|
Sweden |
2020 |
Policy |
|
Return of former applicants |
The Swedish government tasked several national bodies, including the police and the Swedish Migration Agency, to analyse the factors that prevent the enforcement of a decision on a refusal of entry or return. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
National authorities were enabled to take a foreigner's photo and fingerprints at entry, exit or during internal checks for the Schengen Information System, if the person's identity cannot be identified in another manner. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Access to procedure |
The Swedish Migration Agency, the police and Swedish diplomatic missions abroad were also given the right to process sensitive data, as described by the Aliens Data Act, and to test and develop existing IT systems for managing the personal data of third-country nationals, for example to participate in international cooperation. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
The Swedish Parliament adopted the government's proposal from December 2020 to incorporate the rules on safe countries of origin in the Aliens Act. The new rules allow the Swedish Migration Agency to consider an application manifestly unfounded if the applicant comes from a country included in the list. The amendments enter into force on 1 May 2021. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Special procedures to process asylum applications |
The Swedish Migration Agency proposed 8 countries to be considered safe countries of origin: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Kosovo, Mongolia, Northern Macedonia, Serbia and USA. The new list is foreseen to enter into force on 1 May 2021. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
The so-called EBO rules entered into force on 1 July 2020. According to these rules, applicants are no longer entitled to a daily allowance if they choose to reside in specific areas with high rates of immigrants and socio-economic challenges (32 municipalities listed in 2020, revised to 23 municipalities as of 1 January 2021). |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
A new governmental project is planned to be implemented in Sweden in 2021, obliging applicants to attend a one-day information session about the host society. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Sweden |
2020 |
Legislative |
|
Persons with special needs in the asylum procedure |
Changes to the national legislation introduce a departure ban for children who are at risk of being taken abroad for marriage or female genital mutilation. |
EASO Asylum Report 2021 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Swedish Migration Agency published a new handbook on human trafficking, with a part focusing on improving the identification of victims and perpetrators within the asylum procedure. The template for interviewing unaccompanied minors was updated to better detect signs of human trafficking. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
In preparation for the entry into force of the UN CRC Act (2018:1197) on 1 January 2020, the Swedish Migration Agency developed guidelines on assessing the best interests of the child in accordance with Article 3 of the UN CRC, trained around 500 case officers and 40 head of units in children's rights, and developed a technical tool supporting the determination of the best interests of the child. It also developed new guidelines on the placement of unaccompanied minor applicants assigned to a municipality. Information on the asylum procedure was developed specially for children aged 7 to 12 years, available through a mobile application. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
Since 1 January 2019, Sweden does not recognise the validity of child marriages from abroad, so the agency updated its standards for handling cases related to married child applicants and developed relevant information material in collaboration with the National Board of Health and Welfare. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
A new electronic personal interview form with child-friendly language and structure was developed. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Swedish Migration Agency published new instructions on handling LGBTI cases and changed its system on assessing these cases. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Unaccompanied minors and vulnerable groups |
The Swedish Migration Agency created an online training for its staff on gender-based violence within the asylum procedure. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The Swedish Migration Agency updated its legal position on Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Somalia, published a legal comment on Nicaragua and on the increased violence in Afghanistan during summer 2019, and temporarily stopped decisions in cases involving applicants from the Hasskah province of Syria based on its new situational analysis. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
The government provided funding to increase the length of civic orientation from 60 to 100 hours. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
The government increased funding for fast tracks, which were established to support entry into the job market for beneficiaries of international protection who have education, work or training experience. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Return of former applicants |
The Swedish Migration Agency published a legal comment on Sudan leading to the temporary suspension of returns to the country. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
The Dublin procedure |
The Swedish Migration Agency revised its Dublin tracks by reflecting the estimated handling time of the case and improvements to its IT systems allowed more rapid information exchanges on Dublin cases. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at first instance |
The “Asylum360” pilot project of 2018 was extended to more regions, combining the accommodation of asylum seekers and the examination of their applications into one continuous process to handle as many cases as possible without interruptions. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Processing asylum applications at second or higher instance |
The Swedish Migration Agency launched a portal allowing legal counsellors to submit appeals against first instance decisions electronically. Another pilot continued, in cooperation with the Swedish National Courts Administration, to digitally transfer appeals between the agency and the courts. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Policy |
|
Content of protection |
The government tasked the Swedish Council for Higher Education to develop and pilot special measures for: a) skills validation and the recognition of qualifications when documentary evidence is missing and b) when the educational level is documented but the level was not completed. The Council also worked on a permanent structure for the recognition and accreditation of prior learning. |
EASO Asylum Report 2020 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Content of protection |
The application of the law was extended until 19 July 2021 and beneficiaries of international protection continued to receive temporary residence permits instead of a permanent one. The law lifted the ban on family reunification for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. |
SE LEG 01 2019 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Statelessness in the context of asylum |
Persons born in Sweden and having been stateless since birth may receive under certain conditions a permanent residence permit. |
SE LEG 01 2019 |
|
Sweden |
2019 |
Legislative |
|
Reception of applicants for international protection |
Applicants are not entitled to daily allowance anymore if they choose to reside in specific areas with high rates of immigrants and socio-economic challenges (32 municipalities listed), in order to avoid segregation. |
SE LEG 02 2019 |