Sweden’s humanitarian posture towards refugees plays an important role in the self-image of the nation.

During World War II, the country’s “white buses” saved 25,000 people from concentration camps. They have survived in the popular consciousness, inspiring the demand for “white boats” between Syria and Sweden.

During the Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland 70,000 Finnish children were sent to Sweden, a stark contrast to Finland’s current unwillingness to let refugees pass into Finland through the Swedish border. Around 100,000 refugees entered Sweden in a short time during the war in Yugoslavia, in what is often held up as a model for today’s challenge.