AFP reports that Sweden seeks to relocate some of the asylum seekers within its borders to other EU countries, as relocation plans begin to take effect.
"Sweden has taken a disproportionately large responsibility in comparison with other countries in the EU, and now we are extremely strained," Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said in a written statement.
"It is time that other countries take responsibility and that is why the government requires redistribution of refugees from Sweden."
Sweden is recieving up to 10,000 asylum seekers per week, with an expected 190,000 total in 2015. Sweden has a population of 9.8 million, giving the country the highest proportion of refugees per capita in the EU. The Swedish infrastructure is struggling to maintain their level of support, and is resorting to using short-term tents to house new asylum seekers, the Swedish Migration Agency stated.
The latest EU plan proposes that nearly 160,000 asylum seekers will be distributed among EU countries, once they are registered at arrival stations in Italy and Greece.
Sweden hopes to implement this plan, but does not have a set quota of asylum seekers that the country wishes to relocate.
The relocation plan started on Wednesday, with 30 Syrian and Iraqi asylum seekers successfully relocated from Greece to Luxembourg. Dozens more are expected to leave Greece in the upcoming days.
