When Shabab’s work permit was rejected over a minor technicality in 2017, he became the face of what became known as “talent deportation” – the bureaucratic hurdles that make it hard for Sweden to retain international professionals.
In the end, Shabab left of his own accord, finding new opportunities in Berlin.
He’s not the only one. Official statistics by Swedish national number-crunchers Statistics Sweden suggest that more and more foreigners (i.e. people born neither in Germany nor in Sweden) have left Sweden for Germany in recent years.
READ ALSO: Record number of foreigners quit Sweden to move to Germany
It follows a trend of Sweden increasingly imposing tougher immigration rules, despite some moves to make it easier for international talent, and Germany going the other way.
Shabab tells The Local that for him, although both countries are known for fairly heavy bureaucracy, the process of relocating from Sweden to Germany was relatively smooth, partly because Germany has more permit options for skilled workers.
“Obtaining a German visa is quite straightforward, especially if you qualify for a Blue Card, which had less stringent requirements compared to Sweden,” he says.
As a larger country with more domestic and international companies, Germany offers more career opportunities than Sweden, he says – although he stresses that Sweden is competitive in many other ways, for example by providing extensive parental leave and excelling in online services, making administrative tasks more accessible.
“Salaries in Germany are competitive with those in Sweden and, in some cases, even higher, while the cost of living tends to be lower [in Germany],” he says.
“Starting a business is also feasible in both countries; anyone with a work visa can establish a company, and it’s often easier in Germany due to its larger population, which facilitates company expansion,” he adds.
Sweden’s famously flat hierarchy tends to be a draw for many foreigners – although for some it can also be a turn-off, as it sometimes makes the path to promotion less clear. But Shabab says that in the IT sector, the German work culture is similar to Sweden.
“I do, however, miss the tradition of fika from Sweden,” he says, reminiscing about the Swedish habit of pausing work to enjoy a coffee and pastry with your colleagues.
Shabab’s case put the spotlight on Sweden’s migration bureaucracy back in 2017, after his permit was rejected because a previous employer forgot to take out occupational pension insurance for him.
A petition to prevent his deportation was signed by more than 10,000 people and was backed by big names in the tech world, such as Spotify founder Daniel Ek.
The high-profile case, which was also covered by The Local and followed by several similar incidents, eventually resulted in Sweden changing its rules so that work permit holders wouldn’t be punished for minor mistakes committed by their employers.
But despite his personal experience of falling victim to Swedish authorities’ strict application of red tape, Shabab’s view of Swedes in general remains positive.
“Regarding interpersonal interactions, I find Swedes to be generally friendlier,” he says.
“While I prefer not to generalise about Germans as a nation, I have encountered situations where interactions can be more challenging, with some individuals becoming frustrated more easily. In my experience, Swedes tend to be more easygoing and accommodating.”
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