Christian Moussa, Head of Safety and Security at Sigtuna Municipality

Christian Moussa has previously worked at the Swedish Security Service and is currently the Head of Safety and Security in Sigtuna Municipality. In a column for FSN Perspektiv, he describes how Sigtuna and Arlanda Airport have become important players in Sweden's total defense.

Sigtuna Municipality is a place where history, beauty, and modernity intertwine in a way that few other municipalities in Sweden can match. With a rich cultural heritage and a thriving tourism industry, Sigtuna has managed to preserve its charm. Within this lies a challenge that makes Sigtuna Municipality unique; its central role in Swedish crisis preparedness and total defense.

It is probably no surprise to most that Sigtuna is the host municipality for Arlanda Airport. Arlanda, as an international airport, is relatively autonomous within the municipal boundaries, like a city within a city. Here, there are authorities and companies whose purposes align with airport operations in various domains. These actors have established communication channels and routines within the "city within a city" and beyond.

Thus, they are also extremely skilled at handling various types of events. They have demonstrated this time and again, and most often the event remains on site and is managed within a regular line operation. But sometimes it can become overwhelming. Then the incident seeps out, the first protective bubble bursts, and the crisis becomes a reality. That's where Sigtuna Municipality comes in, through the municipal commitment.

To understand the significance of Arlanda, it must be mentioned: Arlanda Airport is not only one of Sweden's largest collective workplaces with a significant role in the labor market. It is also a gateway to, from, and within Sweden for millions of travelers every year. It is also one of the country's most important hubs for international trade, where the airport plays a crucial role in Sweden's imports and exports. The export of Swedish goods via air is worth over 140 billion SEK annually, while imports amount to approximately 100 billion SEK. Everything from disposable products to advanced technology passes through here.

Therefore, it does not go unnoticed that this trade is vital for the Swedish economy. But it is not only essential from a corporate or national economic perspective. Those who remember the volcanic eruption in Iceland in 2010 recall when it paralyzed most of Europe's air traffic. Suddenly, medicines and other necessities that were usually transported by air had to create new trade routes to reach their destinations. Arlanda's vitality thus also became a public health issue.

Speaking of public health issues, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 should be highlighted. Once again, it became clear how quickly a global event can affect a local municipality. Arlanda was a high-risk zone for the spread of infection, and Sigtuna Municipality had to act quickly to limit potential spread.

Even though the operational responsibility is a municipal concern, it also becomes national. The experience underscores the importance of having robust security arrangements to quickly act in future crises and that Sigtuna Municipality's role in Swedish crisis preparedness should have a special position to counter the next event that may affect the nation as a whole.

Whether it concerns cyberattacks, power outages, armed attacks, or a large migration wave, the lessons have led to us being quick to mobilize our resources. But there has also been a sense that much has been managed independently, through our own initiatives, and that support from others has been delayed. If it ever came.

Arlanda is often the first point of arrival for people seeking asylum or protection in Sweden. During events like the large migration wave in 2015, the municipality quickly had to adapt to the challenges it entailed. Sigtuna is today home to one of Sweden's largest migration detention centers, which means that the municipality has a special responsibility to ensure that the people arriving receive the support they need, such as education for the children.

Being the first recipient in such a humanitarian challenge means that Sigtuna plays a central role in upholding Sweden's international commitments and values. The municipality must be able to handle both the immediate needs of newcomers and the long-term integration issues, which requires flexibility and preparedness to meet unexpected and rapidly changing situations.

Despite the great challenges, Sigtuna Municipality is constantly and actively working to develop and improve its crisis preparedness work. The goal is to be the best in class, considering the historical challenges and the unknown threats of the future. This is achieved through continuous exercises and training, but also through learning from other specific events.

When a crisis comes, several factors are crucial for how we handle it; resources and cooperation are two components. But the most important component in handling it is the reaction. Speed was the success factor during the evacuation of Swedish citizens in Lebanon in 2006 compared to the tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004.

Therefore, speed is also important for a municipality that houses an international airport within its radius. The municipality works extensively on this in its strategies to maintain a high crisis preparedness standard. By minimizing uncertainty in an action, mastery and thus speed in action are achieved. Learning and practical exercises thus provide proficiency.

If there is anything we have learned from recent years, it is that the world is unpredictable and that Sweden is not immune to global crises. We will face these threats again. And again. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to understand that Sigtuna Municipality is not merely an administrative and operational local unit; it is a central player in the nation's crisis preparedness and thus the concern of all of Sweden.