launched in 2005 and it was reported that the population of Sweden whose parents background foreigners reached 16%. Sweden can not be built without immigrant services and the key is integration and EU economic climate is stable.

How to Be A Sweden Citizen
A few weeks ago I wanted to manage the Sweden citizenship application because one of the conditions to be sufficient to request for them, which is already living in Sweden for 5 consecutive years. If a direct visit or via telephone to almost all public service offices in Sweden, a guest at the first time will contact the front desk or a phone operator and will be invited to meet with a Handläggare who handles correspondence affairs bureaucracy in the affairs of an application as a personal contact. That is according to my knowledge when managed something o via telephone to public services such as the tax office, social insurance offices, employment offices, municipal offices, traffic offices of road transport, and the central immigration office. (Migrationsverket)


Boring experience is with that last office. Spontaneously without accidentally were spoken oath in Achehnese while the other person is a Swedish people. Instead of impatiently, but authorities at the Immigration office as apathetic. Sometimes the author surprised by a supposedly were an advanced country, but the management of public services to the people while calling less attention to the immigration office. For example, someone who wants to call may have to wait to queue up to 15-20 minutes just like to see an official VIP.


Sometime is not to mention earlier on the phone was talking to a machine like as the robot recording sound that should to follow an alternative menu press 1, press 2, press 3, press 4, press star, press fences, etc.. Which becomes boring way because after waiting for nearly a quarter of an hour and then your telephone out in vain, even telephone operator told back in touch with them at a later time. The operator ignored it even though the author is pleading to be allowed to speak briefly with one of Handläggare. When asked why such an answer, then heard, "Just nu är det många som ringer och alla linjer är upptagna vi ber därför åter ringer senare" (It is many people who wants to call and all telephone lines are busy therefore it should call another time)


Do not give up until there, as alternative way that the authors request an email or phone number direct extension of immigration officers who wish to be contacted, but it still does not give the operator. It is commonly as a general knowledge among the Swedish immigrants that if you want to deal with them impressed "play hard". Maybe they know that the immigration office like a beautiful girl who were seeks by immigrants to obtain a visa extension of stay in one European country which is as a prosperous country.


Concerning the difficulty had phoned the immigration office I suspect that is due to a lack of workers who handles immigration matters or the lack of picket time at the reception place. This assumption is based on the fact that when the phone is opened to the public at 09.00 am and at exactly that moment I called them. Considerations about calling early to avoid queues on the phone like a jammed highway, but unfortunately it still can not do even call to the immigration office at all. Not a day or two, but almost every day trying to contact the author at the time just beginning to open the telephone service. The results also remain the same. It turns out again, not just writers who experienced this. A similar incident experienced by other immigrant who deal with the immigration office.


Finally the authors realized that the bad experiences are not only in Indonesia country, where the author grew up. Sweden still has this bad culture way. The difference that Sweden's immigration is very difficult if want to say it is really impossible bribed. Money can not be a means to expedite matters in this Scandinavian country. This is quite different from Indonesia who allegedly convoluted bureaucracy, but can be 'arranged' to expedite matters.


In Jakarta, the big companies could able not to pay taxes for many years within to the value of trillions of rupiah to the government. They just put up billions of dollars, such as for Gayus, regular employees Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia that extraordinary wealth and the case is now being dealt with law enforcement officials there. While Sweden, according to international anti-corruption agency, is one of the country that the bureaucracy is relatively clean.  [Asnawi Ali]

KONTRAS Tabloid, edition:548 | 1-17 July 2010