Terps to Sweden

This summer I read “Djävulssonaten”, a book by the Swedish author Ola Larsmo. The book tells the story of how Swedish university students in Uppsala voted to oppose asylum to a small group of German-Jewish doctors attempting to escape the growing hostility of Hitler’s Reich.
The book was praised for shedding light on a dark chapter of Swedish intolerance, but much to my surprise, the same thing is happening again. This time it’s a group of 24 Afghan interpreters who fear (correctly, I believe) that the Taliban will kill them as soon as their Swedish Army employers leave.
But will the Swedish government let them in? No. Sweden will not make any exception to its regular stick-up-the-butt rules, and the Migration Board says they have to come to Sweden to apply for asylum. Which would leave the Swedish Army deaf and dumb on the ground in Afghanistan. The interpreters can also turn to the UNHCR in Afghanistan and become refugees, suggests Tobias Billström, Sweden’s Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy. Yes, maybe Pakistan can take them, because we – one of the world’s richest countries – couldn’t be inconvenienced.
Why can’t we just show a little heart and let these people in? Why can’t we thank them for their service, celebrate them, let them shake hands with the king or something?
No, instead it’s Djävulssonaten all over again. For some reason, it has to be rigid, stuffy, by-the-book equality for everyone. Only that these Afghans are not Moroccan youths looking for a ticket to a better life. They are at danger because they helped Sweden. Now Sweden is making it pointlessly difficult for us to help them.
Makes me ashamed.