Anders Lago
A Swedish mayor who turned his industrial city into a global model for refugee integration, challenging larger nations to do more.
Born 1956 (age 70)·Swedish politician·Birthday: October 31·Baby Boomers
Biography
Anders Lago, a Social Democrat, served as mayor of Södertälje from 1998 to 2010, a period that fundamentally reshaped his city. Located south of Stockholm, Södertälje became an unexpected haven, first for Assyrian and Syriac Christian refugees from the Middle East, and later for Iraqis fleeing the war. Under Lago's pragmatic leadership, the city embraced this role, developing integration programs that focused on housing, language education, and job placement. His moment on the international stage came in 2008 when he testified before the U.S. Helsinki Commission, starkly pointing out that his small city of 80,000 had taken in more Iraqi refugees than the United States and Canada combined. This testimony was not a complaint but a point of pride and a powerful critique of international asylum policies. Lago's Södertälje demonstrated that successful integration was possible with political will, making him a vocal advocate for humanitarian responsibility on the global scene.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Anders was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anders Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Anders's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Mayor of Södertälje for twelve years, during which the city became known for its large-scale refugee reception.
- Delivered impactful testimony to the U.S. Helsinki Commission in 2008, highlighting disproportionate refugee burdens on European municipalities.
- Oversaw the development of local integration policies that made Södertälje a studied example of refugee settlement.
Did You Know?
During his tenure, Södertälje's schools became so multilingual they required instruction in over 100 different languages.
He is a trained economist, having studied at the University of Stockholm.
The massive influx of Assyrian/Syriac Christians under his mayoralty led Södertälje to be nicknamed 'the capital of the Assyrian diaspora'.
“A city's strength is built by its newcomers; our diversity is Södertälje's new industry.”
