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"Sister nations divided over immigrants,” headlines Jyllands-Posten, with its front page showing Pippi Longstocking holding out her hand to a swarthy foreigner as “Mother Denmark" looks on in horror. This caricature serves to sum up the contrast between Danish and Swedish attitudes towards immigrants. According to a poll of both populations – the first such joint survey – 65% of the Swedes take a positive view of immigration over the past few decades, as against only half the Danes. Conversely, only 20% of the Swedish regard immigration (which is of far greater proportions in Sweden than in Denmark) as a “negative phenomenon”, versus twice as many Danes. Finally, 47% of Swedes don’t see Islam as a problem; only 20% of Danes agree. The difference in attitude is due to the fact that "the Swedish believe everyone has the same value” and “they refuse to talk about ‘minority issues’”, concludes the Danish daily.
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