The ski season begins in mid-February in Swedish Lapland, the northern tip of the country. But there is a resort called Riksgränsen not far from the Norwegian border, which is open now and it is crowded.Its strangers, even if they do not enjoy the skiers on the slopes, They have fled the conflict.
To be precise, they are 600 refugees from countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. One hundred of them are children. And they are now adapting to life in the Arctic circle.The the hotel was dark and closed, but more or less clean, 'says CEO Sven Kuldkepp Riksgränsen. 'We had two days to prepare. It went perfectly, but it was hectic.In in October, when there were 10,000 refugees in Sweden every week, officials called Kuldkepp to ask if he would be interested in opening the way for asylum seekers. When the government made the decision, things moved quickly. Kuldkepp signed an agreement in the afternoon one day, and at noon the next, he had nearly 600 guests.The The Board of Directors gives the resort 350 Swedish crowns (less than $ 41) per person per day-far less than the ski stranger would cost. 'We basically did it to do something good, the Swedish Government received nearly 163 000 asylum applications in 2015, more than 75,000 coming in October and November alone. In an attempt to halt refugees to Sweden just last week began imposing border controls travelers.All Riksgränsen refugees decided to apply for asylum in Sweden. But many never expected to live to 16-hour drive north of Stockholm, even temporarily. Currently, as a means of temperature is from -10 ° F (-23 ° C), and there is snow ground.The Riksgränsen area is so far away from the north, the most part, it is completely dark. During the month of january, the sun does not rise above the horizon. It looks like Dawn a few hours a day and the rest of the day is dark. It has been difficult for the Muslim refugees to figure out the right time for their daily prayers, which are typically based on the position of the sun sky.It's like Hotel California, without the sun, says Marwan Arkawi, 22, who arrived in Riksgransen in October the first group. 'I decided to go to Sweden, but I decided not to go here. I was transferred to the northernmost place in the world. 'A typical day for Riksgränsen Arkawi and other refugees, he said, include eating meals at the resort, reading, listening to music, playing or short, and spend a lot of time on social media to connect with friends and family. There are also some organized activities: ski lessons, Swedish and English language courses, billiards, boxing, despite training.But distractions, cold weather, dark days and the cultural differences of asylum seekers may be trying.You can be felt amongst the excitement. They are just depressed, 'says Arkawi. 'Everyone is depressed, including me. We are fully secluded.Arkawi says he hopes to bring his younger brother and sister, and his parents, Stockholm, his hometown Banyias was Syria.My the city was destroyed. Minority Sunnis, the Sunnis were slaughtered, 'he says. 'I do not want to go to compulsory military service to kill people. I want a better future. 'Qasim Ali Radi, 47, also came to seek a better future in Sweden. He left his wife and four of his children in Iraq and spent two weeks on the road and the sea, her 19-year-old son before arriving in Riksgränsen. Radi works as an accountant and was caught aspect of the conflict between sects that put their lives danger.I'm happy, because I am safe here, 'he says. 'Yes, it is dark. But I feel good every time to learn English and Swedish.Radi, such as many of the newer refugees, was a painful experience after paying $ 3,000 for two spots on the 20-foot inflatable boat carrying 50 people from Turkey Greece.The the sea was crazy, the waves were very strong and we had panic hit us until we gave up on the arrival of a boat to safety. Women screamed and children to cry, 'he says. 'The five hours it ended, miraculously, OK. ' Radi hope to bring the rest of his family Sweden.When we crossed the ocean, I felt great joy, but at the same time I cried because I felt like I lost a part of me to be away from my family that I want to live with all my life. Now full of tears, 'he says.the refugees do not know where they end up, but they know the time to Riksgränsen is limited. Resort signed a four-month contract temporarily house refugees and to end on 15 February Vacationers will be back at the beginning of Riksgränsen February 19.We do not know where they go, 'says Kuldkepp. 'But they have solved the problem before and they will do it again.
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