National Minorities
Minority policy includes issues related to the protection of, and support for the national minorities and their long-established minority languages, and aims at strengthening the national minorities and providing the support needed to keep their languages alive. The languages and cultures of the national minorities are part of our common Swedish cultural heritage. Strengthening the protection of the national minorities is one aspect of Sweden's work on safeguarding human rights.
Photo: Ann Eriksson/NordicPhotos
Minority policy objectives
Minority policy has three main objectives:
- to protect the national minorities,
- to strengthen the national minorities' power to influence, and
- to support the long-established minority-languages with a view to keeping them alive.
Sweden's national minorities
The five recognised national minorities in Sweden are Jews, Roma, Sami (also an indigenous people), Swedish Finns and Tornedalers. The long-established minority languages are Yiddish, Romany Chib (all varieties), Sami (all varieties), Finnish and Meänkieli (Tornedal Finnish).
Swedish minority policy covers all five of Sweden's national minorities. Common to these minority groups is that they have lived in Sweden for a long period and that they are groups with a distinct affinity. They also have their own religious, language or cultural affiliation and a will to retain their identity.
