By Deniz Serinci

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – The plight of Yezidi refugees is high on the agenda of Kurdish candidates in Sweden’s parliamentary and regional elections on Sunday.


“First, we must support the KRG in handling the big refugee crisis,” said Ronja Ismail, a People’s Party candidate.

Ismail who hails from the city of Duhok in the Kurdistan Region, said that Sweden should open its doors to Yezidi refugees.


“We should realize that these people cannot return to Shingal,” Ismail told Rudaw. “So let's open our doors to them.”


28 Kurds are running in the national Swedish parliamentary elections, known as the Riksdag, as well as all in 21 local councils and 290 municipalities.


Abdollah Abdi, 45, a Social Democrats candidate said that the Swedish government can help restore security to the Yezidi areas to help the refugees return to their homes.


“We must support them with humanitarian help down there and provide security in Shingal so they are able to stay there,” said Abdi. “If Shingal gets empty, it will be taken over by others. Exactly what IS wants.”


The Yezidi town of Shingal was captured by militants of the Islamic State (IS) last month that resulted in the death of hundreds of civilians and the displacement of more than half a million.


Abdi, a native of Urmiyeh in Iranian Kurdistan promised that if elected, he would work for Kurdish human rights across the Middle East.


“Through the UN, we must push for putting the Kurds on the agenda,” he said.

Sweden is home to the second largest number of Kurds in Europe after Germany.


Sweden has pledged to contribute 50 million kronor ($7.3 million) to the humanitarian effort in Kurdistan.


However, Kurdo Baksi, running on the Green Party list said that his country could do more to help 1.5 million refugees that have taken shelter in the Kurdistan Region.


“There are 1.5 million internally displaced people in Iraq,” said Baksi. “We must press on, so they send more money and play a more active role.”


Running on the list of the People’s Party for Solna municipality, Sukri Demir said that his priority would be to build social and economic ties between his city and Duhok.


“Duhok and Solna should become sister cities,” Demir told Rudaw. “Both cities are important for their countries and have many great factories. They share a similar nature and can help each other to develop further.”


Demir said that he would also work to ensure Kurdish language studies for children of Kurdish immigrants.

Rudaw