Sweden News regarding Asylum Seekers and Old Bank Notes

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Asylum Seekers Leaving Sweden in Record Number

The Local se (Sweden's news website in English) has reported that a record amount of people seeking asylum have left Sweden this year. Approximately 10,665 people between January to August 2016, according to the Swedish migration authority. This was published in the Sydsvenskan here.

Why are so many asylum seekers leaving Sweden?

A new law starting June 1 created the following issues for asylum seekers:

1. The introduction of photo ID border checks
2. Temporary residence seeker permits issued

Answer: The new law has made it challenging for asylum seekers to stay in Sweden.

However, Techfugees, a nonprofit that is a tech community created in response to refugees, has helped refugees. Read about that here.

Skilled IT people coming to Sweden as refugees were looking for work, and tech companies have embraced the influx of professionals through Sync Accelerator - founded by Johan Engstrom of Stockholm.

Sweden Paying Asylum Seekers to Leave Country?

Townhall.com reports in this article that Sweden is paying migrants to leave the country, stating that "potential migrants are leaving Sweden...and offered monetary payouts to people who voluntarily returned to their home countries."

Millions of Swedish notes in Circulation Must be Turned in by end of August 2016

Ending in June 2016, Swedish 20's, 50's, and 100's were no longer recognized as currency in Sweden. Banks will allow them to be deposited into their bank accounts. After Aug. 31, only the central bank of Sweden in Riksbank will allow them to be exchanged, but will also be charged a fee. 41 million in bank notes of approximately 1.3 billion kronor are estimated to still be in circulation, which is about $155M in US currency.