COUNTRY UPDATE: SWEDEN 2006 1. Figures and facts about asylum Principle countries of origin of asylum seekers year 2006 Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Country Iraq Serbia (incl. Kosovo) Somalia Stateless* Russia Lebanon Bulgaria Eritrea Afghanistan Iran

Number of asylum applicants 8,951 2,001 1,066 815 755 679 639 608 594 494

Evolution of the number of asylum applications

First applications Rejections** Removals Recognitions Voluntary/mandatory returns Number of Dublin cases sending out of the country Number of Dublin cases sending into the county Remarks:

2005 17,530 21,325

2006 24,322 6,977

2,838 15,327 3,408

7,940 3,917 2,267

+ 5,102 - 11,410 - 1,141

3,183

3,176

-7

* Stateless persons are mostly Palestinians; ** Dublin cases are not included in the number of rejections

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Difference +/+ 6,792 - 14,348

2. Political and legal developments New Government The new Swedish right/liberal government is maintaining the old government’s (Social Democratic) policy concerning refugees and asylum seekers. The new government affirmed its commitment to fundamental principles, such as the right to seek asylum and emphasised the importance of European cooperation. A more liberal position towards labour migration was introduced.

New Aliens Act A new Aliens Act and asylum procedure came into force as of 31 March 2006. Decisions taken by the first instance (i.e. the Migration Board) can be appealed against at the Migration Courts (i.e. the administrative courts of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö). Decisions taken by these courts can be appealed against at the Administrative Court of Appeal in Stockholm (Migration Court of Appeal).

The material legal provisions on asylum, subsidiary protection and humanitarian grounds have also been changed. Most notably, Sweden now considers persons how are persecuted based on their gender or sexual orientation to fulfil the criteria of being members of a “particular social group” and thus being entitled to refugee status under the 1951 Convention. The subsidiary protection grounds were extended to include persons who have a wellfounded fear of being subjected to severe abuse due to aggression in their home country.

The legislation on family reunification has been harmonised with the EC directive on family reunification.

Temporary liberal legislation Following the amnesty discussions in 2005, an agreement was reached between the Government (Social Democrats) and its allies (the Greens and Left Party) to introduce a more liberal temporary law (valid 15 November 2005 – 30 March 2006). The temporary law allowed persons to apply for a new hearing, whose cases had been rejected and who have no further possibility to appeal the decision in a court of law. Only asylum seekers who have lived in Sweden a long time, without a criminal record, or whose children are at risk if deported, could seek a new hearing under this temporary law. More than 31,000 cases were reviewed and over 17,000 were granted residence permit. Over 8,000 persons who had been hiding after their final rejection applied again under the interim legislation.

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Unaccompanied minors Reception On 1 July 2006 the responsibility for reception and housing of unaccompanied minors was transferred from the Migration Board to the municipalities. The Government made agreements with a number of municipalities who will provide housing and care for the children concerned.

Right to education for children in hiding Following a long advocacy campaign by several organisations and the Ombudsman for Children, the right to education for children in hiding (migrants in an irregular situation) was put on the political agenda. The government approved additional financial resources to compensate municipalities who are providing schooling for these children. A legal proposal is being prepared, giving children in hiding the right to attend public schools.

3. Asylum seekers / migrants issues raised in Sweden Reception of asylum seekers The system for reception of asylum seekers has been on the political agenda. Currently the Swedish Migration Board is responsible for reception and accommodation of asylum seekers. However, the right/liberal coalition (now the government) has expressed the opinion that new actors should be involved in the reception of asylum seekers. A possible involvement of volunteer-based organisations was mentioned in this context.

Dublin Criticism of the Dublin rules has been raised in Sweden by organisations belonging to the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE). ECRE commented on Dublin II in a paper addressed to the European Commission.

Apathetic children “Apathetic children” or children with severe withdrawal behaviour, continued to be a concern during 2006. All actors followed this issue closely. The government supported research and preventive actions.

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Unaccompanied minors Criticism towards the handling of unaccompanied minors in Sweden has been raised by a number of actors. Municipalities are not willing to receive unaccompanied minors and the reception conditions in some places have been criticized.

Irregular migrants A petition for the right to health care for irregular migrants has been raised by a number of volunteer-based organisations, including the Swedish Red Cross. At the moment, irregular Migrants are not entitled to state funded health care in Sweden.

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4. Red Cross activities in the field of migration (asylum, migration, irregular migration)

Mapping of Red Cross / Red Crescent activities In the field of migration – Sweden 2006 PERCO – Platform for European Red Cross Cooperation on Refugees Asylum Seekers and Migrants

Target Group

Asylum seekers

Title of Activity

Short Description of Activity

Provider of activity within RC (National Headquarter, regional / local Branch, etc.) Counselling and SRC offers counselling, legal advice Counselling is mainly support for individual and information for asylum seekers. provided by asylum seekers In 2006 SRC provided advice in professional staff in the more than 500 asylum cases at 20 regions. In some local locations across the country. SRC branches by volunteers also offers counselling to people in close co-operation whose application has been finally with regional staff. rejected. Research on Asylum “The New Swedish Aliens Act in Headquarters Legislation Focus” A new Swedish Aliens Act came into force in 2006. The introduction of new legislation was a response to criticism of the previous Aliens Act and the way this act was implemented by the Migration Board and the Aliens Appeals Board. One of the major changes in the new Act is that the asylum procedure is handled by administrative courts and not, as before, by administrative authorities. The Swedish Red Cross’ research project, The New Swedish Aliens Act in Focus, studies how the changes affect asylum seekers and their chances of attaining residence permits. Country of Origin Headquarters COI Project Information Project SRC is partner in a national COI project, which is analysing how the Swedish system for COI can be improved. In addition, the project will examine how volunteer-based organisations can contribute.

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Research: Evaluation of the implementation of the Swedish Migration Board’s gender guidelines

"Mapping and dialogue to improve the health of asylum seekers”

Psychosocial support and social activities

Regional Office in “Women and the Swedish Asylum Malmö Process” The project is analysing how the gender guidelines are used and implemented in the asylum process, and how the Swedish Migration Board, the three Migration Courts and the Migration Court of Appeal reach decisions on the asylum applications of women. This project is to map the healthHeadquarters promoting activities of all providers involved in the reception of asylum seekers in Sweden. Gaps, solutions and good practices will be identified, as well as areas for collaboration. The final results will be presented in April 2008. Psychosocial support groups

Local Branches/ volunteers

“Meeting points” for asylum seekers Language training Swimming schools “Asylum guides”

Social activities for unaccompanied minors

Child care (while parents are participating in other activities) Youth volunteers visit centres for unaccompanied minors and organise social activities with the children.

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Red Cross Youth/ volunteers

Detention visits

SRC volunteers and staff visit asylum-seekers and other migrants in administrative detention. The purpose of the visits is threefold: 1) To prevent isolation and offer psychosocial support 2) To monitor the human rights situation 3) To prevent “refoulement” (referring individual cases to persons within SRC responsible for counselling)

Local Branches/ volunteers in close cooperation with regional staff.

Detention Monitoring “Detention monitoring project” On 1 September 2006 SRC started Headquarters a project to develop a national program for the monitoring of migrants in detention. The aim is to design a model for continuous visits and reporting on the conditions of migrants in administrative detention. A compilation of human rights standards for migrants in detention will be produced and will constitute the principal basis for monitoring.

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Return of rejected asylum seekers

Return counselling

SRC’s counselling of individual Regions and asylum seekers (see above) Headquarters includes explaining to them what the perspectives are on return.

Return projects

In the field of return, SRC has Headquarters and developed its role in projects funded Regions by the ERF. In these projects SRC has been providing information and counselling to rejected asylum seekers from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia-Montenegro. The projects have been based on a close co-operation with the National Societies in the countries of origin. At present SRC is working to find funding for an extension and expansion of the programme.

“Open Forum on Return” In March 2006, the Swedish Red Headquarters Cross and the Red Cross / EU Office, in partnership with the Spanish Red Cross and the Serbia and Montenegro Red Cross, organized a “European Open Forum on Return” with 100 participants representing governmental agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in 23 countries. The conclusions pointed clearly on the need for better co-operation and coordination and also for an enhanced role of civil society in the area of return assistance.

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Advocacy

Advocacy

SRC is actively advocating the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. The work is carried out primarily from a Swedish/European perspective, but with a comprehensive global approach. Examples are: raising issues of concern to politicians and decision makers, commenting on law proposals, taking part in commissions preparing new acts, arranging debates, hearings and seminars, writing articles and taking part in the media debate. SRC is also a member of the Swedish Government’s Council for Refugee and Immigration Issues, and belongs to the Government’s Council on Child-Related Migration and Asylum Policy Issues.

Headquarters,

Prior to each meeting of the EU Council of Ministers SRC meets with the Ministry of Justice to discuss the current Swedish policy on EU asylum and migration matters. On a regular basis SRC meets with Headquarters, Regions the public authorities responsible for and Local Branches asylum seekers and other migrants to discuss their work. This is done on both the national and the local level. SRC co-operates with NGO’s, UNHCR and other actors involved in the work for asylum seekers and refugees. SRC is member of ECRE.

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Refugees

Information and training

“People on the move” - a training programme about people forced to leave their homes due to human rights abuses and war. The programme is based on a ToT model. We train volunteers who then teach about People on the move in schools, organisations etc.

Headquarters and Regions

“On the run” Red Cross Youth A role-play developed by the Danish Red Cross in which the participants experience for 24 hours what it is like to be forced to flee. Youth information campaign An information campaign was launched by SRC Youth. The objective was to inform young people in Sweden about life as a refugee or asylum seeker.

Voluntary Repatriation

Advocacy Treatment and support for tortured and traumatized refugees and asylum seekers

RFL/Family reunification

Counselling for refugees with residence permits who wish to return to their home countries. Specific projects targeting persons from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iraq started in 2006. See above under ‘Asylum seekers/Advocacy’ Refugees and asylum seekers who suffer from trauma caused by torture or war are offered professional treatment and psychological support at six Red Cross Treatment Centres.

Research project: “Traumatized refugees in the EU”

SRC was a partner in a European project in which country studies on assistance and care of traumatized refugees and asylum seekers was carried out. The project covered 10 EU member states.

Counselling and support to families who have been separated due to flight

Asylum seekers and refugees who wish to be reunited with immediate family members in Sweden receive: - information on legislation and procedures - assistance to facilitate family reunification In some cases SRC represents separated families in the legal process of family reunification. In 2006 SRC registered 260 cases of family reunification. Page 10

Red Cross Youth

Regions, Local Branches

Headquarters, Regions and Local Branches Regions, co-ordinated by Headquarters

Counselling is mainly provided by professional staff in the regions and some Local Branches, by volunteers in cooperation with regional staff.

Travel assistance

Advocacy

Persons granted a residence permit Regions, Headquarters on subsidiary protection grounds or and Local Branches humanitarian grounds can receive financial support and assistance in arranging transport for family reunification. Only family members who have already obtained a permanent residence permit to join their family are eligible for financial support and transport arrangements. Financial support is not granted to newly established marriages/relationships. Those who have been granted Refugee Status in accordance with the 1951 Convention are financially supported by the Swedish migration agency and will thus not be supported by SRC. 493 families received travel assistance from SRC. See Asylum Seekers/Advocacy

Headquarters, Regions

RFL/Tracing Tracing and RCM

Beneficiaries are asylum seekers, refugees, other displaced persons, or residents separated due to armed conflict, internal strife, natural disaster or other situations where normal means of communications have ceased to function.

Open cases as of 31 December 2006: 254 Financial support to Activities carried out by the Victims of European RC/RC European RC/RC Resource Centre Trafficking in Human Beings Resource Centre for for Victims of Trafficking Victims of Trafficking (VOTs) Support to other NS

Other Migrants Health care for Undocumented people in hiding and irregular migrants

Advocacy

SRC supports several National Societies working with victims of trafficking Since January 2006 the Swedish Red Cross has been running a project providing health care to irregular migrants and asylum seekers in hiding. Access to health care and medical treatment is achieved both through referral to doctors, nurses, psychologists and dentists working within the regular health system and through other clinics offering their services. One nurse is employed in the project. See ‘Asylum Seekers/Advocacy’

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Headquarters, Regions and in some Local Branches by volunteers in close co-operation with the regional staff

Headquarters

Headquarters in cooperation with Stockholm Region

Name and contact details for migration issues within Swedish Red Cross: Dick Clomén Swedish Red Cross P.O. Box 17563, SE-11891 Stockholm Sweden phone +46 8 4524863 fax +46 8 4524701 [email protected]

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