In an effort to house the 160,000 refugees admitted to Sweden this year, the country has turned to Riksgränsen, a ski area far above Sweden's Arctic Circle. Because the ski season at Riksgränsen runs from February to June, the ski area now houses 600 refugees, mainly from Syria and Afghanistan, who will be holed up at the resort as they wait for news of their asylum requests. While the sun never rises in Riksgränsen at this time of year and temperatures are brutally cold, the ski hotels offer shelter, food, and security for people fleeing violence.
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