UNHCR Baltic and Nordic Headlines (uutiskirje)

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Thursday 1 December to Friday 2 December 2011

Municipalities more open to accepting refugees

Finland 

In the Ostrobothnia region a couple of municipalities have asked the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY) for more time in deciding about receiving quota refugees. At the same time at least 4-5 municipalities in South Ostrobothnia have announced that they wish to join the negotiations on receiving quota refugees. Hanna Auranen from ELY says that these answers are positive signals from the municipalities. A majority of the municipalities in Ostrobothnia receive quota refugees, in total they receive around 130 refugees annually. Finland receives quota refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Myanmar.

    * YLE 1 December 2011 (in Finnish)

Minister Räsänen: reception centres closed due to budget cuts

Finland 

According to the Minister of the Interior, Päivi Räsänen, the reception centres of Kontionlahti and Kontionniemi are closed due to budget cuts. - The decision has been made in the Ministry of the Interior and it was based on expert analysis. Directly speaking the purpose is to save money, says Räsänen. The Ministry of the Interior has given the Finnish Immigration Service the right to resign the contract with the reception centres of Kontionlahti and Kontionniemi from the end of June 2012.

    * YLE 1 December 2011 (in Finnish)

MP from True Finn's suggests citizenship test

Finland 

Olli Immonen from the True Finn's party has submitted a written question asking whether the Government attempts to investigate the need for citizenship tests for those applying for Finnish citizenship. - An increasing number of European countries have recently started using citizenship tests. The tests are already used for instance in Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands and Denmark, says Immonen. The Director-General of the Finnish Immigration Service, Jorma Vuorio, said last October that he would like to investigate whether there would be a need for a test for those who apply for Finnish citizenship. According to Immonen, a citizenship test would be a good way to determine and measure how successfully immigrants have integrated into their new home country

    * Verkkouutiset 1 December 2011 (in Finnish)

Decision on care of victims of torture to be appealed

Sweden 

The company Wemind was selected to provide care of refugees who have been exposed to torture and other war trauma. The Red Cross that has run the care centre up on till now will appeal the decision. – If we do not win the bid, we have to close down our operation, says Monica Brendler, director at the Red Cross Centre for Tortured Refugees in Stockholm.

    * Dagens Nyheter 30 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Smålandsposten 30 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio Stockholm 30 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Expressen 30 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Nyheter24 30 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Norway donates money to Greek asylum centres

Norway 

Greece is in a deep economic crisis but cannot opt out of its responsibility to give asylum-seekers a worthy treatment. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of persons illegally crossing the border into the country. – It is a difficult political exercise to spend money on the asylum system in a country where people are experiencing a deep economic crisis, says State Secretary Pål Lønseth at the Ministry of Justice. In total, Norway will contribute with 160 million Norwegian crowns (NOK) to improve the Greek asylum system until 2014. Of this money, 40 per cent will go through the UN and other NGO's, and 60 per cent to the Greek authorities. – In today's Europe, our external borders go along Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea. This situation cannot only be Greece's responsibility. The whole of Europe must solve it together, Lønseth argues. Norway's contribution will, among other things, be used to improve the conditions for asylum-seekers, who today risk being arrested at the border and imprisoned for months. According to the UN Refuge Agency (UNHCR), the treatment of minors is a major problem. – They risk being imprisoned longer than adults as it takes a long time to find a guardian. At the same time they need protection from traffickers as they are very exposed, says Ketty Kehayioylou from UNHCR's office in Greece. Today, Greece has a backlog of 38,000 pending asylum applications, compared to 47,000 last year. The queue has gotten shorter thanks to the support from other EU countries, says Kehayioylou.

    * 2 Nyhetene 1 December 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Dagsavisen 1 December 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Agderposten 1 December 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * MRE 1 December 2011 (in Norwegian)

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Saturday 3 December to Monday 5 December 2011

New project to improve integration of immigrants

Finland 

In Ostrobothnia a new project has been established to better integrate immigrants into the society. The project is using a Swedish model from Skåne and aims to get everyone to work together to create conditions for refugees that will enable them to become part of the society faster. This includes for example informing new arrivals in their native language at an early stage about the location of health care centers and hospitals. The project also takes into account the importance of learning the local language and emphasizes the role that hobbies can play in successful integration of new arrivals.

    * YLE Svenska 2 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Demonstration against deportations

Sweden 

Last Saturday afternoon a demonstration was held in central Stockholm calling for a more generous immigration policy. Approximately 250 participants demanded an end to deportations to Syria, Afghanistan and Ethiopia. They also called for an end to the deportations of children, elderly people and people with medical conditions to countries where they have no relatives. One of the demonstrators was Anna Otto, the granddaughter of 91-year old Ganna Chyzhevska who was under threat of being deported back to Ukraine by the Swedish Migration Board.

    * SVT 3 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Sweden stops without immigrants

Sweden 

Several industries in Sweden are carried by foreigners. Many have a key role, particularly in service industries and parts of the public sector. More than every fourth doctor is born abroad.  – Without our foreign born staff, a large part of our medical care would quickly cease to function, says Gunnar Blomquist, personnel manager at the County Council in Värmland. – This applies to many functions, such as specialist doctors and nurses. In a few years, Sweden will have labour shortage in several areas, partly because of a population with many elderly and few young people. Labour can be crucial for the welfare system. – It is sad that we in Sweden are so bad at taking advantage of the newcomer's skills, says Anders Lago, former mayor of Södertälje.

    * Dagens Nyheter 4 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Refugees fleeing Burma

UNHCR in the news 

In Burma a ceasefire has been reached between government troops and one of the country's major armed ethnic groups in the state of Shan, on the border with China. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), up to 30,000 people have fled the fighting across the border into China.

    * Sveriges Radio 3 December 2011 (in Swedish)   

Al-Shabaab has taken Somalia hostage

UNHCR in the news 

Somalia's population is left to defend for itself after al-Shabaab has expelled almost all aid organisations. The different organisations try to negotiate with the group but the prospect of success is small. Only Doctors Without Borders and the International Red Cross are currently allowed to work in the field, but their capacity is far from sufficient to meet the people's needs. The ban on the international aid organisations are expected to have dramatic consequences for the four million Somalis, out of which about 250,000 are directly threatened by the famine. One of the major organisations that were expelled was the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). – We are about to assess the extent of the situation, says Andy Needham, spokesperson at UNHCR's office in Nairobi. – We know that about half of Somalia's population is in need of help, and we know that they will need it for at least a year to come, but we do not know yet how many are specifically affected by the ban, he continues.

    * Information 30 November 2011 (in Danish)

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Tuesday 6 December to Wednesday 7 December 2011

Ministry of Interior to investigate asylum procedure length

Finland 

The Ministry of Interior has hired a team to investigate what are the factors that prolong asylum procedures in Finland. The team consists of individuals from different ministries. The aim of the project is to establish new ways of communication between authorities, in order to improve co-operation. The project also looks at how those asylum-seekers who have received asylum could be transferred from reception centers to municipalities faster. In addition to this, the project investigates how the process of dealing with complaints from negative decision could be speeded up. By increasing the efficiency of immigration authorities, the Ministry hopes to save 20 million euros by the year 2015.

    * Turun Sanomat 5 December 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Verkkouutiset  5 December 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Iltalehti 5 December 2011 (in Finnish)

Immigration's image gets a boost

Norway 

A survey conducted by Statistics Norway (SSB), shows major increases in positive response to issues involving immigration. Before the terrorist attack on 22 of July, 73 per cent of the respondents agree that "immigrants make a useful contribution to the Norwegian workforce", while 85 per cent agreed in the days afterwards. Before the 22 July, 72 per cent believed that "immigrants enrich the cultural life in Norway" compared to 82 per cent afterwards. In the same way, the number increased among those who disagreed with the stament "most immigrants abuse the social welfare system", from 47 to 56 per cent. The greatest change was in the attitudes towards the statement "most immigrants are a source of insecurity in society", where the number of disagreements went from 48 to 70 per cent. Compared with the corresponding survey from last year, there was a slight increase among those who believe immigrants abuse the social welfare system this year. Other than that, there were no significant changes in attitudes from last year.

    * NRK 5 December 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Views and News from Norway 6 December 2011 (in English)

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Thursday 8 December to Friday 9 December 2011

Half of the immigrants return home

Denmark 

Far from all immigrants coming to Denmark stay in the country. More and more immigrants leave after a number of years. A new report from Statistics Denmark shows that more than half of the people that immigrated to Denmark in 2002 had gone back home again in January this year. – The tighter polices that were introduced by the former government has certainly played a role, says Thomas Nielsen, one of the statisticians behind the figures. He also mentions other possible reasons like increasing globalisation and the EU's enlargement towards the East. This means that the proportion of immigrants staying only temporarily in Denmark is higher. The austerity measures can clearly be seen in the groups of immigrants that have received residency in the country. – In ten years, the immigration pattern has changed from mostly refugee and family reunions to become more work and study focused, Nielsen continues.

    * Avisen 7 December 2011 (in Danish)

Government will not investigate further violations

Denmark 

The Minister of Justice Morten Bødskov will not investigate if there are further cases of children refused residence. It caused sensation when the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) this summer ruled that Denmark had violated the European Convention on Human Rights in the case of a girl from Somalia who had been refused to reinstate her residence permit in Denmark. The Danish Immigration Service has identified 75 cases of children who have been denied residence permit. Bødskov explains that all the 75 cases are not necessarily relevant in connection to the sentence from ECtHR and does not want to investigate. – We do not think this should be a reason for not reviewing the cases, says Eva Singer from the Danish Refugee Council. – It is probable that some of the rulings are wrong and they should be corrected, she says.

    * Information 7 December 2011 (in Danish)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs must use eight billion NOK in five days

Norway 

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just five days to spend 8 billion Norwegian crowns (NOK) in humanitarian aid before the last processing deadline in 2011. – When a lot of money has to be spent in the end of the financial year, there is potential for abuse and corruption. The money may also be less effective, says Elling Tjønneland at the Christian Michelsen Institute in Bergen. The institute evaluates Norwegian development aid. Hilde Bakken in the Finance Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains that certain large payments expire late in the year. These include refugee measures, vaccine programmes and refilling of the Development Fund.

    * Aftenposten 8 December 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Adressa 8 December 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * The Foreigner 9 December (in English)

Growing number of refugee children in Västerås

Sweden 

According to the Police, more and more unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors arrive in Västerås. Children have been found in several locations around the area, and only few come to the police station. Local politicians demand that the Swedish Immigration Board takes responsibility for these children. The community is having difficulties in dealing with the growing number of arrivals, and there is no more room to accommodate all of them. According to the politicians, Västerås has become a new destination for organized smuggling of unaccompanied refugee minors.

    * Sveriges Radio 7 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    * SVT 7 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Refugee and statelessness conventions celebrate 60th and 50th anniversaries

UNHCR in the news 

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 50th anniversary of the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. These anniversaries were celebrated in a high level meeting in Geneva on the 7-8 December with over 70 ministers participating. Sweden was represented by the Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, Tobias Billström, who by virtue of the Swedish Chairmanship of UNHCR's Executive Committee, lead the meeting during the opening ceremony. Other speakers of the conference included the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Gutérres and the United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Finland's former president and Nobel Laureate Martti Ahtisaari also attended as a guest speaker. – Sweden was one of the first countries to sign the Refugee Convention and it remains a cornerstone in the protection of human rights, says Billström.

    * Aftonkuriren 8 December 2011 (in Swedish)

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Saturday 10 December to Monday 12 December 2011

Social Liberals: Do not expel children

Denmark 

Children as young as two years can be refused to live with their immigrant parents in Denmark, due to the strict rules on family reunification. Apparently nothing can be done to change this right now. – The rules are disgusting, says Zenia Stampe from the Social Liberals. She has previously stressed that this directly goes against the beliefs of the party. Yet, there is nothing to be done for the children, who will be expelled from now until March, when the Government is expected to be ready to implement the new relaxed rules on family reunification. The other day, the Minister of Justice, Morten Bødskov explained that it is not possible to put deportations on hold until the Government has implemented the new rules. – We can and must not delay their applications. Therefore we are working hard on the new legal basis, he has said.

    * Berlingske 9 December 2011 (in Danish)
    * Politiken 11 December 2011 (in Danish)

Lack of housing for refugees

Norway 

The municipality of Bergen cannot house as many refugees as it had decided to. – I wanted to live alone, but I agreed to share an appartment with someone else because it was the only option, says Tesfay from Eritrea. He recieved a permanent residence permit in August but it he could not get his own apparment. The housing shortage in Bergen has made it difficult for a number of refugees. One reason is that an increasing number of refugees are single, and therefore more homes are needed, according to the City Council. – We have not reached our goal. Therefore, we are intensifying our efforts to provide more housing, says Lisbeth Iversen at the City Council. Some solutions include to let refugees live together in other communities and to provide more housing in the private market.

    * Bergens Tidende 10 December 2011 (in Norwegian)

No proof of an increasing number of climate refugees

Sweden 

According to new research there are no signs that the flow of refugees worldwide is increasing due to extreme climate conditions. The population expert Christian Skarman from Statistics Sweden, says the term 'climate refugee' gives an impression of a dramatic situation that does not necessarily emerge. One of the most dramatic effects of climate change has been people fleeing drought, storms and coastline flooding. The UN Climate Panel predicted a few decades ago that the number of climate refugees will increase, yet according to the new report this has not happened. According to Skarman, extensive migration flows take place constantly. – There is major urbanization taking place in poor countries, and in a hundred years the world map might show people living in different areas. Yet it is not the rise in temperatures that motivates people to flee, he says.

    * Dagens Nyheter 9 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Strong criticism after forced return

Sweden 

The Parliamentary Ombudsmen have strongly criticized the actions of the Gävle police, who forcefully deported a 53-year old man to the wrong country. The Swedish Migration Board decided that the man, who is Faili Kurd, could be deported to Iran. However, he was sent to Iraq instead, where he was immediately arrested and accused of falsely claiming to be an Iraqi national. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has confirmed that the man is being held in Al-Elwya police station in central Baghdad.

    * Dagens Nyheter 9 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Stop forced return to Iraq

Sweden 

Iraq's Minister of Displacement and Migration, Dindar Ndjeman Dosky, has urged Sweden to stop forced deportations to Iraq. According to him, the Iraqi Government cannot guarantee the security of for example Christians. He also says that there should be no deportation to the country, since the unemployment rate is currently 30 per cent. For a few years Sweden was the country in the West that granted residence permits to most Iraqis. – We haven taken our responsibility by giving asylum-seekers a legally secure process, but if those who have been rejected do not leave the country it could be interpreted that Sweden allows unrestricted immigration from Iraq, commented Tobias Billström, Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy. Since 2007 Sweden has sent back 1,147 people who have received a negative asylum decision.

    * Dagens Nyheter 11 December 2011 (in Swedish)


Stateless man uncertain about citizenship

UNHCR in the news 

Earlier this year, Søren Pind, former Minister for Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs, described a case regarding a young stateless man as a 'dilemma'. The man was suspected to be a danger to national security, according to the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET). However, lawyers at the Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs and the Ministry of Justice, assessed that this man had the right to Danish citizenship according to the UN Convention on Statelessness. Legal experts ruled that he could not be denied citizenship, and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) agreed. UNHCR has a mandate to monitor States' compliance with the Convention. – It is not enough that a person is suspected, charged or indicted, said Hans ten Feld, UNHCR's former Regional Representative of the Baltic and Nordic countries. He stressed that the Convention on Statelessness is very clear when it comes to national security: Persons convicted of an offence against national security may not enjoy the rights of the Convention. Nevertheless, the parliamentary parties have asked Pind to consult with UNHCR and other European countries if they interpret that being a suspect by PET should be a reason to refuse a stateless person citizenship. The answer from UNHCR in Stockholm was clear: No, it is not possible to interpret the Convention in such a way that a person can be denied citizenship because he is a suspect. The new Minister of Justice, Morten Bødskov, agrees that the man should be granted citizenship.

    * Information 9 December 2011 (in Danish)

[Roope]

Tuesday 13 December to Wednesday 14 December 2011

Immigrants have to wait too long for residence permits

Denmark 

The point system for permanent residence is so difficult to manage that currently 1,100 applications are pending in the Danish Immigration Service. Despite the rule that cases should take no more than 5 months to process, applicants have to wait up to 14 months for a decision. According to the Head of Office at the Immigration Service, Merethe Nord Philip, it is the new rules, including the point system that delays the decision making. It is particularly the requirement about active citizenship and exemption cases, such as people with disabilities, that creates a lot of work. Nord Philip adds that the point system has also led to significantly more rejections and that it takes longer to process rejections than to process approvals. Nord Philip emphasizes that last year the Danish Immigration Service set up a special team to deal with the backlog of cases.

    * Berlingske 13 December 2011 (in Danish)
    * DR 13 December 2011 (in Danish)

Only Savonlinna refuses refugees without bank accounts

Finland 

The municipality of Savonlinna has informed the Finnish Immigration Service that it will not receive refugees who have not been given bank accounts. According to Monica Harju from the Finnish Immigration Service, Savonlinna is the only municipality that refuses to accept refugees without bank accounts. Nevertheless, the lack of bank accounts for refugees is a problem almost everywhere in Finland. Next year Savonlinna has committed to accepting 20 -25 quota refugees.

    * Itä-Savo 12 December 2011 (in Finnish)

200 asylum-seekers forced to leave reception centres

Finland 

An estimated number of 200 asylum-seekers is forced to leave the reception centre of Kontionlahti, which will be closed due to budget cuts. In addition to this, negotiations have begun about dismissing 60 staff members. Even though some of the 200 asylum-seekers would want to continue living in Kontionlahti, this scenario is unlikely for the majority of them. According to the Director of the reception centres at the Finnish Immigration Service, Jorma Kuuluvainen, asylum-seekers are most likely transferred to other reception centres.

    * YLE 13 December 2011 (in Finnish)

Fear that European asylum breakdown could affect Norway

Norway 

Pål Lønseth, State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, who is responsible for asylum issues, criticizes his European counterparts. New figures show that despite the Government's effort to tighten asylum policies, Norway is among the top countries, percentage wise, when it comes to receiving asylum-seekers. Lønseth believes that other countries strict asylum practices may make it more difficult to send asylum-seekers to countries where they risk bad treatment. – I do not believe we are close to a Dublin II collapse, but the EU's work to harmonize the asylum policy is important for a well functioning Dublin II Regulation, says Lønseth. He has also discussed this issue with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Only Switzerland rejects fewer asylum-seekers than Norway. – It gives reason to doubt whether European countries can provide protection for those who need it, Lønseth adds.

    * Verdens Gang 13 December 2011:1 (in Norwegian)
    * Verdens Gang 13 December 2011:2 (in Norwegian)

Asylum-seekers forced to wait for health checks

Sweden 

Only four out of ten asylum-seekers who arrive in Sweden receive appropriate health checks, according to statistics from municipalities and county councils. Only few will be examined, and the waiting time is long; up to six months. Swedish law states that counties should offer free health screenings to asylum-seekers upon arrival. To follow this procedure is important both for the individuals and from a communal perspective, especially for infectious disease control reasons.

    * SVT 13 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Dagens Nyheter 13 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio 13 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Violent battles in Sudan

UNHCR in the news 

New bloody fights have broken out at the Sudan/South Sudan border. Some 19 people have been killed in the clashes between the Sudanese army and rebel forces. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than 27,500 refugees have crossed the borders to Ethiopia and South Sudan after a series of clashes between Sudanese forces and rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).

    * Politiken 12 December 2011 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands Posten 12 December 2011 (in Danish)
    * Dansk Radio 12 December 2011 (in Danish)
    * B.T. 12 December 2011 (in Danish)

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Thursday 15 December to Friday 16 December 2011

Social Liberals put pressure on Bødskov regarding deported children

Denmark 

Minister of Justice, Morten Bødskov should speed up the efforts to prevent children as young as two years from being deported, demands the Social Liberals party. It is both appalling and totally unacceptable that young children are separated from their parents and deported due the strict rules on family reunification. – We will ask the Minister to explore all options in order to find a legal solution, and to push the political negotiations to reach an agreement already in January or February, says Zenia Stampe from the Social Liberals.

    Berlingske 14 December 2011 (in Danish)

Some 74 rejected Somalis have their cases heard again

Denmark 

Some 74 Somalis will get their cases reassessed after a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The reason for this is dangerous living conditions in Somalia. Already this summer the deportations of the persons concerned were suspended. The decision by the Refugee Appeals Board to reassess the Somali cases is based on a ruling in ECtHR, where the Court found that the British Government would violate the European Convention on Human Rights, if they deported two Somali asylum-seekers from Britain to Somalia. This in turn has an impact on the Somalis in Denmark who are waiting to be sent back or whose cases are currently processed.

    Politiken 15 December 2011 (in Danish)
    Dansk Radio 15 December 2011 (in Danish)

Minister Søvndal rejects sick refugees

Denmark 

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Villy Søvndal receives criticism after rejecting sick Iranians' request for medical treatment in Denmark. The Iranian opposition group 'National Council of Resistance of Iran' (NCRI) has asked Denmark to allow 11 of its wounded and sick members to stay for a short while in order to receive hospital treatment. NCRI has guaranteed payment of all costs and that the 11 Iranians will leave Denmark after treatment. However, Søvndal has refused the request by, among other things, referring to the fact that the opposition group NCRI is on the United States terrorist list. This is a weak argument according to critics as the Minister and the Socialist People's Party helped remove the same Iranian organization from the European Union terror list two years ago.

    Berlingske 16 December 2011 (in Danish)
    TV2 Nyhederne 16 December 2011 (in Danish)

130 asylum-seekers to Västsura mansion

Sweden 

Västsura mansion has announced it will offer temporary accommodation to 130 asylum-seekers. The first asylum-seekers are expected to arrive on Monday. The Swedish Migration Board welcomes the decision and says that Västsura made a quick decision to take in asylum-seekers. There is a great need for accommodation for asylum-seekers; in August the Swedish Migration Board had 800 people in temporary accommodations whereas today the number of people is 2,500.

    SVT 15 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Iraq to expel Iranians from Camp Ashraf

UNHCR in the news 

The Government of Iraq has threatened to expel 3,400 exiled Iranians from the refugee camp of Camp Ashraf in Iraq. According to Parviz Khazai, member of the Iranian opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Iraq is acting in the interests of Iran. The European Parliament has twice demanded that the Iraqi regime insures the safety of the camp's residents and that the international community seeks a long term solution to the security threat. Since September there has been an agreement where the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) allows camp residents to seek asylum. However, it is still unclear where the 3,400 expelled people could go. The European Parliament proposes that Camp Ashraf's residents should be protected by the UN for another year. During this year they should try to find resettlement places for the refugees.

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Saturday 17 December to Monday 19 December 2011

UDI wants to introduce asylum for homosexual asylum-seekers

Norway 

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) proposes an amendment to the current immigration policy so persecution due to sexual orientation would be considered as a reason for asylum. The changes would mean that it might be possible for more homosexual asylum-seekers to stay in Norway. – UDI has asked the Department of Justice for a change of practice of the treatment of homosexual asylum-seekers, says Ida Børresen, Director at UDI. – What we should consider is that the danger of persecution and the reactions towards them in the home country, due to their sexual orientation, might be so severe that they are in need of protection, she adds. UDI would like Norway to follow practice that goes in line with other European countries legislation and the Refugee Convention.

    TV2 Nyhetene 15 December 2011 (in Norwegian)

Over 400 waiting for police after rejected asylum

Sweden 

An increasing number of rejected asylum-seekers are waiting to be deported by the police. Handling rejected applicants can take up to three years after the decision has been made. Getting a hold of the right identification documents usually prolongs the process. Furthermore, the bureaucratic process in other countries usually takes a lot longer than in Sweden. Still, Börje Öhman, secretary of communications at the Västernorrland County Police, does not consider the police administration to be lacking resources. However, Öhman remains self-critical of how the overall system of returning asylum-seekers operates.

    SVT 16 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Millions of SEK used for empty places for refugees

Sweden 

The Swedish Migration Board has since last summer paid over 20 million SEK, through Malmö municipality, to four health care companies in Malmö for places that have not been used. The places have mostly been intended for unaccompanied refugee minors. However, since the children are relocated to different municipalities faster than before, most of the places remain unused. Since around half of the places have not been used, the agreements are now being terminated. – It is not reasonable to pay for so many empty places, commented Lena Cordes, from Malmö municipality.

    Dagens Nyheter 16 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    Svenska Dagbladet 16 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    SVT 16 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    Skånskan 16 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    Sydsvenskan 17 December 2011 (in Swedish)

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Tuesday 20 December to Wednesday 21 December 2011

Dear Baltic and Nordic Headline followers. We take a break in our service for the holidays but will resume on 2 January 2012. May we take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year!

Socialist People's Party wants to remove 24-year rule

Denmark 

The Government will before the next election present a plan for the abolition of the 24-year rule for family reunification. – We have made an agreement with the Government that we would stick with the 24-year rule during this election period, says Jesper Petersen, the spokesperson for the Socialist People's Party (SF). However, he does not want to guarantee that the rule will continue into the next parliamentary term.

    Berlingske 21 December 2011 (in Danish)

Developing countries pay for housing asylum-seekers

Denmark 

The Government is accused of hypocrisy after moving money from foreign aid to the asylum system. Poor countries are paying so that asylum-seekers are entitled to their own home after six months in Denmark. The Government is moving 86 million Danish crowns (DKK) from development assistance to its initiative on housing for asylum-seekers. – It must be used on poverty reduction, says Trine Pertou Mach, a member of the Socialist People's Party (SF) Executive Committee. This act has been criticized as the current Government criticized the previous Government when it did the same thing.

    Jyllands Posten 20 December 2011 (in Danish)

Starving in Norwegian reception centres

Norway 

Asylum-seekers that have received their final decision on rejection have so little money that they cannot afford to buy enough food, warns personel at reception centres. 19 year old Jan Agha Rasoli only receives half the monetary support compared to other asylum-seeker. – They think that if we get less money we will go home, but they are wrong, he says. – I will rather starve in Norway than be dead in Afghanistan. According to the State Secratary at the Ministry of Justice, Pål Lønseth, the reason why rejected asylum-seekers receive less money is that it should indicate that they no longer have a residence permit in Norway. – They have a return obligation, he says. However, Norwegian People's Aid is now raising alarm on the issue, as the rejected asylum-seekers' financial support is so low that they do not get enough nutrition. – It is heartbreaking that they try to make people leave Norway by making them starve, says a nurse at Ringsaker reception centre.

    NRK 21 December 2011 (in Norwegian)

Family reunification should not be tightened

Finland 

Several organizations object to Finnish Minister of Interior Päivi Räsänen's proposal to tighten family reunification criteria. The organizations, including different child- and refugee organizations and the Finnish Red Cross, believe that the rules are already strict. Quota refugees and refugees who have been granted asylum on the grounds of their need of international protection can apply for family reunification. The organizations are especially worried about minors. The reunification of the family might fall short if a child comes of age during the application process. According to the law, the decision about family reunification must be told to the applicant no later than nine months after the application. Yet reality is far from this. The Finnish Immigration Service reports that this year the applications of the child arriving to the country have taken approximately 460 days to process, whereas the family reunification applications for other members of the family has taken on average around 690 days.

    Itä-Savo 20 December 2011


Stop deportations from Örebro airport

Sweden 

The Green party and the Left party in Örebro demand an end to deportations from the Örebro airport. Still as recently as on 15 December the airport was used to forcefully deport refugees back to Afghanistan. – We want the airport to be used for travelling and development of the Örebro region, not to forcefully send people directly back into ongoing wars, says Jihad Menhem from the County Council.

    SVT 20 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Santa Claus handed out gifts to refugee children

Sweden 

Around 50 people came together yesterday to participate in a Christmas gathering organized by the Älvkarleö reception center in Kunda. Some 30 refugee children received presents from Santa Claus who came to visit them. Dolls, pencils, games and teddy bears were among the presents handed out to the children. Jenny Ronnefors, who is a receptionist at Älvkarleö and organizer of the event, was moved to tears when the refugee children received their Christmas presents. – This is the best Christmas present I could have ever received, she said.

    Arbetarbladet 20 December 2011 (in Swedish)

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Thursday 22 December 2011 to Wednesday 4 January 2012

Stateless criminals granted Danish citizenship

Denmark 

The political opposition is now calling for a change to the 1961 UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The issue concerns granting citizenship to stateless persons in Denmark. Candidates for naturalization are usually approved by the Government without much debate. However, out of the 1,700 applicants in December, 36 are known to have committed serious offences in Denmark and one is considered a threat to national security. Currently some 460 stateless individuals reside in Denmark; most of them are children of Palestinian refugees. The 1961 UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness entitles these individuals to Danish citizenship. However, some political parties disagree with a convention that allows candidates who ordinarily would be denied citizenship due to their criminal past.

    The Copenhagen Post 21 December 2011 (in English)
    Jyllands-Posten 21 December 2011 (in English)

Danish Immigration Service split

Denmark 

The Danish Government reorganises the much criticized Danish Immigration Service. In 2012 applications regarding family reunification will be treated in a newly created Immigration Service under the Ministry of Justice while work permits will be handled by a new agency under the Ministry of Employment. However, the Government is divided on the recent changes.

    Jyllands-Posten 22 December 2011 (in Danish)
    Berlingske 23 December 2011 (in Danish)

Traumatized refugee children need help

Denmark 

There is a shortage of guardians for unaccompanied refugee children and youth. Currently, 54 children are in acute need of a guardian in Denmark. According to the law, all children under 18 have the right to a custodian and it is up to the municipalities to find these. The Danish Red Cross is now assisting in finding and training people for the job. The number of unaccompanied minors that receive a residence permit has drastically increased from previous years; up until November last year, 152 unaccompanied minors received residence permits.

    TV/midt-vest 26 December 2011 (in Danish)
    B.T. 26 December 2011 (in Danish)
    Dansk Radio 26 December 2011 (in Danish)

Severely disabled boy deported

Denmark 

The Danish Government wants it to be easier for severely disabled asylum-seekers to be allowed to stay in Denmark on humanitarian grounds. Still, humanitarian residence has been denied for 12-year old Zoran Markovic, who is seriously ill and disabled. Markovic's illness was not considered serious enough for him to be granted a residence permit. However, Eva Singer from the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) argues that the Ministry of Justice should have a more comprehensive approach when assessing cases like this.  DRC has asked the Ministry of Justice to reconsider the case.

    Sjælands Nyheder 29 December 2011 (in Danish)

Refugees more likely to die from infectious diseases

Denmark 

Refugees and immigrants are more likely than native Danes to die from infectious diseases such as tuberculosis or AIDS. A study of more than 56,000 refugees and immigrants in Denmark shows that the mortality rate is especially high amongst those coming from hot spot refugee camps and sub-Saharan Africa. Part of the explanation behind the high mortality rates is more infectious diseases and poor health care services in the countries where the refugees arrive from. Furthermore, there are no Danish national standards for health check-ups for quota refugees upon arrival, causing many refugees to go untreated for their infectious diseases. Only 27 per cent of Danish municipalities have guidelines in this area. Danish People's Party now demands mandatory health check of all refugees and immigrants arriving in the country.

    Jyllands-Posten 2 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Kristeligt Dagblad January 2012 (in Danish)
    Fyens 2 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Videnskab 2 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Dansk Radio 2 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Lorry 2 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Dansk Radio 3 January 2012 (in English)

No need to panic over increase in early retirement among immigrants

Denmark has seen a 51 per cent increase in early retirement among non-Western immigrants. Local Government Denmark (LGDK) explains that this is mainly due to more non-Western immigrants residing within Denmark compared to five years ago. Figures show that early retirement among those under the age of thirty is slightly lower among immigrants than native Danes. However, older immigrants go on early retirement more often compared to native Danes. According to LGDK there is a completely natural explanation to this. - There are two groups in which early retirement is significantly higher than the national average. The first group is persons who have had a hard life and are worn down; typically found among Turkish immigrants. The second group is immigrants having to deal with psychological traumas, common among Bosnian immigrants, says Vivian Jordansen from LGDK.

    Jyllands-Posten 2 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Avisen 2 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Danske Kommuner Nyhedsmagasinet 2 January 2012
    Dansk Radio 2 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Århus Stiftstidende 3 January 2012 (in Danish)

Pudasjärvi wants more immigrants

Finland 

The small town of Pudasjärvi, located in Northern Ostrobothnia, needs more immigrants. The city's goal is that every tenth citizen is an immigrant by 2018. The city would then have the same number of immigrants per resident as Helsinki. The city has seen many of its inhabitants move elsewhere and now has around 9,000 residents. It has also announced that it will start receiving quota-refugees. The first refugees are due to arrive within a few weeks from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    Taloussanomat 22 December 2011 (in Finnish)
    Radiomega 22 December 2011 (in Finnish)

MP's racist comment on Facebook wall might be criminal

Finland 

Racist comments have been posted on True Finns MP James Hirvisaari's Facebook wall. The comments are insulting towards immigrants and state that all Arabs are inclined to commit sexual violence. James Hirvisaari says that he is not aware of the comments. According to Matti Tolanen, professor of criminal and procedural law of the University of Eastern Finland, the comments can be regarded as criminal. He adds that Hirvisaari could be held responsible of the content published on his Facebook page, even if it is not directly written by him.

    MTV3 22 December 2011 (in Finnish)

Bishop questions decision to send back Iranian man

Finland 

Bishop Irja Askola is going to send a letter to the Supreme Administrative Court to defend the negative decision received by an Iranian man who has converted to Christianity in Finland. Earlier this week the Administrative Court of Helsinki refused the man's asylum application since it did not deem it credible. The man claims that he will experience religious persecution if sent back to Iran.  Bishop Irja Askola wonders if there is enough theological expertise in the Court to determine a person's Christian beliefs.

    Kotimaa24 23 December 2011 (in Finnish)

Processing period of residence permits varies

Finland 

The time that asylum-seekers have to wait for a decision on their asylum application varies greatly. The immigration supervisor of Kotka municipality, Pirjo Puolakka, says that the applications will be processed on average within a year, the fastest in a few months. Applications will be processed at the immigration office, where the applications are divided between different officers depending on the country of origin of the asylum-seeker. If a large number of persons from one country apply for asylum, this can slow down the processing time for their applications.

    YLE 28 December 2011 (in Finnish)

Biometric residence card complicates illegal immigration

Finland 

It will become more difficult to be an illegal immigrant in Finland in 2012, when biometric residence permits are introduced. All residence permits, asylum and visa applications will start to feature fingerprints in addition to a picture. Fingerprints will be stored in the electric register of the Finnish Immigration Service, When applying for extension or permanent residence permit new fingerprints will be taken.

    YLE 29 December 2011 (in Finnish)

Soini wants more sensible immigration policy

Finland 

The presidential candidate of the True Finns party, Timo Soini, wants a more sensible and reasonable immigration policy. As an example he says a wife and a daughter of a foreigner can be deported if the father of the family does not earn enough, whereas a murderer or a rapist can stay in the country. Soini wants a policy that would make the population respond to immigrants more positively. – I hope that after the first term of the new president, Finns will have understood how valuable immigrants are to us, Soini says.

    Turun Sanomat 29 December 2011 (in Finnish)
    Aamulehti 29 December 2011 (in Finnish)
    Ilta-Sanomat 29 December 2011 (in Finnish)

Job quotas proposed for immigrants

Finland 

The employability of immigrants in Kuopio may soon be improved through job quotas. Jarmo Rautjärvi, social director of Kuopio, says that the city could decide on a recommendation where there would be a ratio of people with foreign background being hired. This would concern around 100 employees. According to Rautjärvi hiring more immigrants to work for the city would also improve its services, since a growing number of customers have a foreign background.

    YLE 30 December 2011 (in Finnish)

Governments argue for tolerance

Finland 

The Swedish and Finnish governments have opened websites to respond to extreme right-wing views on immigration. The recent immigration debate in Finland has led the authorities to reconsider what kind of discussions on this topic should be appropriate. Ritva Viljanen, Permanent Secretary of the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations (ETNO), supports the Government's decision to answer criticism. According to her, no-one should be silenced or excluded in the discussion, but the debate on immigration should not be based on racist theories or myths.

    YLE Svenska 30 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Biaudet positive to immigration

Finland 

Eva Biaudet, presidential candidate for the Swedish People's Party, does not understand the fear of immigration. -It seems to me that we should rather be happy that someone wants to see Finland as a possible place to live and build a community, she says. Finland needs work-based immigration in the future, but there is a fear that skilled labour does not want to come to Finland if there are unfavourable attitudes. Biaudet sees no reason to dismantle the existing social networks of immigrants coming to Finland. She would welcome the families of immigrants, including children and grandparents. In her presidential campaign Biaudet has emphasised themes of gender equality, openness and tolerance.

    Seinäjoen Sanomat 31 December 2011 (in Finnish)

    NB. this story was also covered in Sweden

    Sveriges Radio 29 December 2011 (in Finnish)

New Norwegian passport legislation

Norway 

A new citizenship law will most likely come into force in the spring of 2012. Those who were between 14 and 17 years old when they got their first residence permit will be granted Norwegian passports. The new legislation will not apply to Hewa Rashid and Dizeh Zewar who were just over 17 when they fled from the Iraq war in 1999. They are disappointed that they are still not considered Norwegian citizens after paying taxes for 13 years. Records show that 2,422 similar cases were rejected between 2010 and November 2011, because of ID doubts. 582 of these cases involved children.

    NRK 27 December 2011 (in Norwegian)

Ministry of Justice will not allow illegal workers to pay tax

Norway 

Jon Ole Martinsen at Self Help for Immigrants and Refugees argues that illegal immigrants should be allowed to work and pay tax. Pål Lønseth, State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, disagrees. The Government focuses its resources on returning rejected asylum-seekers to their countries of origin.

    Aftenposten 29 December 2011:1 (in Norwegian)
    Aftenposten 29 December 2011:2 (in Norwegian)

Norway to receive 1,200 quota refugees next year

Norway 

In 2012 the Norwegian resettlement quota will remain at 1,200, with refugees originating from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran and Somalia. According to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, 60 per cent of the quota refugees in 2012 will be women. In 2011, the annual quota of 1,200 was expanded with an additional 100 persons arriving as a result of the conflict in Libya.

    Dagbladet 29 December 2011 (in Norwegian)
    P4 29 December 2011 (in Norwegian)
    MRE.no 29 December 2011 (in Norwegian)

Municipalities demand more financial support

Sweden 

Several municipalities in Scania county demand that the state reimburse them for additional costs related to the increasing reception of unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors. Representatives from the municipalities have already written a letter to and met with the Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, Tobias Billström.

    SVT 23 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    Skånskan 23 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Still no solution on health care for paperless persons

Sweden 

Three and a half years after the Government promised to look over the rules regarding health care for so-called paperless persons, the question is still not solved. In the spring of 2011 the Government published an investigation on health care for paperless persons. The report recommended that paperless persons should receive subsidised health care. However, the economical calculations were rejected by Tobias Billström, Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy. Since then nothing has happened. Now some 50 organizations and federations of labour unions urgently demand better care for people without legal permission to stay in the country.

    Sveriges Radio 26 December 2011 (in Swedish)

- Sweden accepts more refugees than before

Sweden 

According to Mikael Ribbenvik, Director for Legal Affairs at the Swedish Migration Board, Sweden is experiencing a paradigm shift, in which Sweden accepts more people than before. Ribbenvik says the debate about a harsher refugee policy is distorted. – During the first half of the 21st century we granted residence permits to some 40,000 persons annually. During the second half the number was 100,000, states Ribbenvik. However, the numbers include asylum cases, family reunification, quota refugees and labour migrants.

    Dagen 27 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Municipality requests more funding for family reunification

Sweden 

Gnosjö municipality has written to the Government requesting more funding to deal with the increasing number of family reunification cases among Somalis in 2012. There are new rules regarding family reunification that will come into force 1 July 2012. The new rules make it easier for Somali families to reunite even if their Somali identity documents have not been recognised by the Swedish authorities.

    Sveriges Radio 27 December 2011 (in Swedish)

Municipal politicians issue a complaint against Billström

Sweden 

Politicians in the surrounding municipalities of Malmö have written a letter to Tobias Billström, Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, complaining about the situation of unaccompanied refugee children. Malmö, that annually receives around 1,000 unaccompanied minors, places some of the children for example in a transit accommodation outside the city. This worries some of the politicians in the surrounding areas. – We do not have room for more children, says Andres Bergman, Mayor of Lomma.

    Dagens Nyheter 2 January 2012 (in Swedish
    Sveriges Radio 2 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Helsingborgs Dagbladet 2 January 2012 (in Swedish)

More Afghans seek asylum in Sweden

Sweden 

In 2011 most asylum applications were lodged by Afghans (over 4,000); the number increased with 72 per cent compared to 2010. The number of asylum-seekers from Syria increased with 52 per cent, according to the Swedish Migration Board. In total, some 29,648 persons sought asylum in Sweden in 2011 compared to 31,819 in 2010. Around 30 per cent of the applicants were allowed to stay, compared to 28 per cent in 2010. – Sweden is one of the European countries accepting most asylum-seekers, says the Swedish Migration Board. There were also many asylum-seekers originating from Somalia, Serbia, Eritrea and Iraq. The number of asylum-seekers from Bosnia-Herzegovina increased with almost 700 per cent, from 123 persons in 2010 to 981 in 2011.

    Dagens Nyheter 2 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Folkbladet 2 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Sydsvenskan 24 December 2012 (in Swedish)
    Kristianstadsbladet 2 January 2012 (in Swedish) 
    TV4 2 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Sveriges Radio 2 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Borås Tidning 2 January 2012 (in Swedish)

    NB. This story was also covered in Finland

    Aamulehti 2 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Åbo Underrättelser 2 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Itä-Savo 2 January 2012 (in Finnish)

UN seeks 20 million for Philippine floods

UNHCR in the news 

The United Nations appeals 30 million dollars for assistance to the flood-affected area of the Philippines. The funds are needed to provide clean water, food and temporary shelter for half a million people, whose lives were affected by the flood. The tropical storm Washi that killed around a thousand people has been described as similar to the effects of a tsunami. UNHCR has shipped blankets and food supplies for around 10,000 people in the flooded areas. Over 30,000 people have lost their homes.

    YLE 22 December 2011 (in Finnish)

Disagreement regarding death toll in Syria

UNHCR in the news 

In a report to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) [sic], Syria said more than 2,000 members of the security forces had been killed since the uprising begun in March. According to UNHCR more than 5,000 persons have been killed, a number the Syrian regime disputes.

    Dagens Nyheter 22 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    Kristianstadsbladet 22 December 2011 (in Swedish)

UNHCR: - Afghan strategy a mistake

UNHCR in the news 

Peter Nicolaus, representative for UNHCR in Afghanistan, describes the Agency's strategy in Afghanistan as the biggest mistake UNHCR ever made. Almost a quarter of Afghanistan's population is refugees returning from Pakistan and Iran. Many find themselves homeless or living in slums. The UN has only recently started working on reintegrating them into society. Nicolaus says the international community has failed to help returnees find means to earn a living and therefore to reintegrate into society.

    Sveriges Radio 27 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    Arbetarbladet 27 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    Aftonbladet 27 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    Dagens Nyheter 27 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    GP 27 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    Svenska Dagbladet 27 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    Sydösterbotten 27 December 2011 (in Swedish)
    Helsingin Sanomat 27 December 2011 (in Finnish)
    Ilta-Sanomat 27 December 2011 (in Finnish)
    Dagsavisen 27 December 2011 (in Norwegian)
    Politiken 27 December 2011 (in Danish)
    Berlingske 27 December 2011 (in Danish)
    DR 27 December 2011 (in Danish)
    Jyllands-Posten 27 December 2011 (in Danish)
    Avisen 27 December 2011 (in Danish)

Estonia helps Georgia prevent violence against women

UNHCR in the news 

The Foreign Ministry in Estonia has donated 55,000 euros to the UN Refugee Agency for its work against sexual and domestic violence among internally displaced women in Georgia. According to reports by UNHCR and its partners, violence against women is common in Georgia. However, the Georgian government works together with the UN and local non-governmental organizations to resolve this situation.

    http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/baltic_news/?doc=8450
    The Baltic Course 28 December 2011 (in English)

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Integration procedures updated in Lieksa

Finland 

The city of Lieksa will change its integration procedures for immigrants and refugees. This is the third time the procedures are being renewed. One of the reasons for the revision is that the law has changed a lot in the last few years. There are around 300 immigrants in Lieksa.

    YLE 4 January 2012 (in Finnish)

Minister concerned about immigration in Greater Helsinki

Finland 

Krista Kiuru, Minister of Housing and Communications, calls for better co-operation between municipalities of the Greater Helsinki region to ensure a skilled workforce and affordable housing. Kiuru is worried about increased segregation. – The number of immigrants will more than double in the next 20 years. To meet the demand for labour we need to ensure the supply of workers from both in- and outside the region, says Kiuru.

    Uusisuomi 4 January 2012 (in Finnish)

Municipalities cannot afford family reunification

Sweden 

This summer, up to 400 Somali refugees are expected to arrive in Katrineholm municipality in Södermanland County. This is due to changes to the regulations on family reunification that will come into force 1 July 2012. Family ties can then be proven by DNA-testing instead of only ID-documents. Göran Dahlström, member of the Social Democratic Party and Chairman of the Municipality Council in Katrineholm, says that the community cannot afford to receive the refugees' families. – We do not have a single accommodation available, says Dahlström. However, the Government has set aside 850 million SEK for implementing the family reunification reform.

    Sveriges Radio 6 January 2012 (in Swedish)

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Saturday 7 January to Monday 9 January 2012

Rejected families stay in Denmark

Denmark 

Some 68 rejected asylum-seekers, including children, have stayed in Denmark for more than 10 years because they cannot be forcibly returned to their country of origin and they do not wish to return voluntarily. Reports show that if asylum-seekers live in uncertainty for a long time it can cause psychological traumas and even lead to suicide. – It's a humanitarian catastrophe that people are left in uncertainty for such a long time, says Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen from the Red-Green-Alliance. An amnesty clause in the immigration law states that rejected asylum-seekers not able to return within 18 months should be granted a residence permit, but this clause is rarely applied.

    Berlingske 7 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Jyllands-Posten 6 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Avisen 7 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Kristeligt Dagblad 7 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Fyens 7 January 2012 (in Danish)

Finland deported homosexual asylum-seekers

Finland 

Asylum-seekers belonging to sexual minority groups are still treated against international agreements. From 2008-2010 Finland has sent back at least ten asylum-seekers to countries where homosexuality is against the law and can lead to a death sentence. It is suggested that the Finnish immigration authorities have encouraged asylum-seekers who are being sent back to their countries of origin to hide their sexuality or move to safer areas. Even though these negative decisions are in beach of Finnish law, they are against international standards.  – If these decisions were compared to UNHCR's guidelines they would noticeably be wrong decisions, says researcher Outi Lepola.

    YLE 9 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    YLE Svenska Nyheter 9 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Helsingin Sanomat 9 January 2012 (in Finnish)

Rejected Afghan asylum-seekers finding their way back to Norway

Norway 

Many rejected Afghan asylum-seekers who have been forcibly returned are trying to get back to Norway with false documentation. Zaki Karimi is one of them, desperately trying to get back to his wife and children in Norway.

    http://www.tv2.no/nyheter/utenriks/sendt-med-tvang-til-afghanistan-paa-vei-tilbake-til-norge-3677273.html
    TV2 8 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

Fewer refugees come to Sweden, immigration from EU increased

Sweden 

Immigration to Sweden is still at a high level, but the number of refugees has been halved in recent years. EU citizens from countries such as Poland and Romania account for the largest increase in immigration, according to new statistics. Between 2006 and 2007 there was a peak in the number of refugees coming to Sweden due to immigration from Iraq. Since then the number of refugees has halved, even though it is now slowly rising again. Across Europe the number of asylum-seekers from Afghanistan increased. Afghans were also the largest group to receive residence permit (3,160) in Sweden in 2011. Meanwhile the number of Somali asylum-seekers has decreased. 

    Dagens Nyheter 8 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Sveriges Radio 8 January 2012 (in English)

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Tuesday 10 January to Wednesday 11 January 2012

Medical clinic for illegal immigrants a success from the start

Denmark 

The medical clinic for illegal immigrants in Copenhagen has been a success from its start some five months ago. The clinic is run by non-governmental organizations on a secret address and is staffed by volunteers. Typical patients are illegal immigrants from Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East who do not dare to seek public medical care for fear of being sent out of the country.

     DR 9 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Jyllands-Posten 9 January 2012 (in Danish)

Immigration policy about to change in Denmark

Denmark 

The point system for family reunification will be eliminated and a greater focus will be put on language courses in Danish. The point system, introduced by the previous government in 2010, required people wanting to reunite with family members in Denmark to earn a certain amount of points based on educational, job and language skills. – The system has been a bureaucratic obstacle for normal functioning families to reunite while at the same time highly criticized by the business community, says Morten Bødskov Minister of Justice. The new proposal on immigration policy will, in large, be a return to the practice before the point system.

    Information 9 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Berlingske 9 January 2012 (in Danish)
    DR 9 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Jyllands-Posten 9 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Politiken 9 January 2012:1 (in Danish)
    Politiken 9 January 2012:2 (in Danish)

Eight persons granted asylum in 2011

Estonia 

Last year eight persons were granted asylum in Estonia. In 2011 some 67 persons sought asylum, compared to 33 in 2010.

    Rus Delfi 10 January 2012 (in Russian)

Record number of asylum-seekers

Latvia 

In 2011 some 335 persons sought asylum in Latvia, according to statistics from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs. Last year 27 people received refugee status or subsidiary protection. The majority of the asylum-seekers originate from Georgia (176), followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (39) and Russia (18). In 2010, there were 61 asylum-seekers in Latvia.

    The Baltic Course 5 January 2012 (in English)
    Telegraf 6 January 2012 (in Russian)

Asylum-seekers to receive free emergency health care

Norway 

Hospitals will be required to cover the cost of childbirth and other medical emergency assistance for asylum-seekers. Minister of Health and Care Services, Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen, states this in a letter to the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights. The letter was preceded by harsh criticism from the Association regarding a case back in November of 2011 when an Ethiopian woman was billed NOK 17,000 for giving birth in a Norwegian hospital. The Association for Women's Rights deemed it "inhumane" to charge a woman who had just been rejected asylum and who had no funds to pay for the hospital stay.

    Dagsavisen 9 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

Discrimination of job-seekers with foreign names

New research shows that the likelihood of being called for a job interview drops by 25 per cent on average for applicants with foreign names. Almost two thousand fictitious job applications were submitted. For each job advertisement two almost identical applications were sent. The researchers then compared the applications with traditional Norwegian names to those with foreign names. The study also indicates that the level of discrimination is higher in the private sector than in the public sector. Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion Audun Lysbakken is both disappointed and worried about the results.

    Verdens Gang 10 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

Major fines facing those who hire people without work permit

Norway 

So far, 30 Norwegian employers have been fined for having hired illegal workers. Among them is Stavanger University Hospital that was fined for having employed ten people without work permits. Politicians around the country now admit that it was a big mistake by the Government to deprive undocumented people the right to work. It all started in Trondheim in late September 2011 when the City Council decided to send an inquiry to the Government about whether the paperless could get work permits, and meanwhile established a local solution.

    Aftenposten 10 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Verdens Gang 10 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    E24 10 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Dagsavisen 10 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

Suspected arson in reception centre

Sweden 

On Tuesday 10 January a reception centre for asylum-seekers caught fire in Gärdshyttan, Askersunds municipality. The police are treating the fire as possible arson. No-one was injured in the fire.

    SVT 10 January 2012 (in Swedish)

Halmstad municipality to receive 100 refugees

Sweden 

The municipal committee of Halmstad has proposed to receive 100 newly arrived refugees this year. Previously Halmstad had a contract with the Swedish Migration Board to receive 150 refugees annually. Meanwhile the Sweden Democrats have objected to the proposal. The matter will be solved in the City Council.

    SVT 10 January 2012 (in Swedish)

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Thursday 12 January to Friday 13 January 2012

Government looking to renew visa procedures

Denmark 

The Danish Minister for Justice says amendments allowing Schengen partners to process Danish visas are under way. The Government is looking into changing a law passed last year that left Denmark without consulates in 27 countries. - The ministry is working on an amendment that will allow our Schengen partners to once again process visa applications for Denmark, Justice Minister Bødskov told Politiken. The Foreign Ministry has expressed concern for months about the effects of the visa restrictions on tourism and commerce in Denmark.

    Jyllands-Posten 11 January 2012 (in Danish)
    The Copenhagen Post 12 January 2012 (in English)

Growing interest for Estonian citizenship among Russians

Estonia 

In 2011, Estonian authorities issued some 2,066 new Estonian passports in Russia of which half where issued to new citizens. The number is significantly higher than previous years. This is considered to be due to a growing interest in living anywhere within the EU and visa-free travel to the US that an Estonian passport would allow. Thousands of Russians have a legal claim to Estonian citizenship if able to prove that at least one parent was an Estonian citizen before 16 June 1940.

    http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/30290/
    The Baltic Times 11 January 2012 (in English)

148 new citizens in Estonia

Estonia 

The Estonian government is expected to pass a draft law giving Estonian citizenship to 148 individuals. In total, 1,498 persons were naturalized in Estonia in 2011, 314 more than in the all-time low year of 2010. The number of stateless residents has steadily declined since the country gained independence in 1990. In 1992, stateless residents made up 32 per cent of the population while the same number was 8 per cent in 2011.

    Postimees 9 January 2012 (in English)

Finland responsible for deporting gay asylum-seekers

Finland 

Finland has continuously deported homosexual asylum-seekers to countries where homosexuality is still a crime. According to the Ministry of Interior, Finland is now responsible if anything happens to the deported asylum-seekers due to their sexual orientation. Director-General of the Ministry of Interior's Immigration Department, Pentti Visanen, believes that Finland is responsible for the safety of these asylum-seekers. – If human rights violations have occurred then they should not have been sent back and Finland is responsible, says Visanen.

    YLE 11 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    YLE 9 January 2012 (in English)

Fewer new refugees join the workforce

Norway 

55 per cent of refugees completing the Norwegian introduction program go on to work or education. The percentage has declined in recent years and the trend continues, according to new statistics. Among men 66 per cent are working or studying, while the corresponding figure for women is 46 per cent. Differences based on nationality can also be seen; 71 per cent of Ethiopians were working a year after completing the introductory program while the same number for Somalis was 39 per cent.

    Verdens Gang 11 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Hamar Arbeiderblad 11 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Aura Avis 11 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

Deportations to Syria despite violence

Sweden 

The Swedish Migration Board continues to deport rejected Syrian asylum-seekers back to their country of origin, despite continued violence there. In 2011 some 500 Syrians sought asylum in Sweden, but only 100 were granted asylum. According to the Swedish Migration Board there are severe conflicts in Syria, yet the situation cannot be classified as an armed conflict. To state that there is armed conflict would mean that both of the parties involved in the conflict are equally strong. It is only in the case of armed conflict that deportations to Syria can be halted. The UN estimates that over 5,000 people have been killed during the last nine months in Syria.

    Sveriges Radio 11 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Dagens Nyheter 11 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Sveriges Radio 11 January 2012 (in English)

Language analysis under scrutiny

Sweden 

The Swedish Migration Board (SMB) has announced that it will launch an extensive inquiry into the quality of the language analysis used to determine origin of asylum-seekers. The announcement follows extensive criticism by the Swedish Migration Courts of the poor quality of the language analysis. SMB has based negative decisions in asylum cases on findings from these tests. The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has suggested that there are national qualification tests for language analysts. Today the analysts only have to pass the tests given by the language analysis agencies.

    SVT 12 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    SVT 12 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Dagens Nyheter (DN I: 12) 12 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Dagens Nyheter (DN I: 12) 13 January 2012 (in Swedish)

Eritrean refugees abducted and killed

UNHCR in the news 

Eritrean refugees are abducted and killed by human traffickers in Sudan, according to UNHCR. There is a network of criminals, smugglers and human traffickers who profit from the desperate situation of Eritreans leaving the country, says UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, after a visit to the Shagarab refugee camp in Sudan. Many people are kidnapped for ransom and in Sinai, Egypt, there are cases in which Eritrean refugees are killed for their organs, according to Guterres. UNHCR will work closely with Sudanese authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to strengthen security around refugee camps where Eritreans who have fled the Eritrean military service are living. Guterres further states that this is not only a Sudanese issue as these gangs are operating on an international level. Cooperation between several countries is necessary in order to stop them.

    Verdens Gang 13 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

[Roope]

Saturday 14 January to Monday 16 January 2012

Many want to help unaccompanied minors

Denmark 

In late December Danish media reported there was an acute need of guardians for unaccompanied minors. Some 250 Danes contacted the Danish Red Cross wanting to become guardians to support these children and help them with their contacts with authorities. In 2011, Denmark received 152 unaccompanied minors.

    Dansk Radio 13 January 2012 (in Danish)

Changed immigration policies

Denmark 

The Government and the Red-Green-Alliance began negotiations on amendments to the immigration policies on 12 January. The Government has in a draft for a new immigration policy proposed the following; to abolish language tests, application fees and the point system for family reunification as well as reducing the bank guarantee from 100,000 to 50,000 Danish krone. Immigrants will have to pass a language test within six months of getting their personal identification number. The two-year-rule, stating that children of immigrants may be denied family reunification if they arrive in Denmark more than two years after their parents, is still under discussion.

    Berlingske 13 January 2012 (in Danish)

Presidential candidates discuss racism in electoral debate

Finland 

Presidential candidates debated at Järvenpää high school on 12 January. Racism, internationalism and discrimination were high on the agenda. True Finns party chair Timo Soini was confronted with a question regarding why he has not taken a clearer stand against racism. Other presidential candidates particularly criticized Soini's appointment of True Finns politician Jussi Halla-aho to chair the parliamentary committee dealing with immigration.

    Yle 13 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Yle 13 January 2012 (in English)

Influx of illegal immigrants from Georgia

Lithuania 

Lithuania has experienced an influx of illegal immigrants from Georgia over the last couple of years. According to the Pabrade-based Foreigners' Registration Center, a centre for illegal immigrants and people seeking asylum, out of the 508 foreigners at the centre over half were Georgian nationals.

    Baltic News Service 10 January 2012 (in English)


Minister for Integration: Upgrade Swedish citizenship

Sweden 

The Government will initiate a study on how citizenship can be upgraded and used as a tool for integration. The study will amongst other things propose ceremonies for new Swedish citizens. - In countries with successful integration policies like Canada, US and Australia, citizenship ceremonies is a given, writes Erik Ullenhag, Minister for Integration.

    Dagens Nyheter 16 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    TV 4 Nyheter 16 January 2012 (in Swedish)

A Sweden Democrat resigns

Sweden 

In the municipality of Halmstad, a local politician Göran Lundqvist from the Sweden Democrat's (SD) resigns. He says SD is not speaking the truth. – I no longer buy their lies regarding immigration, Lundqvist says. He was elected chairperson of SD in Halmstad last year.

    Göteborgs Tidningen 15 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Göteborgs-Posten 15 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Dagens Nyheter 15 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Ystads Allehanda 15 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Sydsvenskan 15 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Svenska Dagbladet 15 January 2012 (in Swedish)

Few affected by stricter rules for family reunification

Sweden 

Since spring 2010, immigrants who want to reunite with their families have to arrange housing and show they can take care of their family members financially. In 2011 the Swedish Migration Board turned down almost 11,000 applications for family reunification. Some 177 of these decisions were due to the stricter rules on family reunification.

    Sveriges Radio Ekot 16 January 2012 (in Swedish)

Charities find tax deduction benefit difficult

Sweden 

Swedish Tax Agency has only received some twenty applications from charity organizations wanting to implement the tax deduction benefit. The tax deduction makes it possible for individual donors to use their donations to benefit from tax reductions. Many charity organizations do not even consider applying for this benefit since they find the procedures too difficult. In Sweden there is 328 charity organizations with a so-called 90-account. Every year they collect hundreds of millions of Swedish krona in voluntary contributions from private donors. Some 50 organizations were asked about their view on the tax deduction benefit. UNHCR Insamlingsstiftelse says they follow the developments with great interest.

    Sydsvenskan 16 January 2012 (in Swedish)

The current situation in Haiti

UNHCR in the news 

Two years after the earthquake in Haiti many problems persist. International aid has been a disappointment, since all promised contributions have not materialised. Even though the number of tent cities has been reduced, many persons continue to be homeless. According to UNHCR's regional representative, Vincent Cochetel, many have moved to already overcrowded shanty towns. – These persons are a future time bomb, he says. Haiti was one of the world's poorest countries already prior to the earthquake.   

    Aamulehti 14 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Verkkouutiset 14 January 2012 (in Finnish)

[Roope]

Tuesday 17 January to Wednesday 18 January 2012

Immigrants disproportionately inactive

Denmark 

Out of almost 80,000 young people who have not been working or studying during the last six months, some 26,000 are either immigrants or descendants of immigrants, according to a study made by the Economic Council of the Labour Movement. When it comes to vocational programs, drop-out rates are almost twice as high among immigrants compared to ethnic Danes according to another study made by the Danish Institute of Governmental Research (AFK). Hans Hummelgaard, researcher at AFK, is worried that these individuals will remain on welfare as the jobs they can get without an education are disappearing from Denmark.

    Jyllands-Posten 17 January 2012 (in Danish)
    TV2 Nyhederna 17 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Dansk Radio 17 January 2012 (in English)

Supreme Administrative Court stops deportation of Iranian homosexual

Finland 

The Supreme Administrative Court has stopped the deportation of a homosexual Iranian asylum-seeker. According to the Court's decision, further investigation is needed to determine whether the man in question will face persecution in his country of origin due to his sexual orientation. The case has been returned to the Finnish Immigration Service for reconsideration. This precedent setting case will for example affect the Finnish Immigration Board so it can no longer urge homosexual asylum-seekers to return to their country of origin and hide their sexual orientation. It also clarifies how persecution in the asylum-seekers' country of origin will be evaluated. 

    YLE 17 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Helsingin Sanomat 17 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Turun Sanomat 17 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Huvfudstadsbladet 17 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Pohjolan Sanomat 17 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Aamulehti 18 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    YLE 18 January 2012 (in English)

Hanko wants to resettle 30 Burmese refugees

Finland 

The town of Hanko is interested in receiving 30 refugees from Burma. The authorities will discuss the issue on Thursday. In 2007 Hanko received four Burmese refugee families and the same year it decided to receive refugees every third year. Already last year Hanko tried to get more Burmese refugees to the municipality.

    http://svenska.yle.fi/nyheter/artikel.php?id=235610
    Svenska Yle 16 January 2012 (in Swedish)

Luleå municipality wants to host new Migration Court

Sweden 

The country's fourth Migration Court should be situated in Luleå, says a delegation from Norrbotten County. This was the delegation's message to Beatrice Ask Minister for Justice. Currently there are three Migration Courts, which deal with asylum cases. They are located in Malmo, Stockholm and Gothenburg. In order to speed up the work a forth Migration Court will be established in Norrbotten county. The delegation wishes that a decision will be made by the end of February.

    Sverige Radio 17 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Piteå-Tidningen 18 January 2012 (in Swedish)

Integration from a local and global perspective

Sweden 

In Haparanda a local integration project is run in order to make it easier for refugees to get access to the Swedish society. On Thursday 12 January the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) held a presentation about its work for refugees globally. Karin Davin from UNHCR Office for the Baltic and Nordic Countries located in Stockholm talked about UNHCR's work for forcibly displaced persons worldwide. She explained the difference between an economic migrant and a refugee and informed that UNHCR is a non-political organization that aims to offer durable solutions for forcibly displaced persons.

    Haparandabladet 17 January 2012 p:12 (in Swedish)

37 unaccompanied children from Tunisia resettled in Norway

Norway 

This week 37 [sic] unaccompanied refugee children fleeing the conflict in Libya have received a new home in Norway. This is the largest group of unaccompanied minors arriving at the same time in Norway. The 37 children have lived in Shousha refugee camp located in Tunisia near the Libyan border. The majority of them are originally from Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia and almost 70 per cent are boys. Norway has received these children as part of its annual resettlement quota. They have been resettled with the help of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). UNHCR has called upon states to offer more resettlement places for the remaining refugees who have fled the conflict in Libya and who are unable to return there or to their country of origin.

    Aftenbladet 17 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Avisen Agder 17 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Webfinanser 17 January 2012 (in English)
    TV 2 17 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    ABC Nyheter 17 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Avisa Møre 18 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Norway News 17 January 2012 (in English)

Largest number of Iraqi refugees returning home since 2004

UNHCR in the news 

New statistics from UNHCR shows that 62,340 refugees returned to Iraq between December 2010 and November 2011. This is the highest number since 2004, when 193,997 refugees returned home. Iraq was invaded by US-led forces in 2003. Syria who has been hosting the largest number of refugees informed that 24,730 Iraqis returned home in 2011. UNHCR believes that many decided to return in 2011 as the Iraqi government increased support to former refugees.

    Dagbladet 18 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Hamar Arbeiderblad 18 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

[Roope]

Thursday 19 January to Friday 20 January 2012

Many Russian speakers in Estonia do not want Estonian nationality

Estonia 

The number of stateless people is high in Estonia. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there are only seven other countries in the world that have the same amount of stateless people in relation to the population. UNHCR encourages Estonia to hand out more passports, but the problem is not as simple. Remaining without nationality gives benefits that not everyone is willing to give up. Koidu Mesilane, Head of the Citizenship and Migration Department of the Police and Border Guard Board, says many people don't consider citizenship necessary. – For them it is enough that they can get to Russia without visa for a business trip or to see relatives, he says.

    NB. This story was covered in Finland.
    Kaleva 18 January 2012 (in Finnish)

Over 900 persons sent back to Lithuania in 2011

Lithuania 

In 2011, some 903 people were sent back to Lithuania for various reasons. That is an increase by 20 per cent compared to 2010. The increase is thought to be due to growing emigration from Lithuania in recent years. The state Border Guard confirms that among them were people who hade applied for asylum in Lithuania now trying to make their way to Western Europe. If detained in Western countries, they are returned to the first country of asylum according to the Dublin II Regulation.

    BNS 19 January 2012 (in English)

Eritreans risk imprisonment and torture in their home country

Norway 

Many paperless Eritreans try to stay in Norway despite the fact that they are not allowed to work in the country. There is an imminent risk that if they return to Eritrea they will end up in some of the world's most notorious prisons. All political opposition is banned in the African dictatorship where around 2,000 young Eritreans cross the border every month to escape persecution or getting picked up by the notorious military service. Kjetil Tronvoll, researcher at the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, says that no one should be sent back to Eritrea under current circumstances. Chances are they will end up in prison right upon arrival.

    Aftenbladet 19 January (in Norwegian) 

Family reunification to become easier

Sweden 

The Migration Court eases its interpretation of the ID requirements in relation to family reunifications. The new interpretation followed a Migration Court ruling allowing a mother and child to reunite with their Iranian father solely based on a DNA-test. This is thought to increase family reunifications from, first and foremost, Somalia. The Migration Court finds that a DNA-analysis can substitute the previously demanded identity documents to confirm a family bond. Mikael Ribbenvik, Director of Legal Affairs at the Swedish Migration Board, notes that the new interpretation of the law will make family reunifications possible if a kinship is "probable".

    Dagens Nyheter 20 January 2012  p:15 (in Swedish)
    Nerikes Allehanda 19 January 2012 (in Swedish)

Unaccompanied minors are welcome

Sweden 

The county of Halland has announced that all of its municipalities will welcome unaccompanied refugee children. This means that in total, there is place for 53 unaccompanied minors. The county almost doubles the number of unaccompanied refugee children it receives compared to last year.

    SVT 18 January 2012 (in Swedish)

Asylum-seekers teach themselves Swedish

Sweden 

Previously newly arrived asylum-seekers have received Swedish language lessons while waiting for a decision to stay in the country. But from 1 January onwards this will stop. According to the Swedish Migration Board, there is no need to teach Swedish because the time it takes to process applications has become shorter. In response to this, asylum-seekers in some areas such as in Horndal have begun to teach themselves Swedish.

    Sveriges Radio 19 January 2012 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Saturday 21 January to Monday 23 January 2012

Danes more realistic when estimating number of immigrants

Denmark 

A new transatlantic study from the German Marshall Fund shows that people in Western countries overestimate how many immigrants there actually are in their own countries. Researchers are worried that this misconception does not foster the debate about necessary immigration. – The discrepancy between the estimated number and the actual percentage of immigrants is a result of the politics in this part of the world describing immigration as a problem, says Ninna Nyberg Sørensen from Danish Institute for International Studies. However, Danes are more realistic compared to other countries. According to a Danish opinion poll Danes estimate that immigrants constitute 8.9 per cent of the population compared to the actual number of 7.9 per cent.

    Politiken 22 January 2012 (in Danish)

Unaccompanied refugee children have right to education

Finland 

– Unaccompanied children applying for international protection are entitled to free primary education, says Maija Sakslin, Deputy Ombudsman. According to Sakslin, the legislation should be revised in these cases, because both the Constitution and the Convention on the Rights of the Child requires it. An inspection in 2010 showed that primary education was not organized for unaccompanied minors in the municipality of Siuntio. At first the municipality said it had no legal obligation to provide education to unaccompanied minors but later it changed its mind. Sakslin also points out that it is important that unaccompanied minors have access to child welfare services. She calls for the Interior-, Social Affairs and Health Ministers to assist municipalities with child protection.

    Svenska YLE 20 January 2012 (in Swedish)

Film-maker criticizes Finland for deporting victims of torture

Finland 

Finland sends back dozens of tortured asylum-seekers to their country of origin every year. This is criticized by film-maker Mervi Junkkonen in her documentary film "Jälki Elämässä – Neljä tarinaa kidutuksesta". According to Junkkonen, deportation is a death sentence for many tortured asylum-seekers and Finland violates the Convention against torture by doing so. One of the tortured asylum-seekers in her film was deported and after three months he became unreachable.

    Aamulehti 21 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    MTV3 21 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Kaleva 21 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Turun Sanomat 23 January 2012 (in Finnish)

NB. This story was also covered in Sweden

    Dagens Nyheter 21 January 2012 (in Swedish)

26,000 applications for residency pending

Norway 

There are currently approximately 26,000 applications for residency waiting to be processed. Some 4,000 are asylum cases and approximately 700 of these have been pending for more than a year. – A number that is too high, says Ann-Magrit Austenå, Secretary General of the Norwegian Organization for Asylum Seekers (NOAS).   Ida Børresen, Director General of the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, agrees that application processes, especially during the appeal, are too lengthy. – Cutting the processing time of applications is a major challenge we are working on, Ida Børresen explains.

    Aftenposten 22 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

More complaints about interpreters in asylum cases

Sweden 

According to both asylum-seekers and the Swedish Migration Board, the interpreters used by the Board are not up to standards. More and more complaints about the interpreters are being submitted. The interpreters have been accused of misunderstanding several things in the asylum process. Asylum-seekers tell about interpreters who take long pauses to look for the right words, change their minds and are unclear when translating. – We see a great variation in the quality of the interpreters that we use. Some are very good but in some cases we have to stop and cannot carry out our investigations, says Christian Blackmon Head of the Swedish Migration Board in Gävle.

    Sveriges Radio 23 January 2012 (in Swedish)   

Record number of African refugees and migrants cross the Gulf of Aden

UNHCR in the news 

Over 100,000 refugees, migrants and asylum-seekers from the Horn of Africa made the perilous journey across the Gulf of Aden to Yemen in 2011. The number has almost doubled from 2010 (53,000), states the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR. In 2011 more than 130 persons are known to have drowned while making the journey. Most of those reaching Yemen are in desperate condition - dehydrated, malnourished and often in shock. According to UNHCR refugees who travel from the Horn of Africa face extreme risks at every stage of their journey.

    Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen 20 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Møre 20 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Folkebladet 20 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Harstad Tidene 20 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Framtid i Nord 20 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Nettavisen 20 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    iTromso.no 20 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Adressa.no 20 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Fædrelandsvennen 20 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Avisen Agder 20 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Sunnmørsposten 20 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Rbnett.no 20 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Trønder-Avisa 20 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

[Roope]

Tuesday 24 January to Wednesday 25 January 2012

Politicians consider copying the Norwegian asylum model

Denmark 

In Norway rejected asylum-seekers are given an economic bonus if they leave the country voluntarily. The rules were introduced last year and this has increased the number of voluntary repatriations by 42 per cent. Several Danish politicians consider copying the Norwegian model. In Denmark only 16 per cent of rejected asylum-seekers return voluntarily.

    Jyllands-Posten 23 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Dagbladet Ringkøbing Skjern 23 January 2012 (in Danish)

Number of illegal border crossings surged in Estonia in 2011

Estonia 

In 2011 some 186 attempts were made to cross the Estonian border illegally, compared to 116 attempts in 2010. Police and Border Guard Board Director General, Raivo Küüt, says the number of illegal immigration cases grew from 62 to 82. Also the number of attempts to use forged documents increased form 16 to 52 cases.

    The Baltic Course 24 January 2012 (in English)

Finnish Immigration Service: Torture not enough for granting asylum

Finland 

According to the Finnish Immigration Service being a victim of torture is not always enough reason to be granted asylum in Finland. When assessing the application, the living conditions of the asylum-seeker in their country of origin will also be taken into account. The comment is a response to recent claims by the film-maker Mervi Junkkonen who says that tortured asylum-seekers' life is in danger if they are deported from Finland. The Finnish Immigration Service says that Finland does not forcibly return anyone to areas where they are in danger of being tortured or might face death penalty.

    Uusisuomi 23 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Suomi.fi 23 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Iltasanomat 23 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Syd-Österbotten 23 January 2012 (in Swedish)

Progress Party praises Government for high numbers of forcibly returned

Norway 

In 2011 some 4,744 rejected asylum-seekers were forcibly returned by the police. This is a new Norwegian record. Last year 1,812 rejected asylum-seekers chose to return voluntarily, another record. Per Sandberg from the Progress Party praises the Government for its work with efficient returns, but requests an even tougher stand. Sandberg wishes to see a reduction in the number of asylum-seekers. Regarding rejected asylum-seekers who cannot return to their countries of origin, Sandberg, calls for intensified efforts to sign a readmission agreement with the Governments concerned and if necessary cut development aid to mount pressure.

    Nettavisen 24 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

Xenophobic website urges people to report about paperless persons

Sweden 

Web site Avpixlat has urged its readers to pretend to want to help paperless people, but instead use the information they get and hand it over to the police. – This is a terrible way of sabotaging for persons in need of protection, says Kenny Källström from the organization Asylgruppen Lund. The non-profit organization had announced on their website that a family with children was in a need of accommodation. The day after the announcement was published, Avpixlat which is known for its xenophobic remarks, encouraged its readers to provide the paperless family with housing, receive as much information as possible from them and then submit the information to the police. Aypixlat's editor in chief says that the website aims to stop people from living in Sweden illegally.

    SVT 24 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Dagens Nyheter 24 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Sydsvenskan 24 January 2012 (in Swedish)

Extreme violence in South Sudan

UNHCR in the news 

Over 120,000 persons are affected by the violence in South Sudan. Doctors without Borders say it is extremely volatile in Jonglei state. There has also been violence in areas near Sudan's Blue Nile state. UNHCR condemns an air raid on Sudanese refugees in South Sudan on Monday 23 January during which at least one Sudanese refugee boy was injured and 14 others went missing.

    Politiken 24 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Nordjyske 24 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Kristeligt Dagblad 24 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Fyns Amts Avis 24 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Aftenposten 24 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Møre 24 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Fædrelandsvennen 24 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    iTromsø 24 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Webfinanser 24 January 2012 (in English)

[Roope]

Thursday 26 January to Friday 27 January 2012.

EU Justice and Interior ministers drop asylum-seeker relocation scheme

Denmark 

During the first ministerial meeting under the Danish EU Presidency that took place on 26 January, the EU's Justice and Interior ministers decided not to pursue the controversial scheme to relocate asylum-seekers from southern Europe to other areas of the EU. The European Commission had proposed a relocation to help EU countries, such as Italy and Malta, faced with a surge in asylum-seekers during the Arab Spring, but there was no support for this proposition among the EU member states.

    Jyllandsposten 26 January 2012 (in Danish)
    B.T 26 January 2012 (In Danish)
    Dansk Radio 26 January 2012 (In Danish)
    TV 2 Nyhederne 26 January (In Danish)

Kristiinankaupunki to receive 30 asylum-seekers

Finland 

Kristiinankapunki is expected to receive 30 new asylum-seekers next week. In November there was a decrease in asylum-seekers to Finland and the Ministry of Interior decided to close four reception centers in Helsinki and North Karelia, but the reception center in Kristiinankaupunki has remained ready to accept new groups of asylum-seekers. – We have had a hundred places so far, but now it is increasing with 30 new ones, says the manager of asylum reception center, Annica Riddar.

    Svenska Yle 27 January 2012 (in Swedish)

"Research has been misused by government"

Norway 

According to research director Arne Strand, the Government has misused his research to spread incorrect information about asylum-seekers. In November 2011, the Ministry of Justice State Secretary Paul Lønseth said that 40 per cent of those who came to Norway regret the fact that they did. Although Lønseth referred to the report on the return program for asylum-seekers from the Christian Michelsen Institute (CMI) in Bergen, research director Arne Strand says that the figures Lønseth referred to cannot be found in the report.

    Aftenposten 26 January 2012 (In Norwegian)
    VG Nett 26 January 2012 (In Norwegian)

Norway signed agreement with Ethiopia on return of asylum-seekers

Norway 

On 26 January, Norway – as the first European country - signed an agreement with Ethiopia concerning the return of Ethiopian asylum-seekers. Those who choose to return voluntarily to Ethiopia will receive a NOK 40,000 lump sum to help them reintegrate. The agreement also allows for forced return of rejected Ethiopian asylum-seekers in Norway who do not return voluntarily. Several non-governmental organizations working with asylum-seekers are critical of the agreement. They fear that some Ethiopians could be forced to return to a situation were their lives would be in danger.

- We fear that we will see examples of imprisonment, and at worst, torture and killing of people and families, says Secretary-General of NOAS (Norwegian Organisation for Asylum-seekers) Ann-Magrit Austenå. There are currently approximately 400 Ethiopians in Norway who have been rejected asylum.

    NRK 27 January 2012 (In Norwegian)
    NRK 27 January 2012 (In Norwegian)
    NRK, Dagsrevyen 26 January (In Norwegian)

Asylum-seekers stuck in asylum accommodations

Sweden 

Many asylum-seekers who have already obtained a residence permit remain stuck in asylum accommodation provided by the Swedish Migration Board. This is due to the so-called 'establishment reform' introduced last year, which is supposed to help new arrivals to find jobs faster. The problem, however, is that there are not many jobs available in the same places where the asylum accommodations are located. Around 2,600 persons with residence permits live in accommodation provided by the Migration Board, compared to just over 1,000 persons last year.

    Dagens Nyheter 25 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Svenska Dagbladet 25 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    SVT 25 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Sveriges Radio 25 January 2012 (in Swedish)

The National Board of Health and Welfare criticizes refugee accommodation

Sweden 

The National Board of Health and Welfare criticizes one of Eskilstuna's accommodations for unaccompanied refugee children. There are suspicions that young people are subjected to collective punishment at the premises. Other shortcomings have been reported, such as how the staff has behaved towards refugees. The Board is concerned about the situation and has visited the accommodation conducting interviews with both the staff and the refugees. The municipality of Eskilstuna has until the end of February to respond to the criticism.

    SVT 26 January 2012 (in Swedish)

Danish Foreign Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation meet UN Refugee High Commissioner

UNHCR in the news 

On 25 January, Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal and Minister for Development Cooperation Christian Friis Bach met UN Refugee High Commissioner António Guterres. Amongst other things they discussed the need to better coordinate humanitarian aid. They also discussed UNHCR's work in Sudan, the Horn of Africa, North Africa and the Middle East.

    Ministry of Foreign Affairs news site 25 January 2012 (In Danish)

UN Refugee High Commissioner calls for more solidarity

UNHCR in the news 

In an interview with Jyllands-Posten during his visit to Denmark, UN Refugee High Commissioner António Guterres says that Denmark and other countries in northern Europe should show more solidarity with countries in Europe and the world that are facing large numbers of asylum-seekers.

    Jyllands-Posten, p. 10-11,  26 January 2012

[Roope]

Saturday 28 January to Monday 30 January 2012

Expert: Problematic rulings within Refugee Appeals Board

Denmark 

The Refugee Appeals Board is criticized for having weak grounds for sending back Iranian Kurds to Northern Iraq. Despite internal disagreement within the Refugee Appeals Board, it has started a general praxis that Iranian Kurds seeking asylum in Denmark should be sent back to Northern Iraq. Both Jens Vedsted-Hansen, Professor of Law at Aarhus University, and Eva Singer from the Danish Refugee Council find this problematic and worrying. They call for more thorough investigations before ruling that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) can be considered a first country of asylum.

    Information 27 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Berlingske 28 January 2012 (in Danish)

Hundreds of asylum-seekers returned home voluntarily

Finland 

Hundreds of asylum-seekers in Finland have voluntarily repatriated to their countries of origin over the past two years. Some 550 foreigners have left Finland; most of them were asylum-seekers. Most of the asylum-seekers have returned to Iraq, Russia, Serbia, Kosovo and Afghanistan. The resettlement project by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Finnish Immigration Service offers people living in Finland, who are from outside the European Union, the opportunity to voluntarily repatriate to their home countries. The project began in early 2010. Voluntary repatriation has been arranged to over 40 different areas. The number of return applications has increased rapidly, while the number of asylum-seekers has dropped. In 2010 there were 386 return applications, when last year there were 422 applications.

    Verkkouutiset 27 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Turun Sanomat 27 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    YLE 27 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Pohjolan Sanomat 27 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Suomen Kuvalehti 27 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Itä-Savo 27 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Suomi.fi 27 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    YLE 29 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    YLE 29 January 2012 (in English)

Government works on return agreement with Eritrea

Norway 

State Secretary Pål Lønseth at the Ministry of Justice confirms that the Government is working on an agreement with Eritrea on returning asylum-seekers who have been refused asylum. The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR advices against all return to Eritrea. Currently very few countries deport rejected asylum-seekers to Eritrea.

    NRK 30 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Rana Blad 30 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

Decrease in number of asylum-seekers in 2011

Norway 

Statistics from the Directorate of Immigration show that 9,053 asylum-seekers came to Norway in 2011 compared to 10,064 in 2010. Somalis were the largest group of asylum-seekers in 2011 (2,216). Contrary to other groups of asylum-seekers, the number of Somali asylum-seekers has increased with 59 per cent in 2011 compared to 2010.

    Verdens Gang 30 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

Decision concerning allocation of quota refugees has been made

Sweden 

This year Sweden will receive 1,900 so called quota refugees. Sweden will concentrate on resettling people who have fled the conflict on the Horn of Africa. Sweden collaborates with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on resettlement since the 1950s. This year Sweden has 250 places for emergency resettlement. – These places are important so we can act fast and where UNHCR says there is the greatest need, says Christina Werner from the Swedish Migration Board. She highlights that Sweden is the largest receiver of quota refugees in Europe.

    Skånskan 30 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Norra Skåne 30 January 2012 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Tuesday 31 January to Wednesday 1 February 2012

Socialist Left Party supports forced return to Eritrea

Norway 

Socialist Left Party (SV) supports forced return of rejected asylum seekers to Eritrea as long as it complies with UN guidelines. The Norwegian Organization for Asylum Seekers (NOAS) and the Christian Democratic Party are surprised by the statement. According to SV the UN has clear guidelines as to who should be considered a refugee from Eritrea, guidelines that the Norwegian authorities fully comply with. – Everyone has the right to apply for asylum but protection should only be given to those who are entitled to it, says Heikki Holmås from SV. NOAS is surprised and calls the statement unacceptable. The Christian Democratic Party also expresses its concern and looks forward to hearing the grounds for such a proposal.

    Aftenposten 31 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    FriFagbevegelse 31 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    TV 2 Nyheter 31 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

Number of asylum-seekers halved within three years

Norway 

The number of people seeking asylum has halved since 2009. Meanwhile the number of positive decisions on asylum applications has increased. According to statistics from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) some 9,053 asylum-seekers came to Norway in 2011 compared to 17,226 in 2009. Of the asylum cases processed by the UDI in 2011, some 52 per cent received asylum compared to 41 per cent in 2010.

    Verdens Gang 30 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Østlands-Posten 30 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Dagen 30 January 2012 (in Norwegian)

Sweden halts deportations to Syria

Sweden 

The Swedish Migration Board announced on Monday that Sweden will temporarily stop all deportations to Syria because of increased violence in the country. In its statement the Board said that the security situation in Syria has dramatically deteriorated. Amnesty International welcomes the Board's decision and calls it a correct decision. Last December the Board decided that the situation in Syria was so serious that the number of Syrians who are granted asylum in Sweden should be increased. Over 650 Syrians applied for asylum in Sweden last year.

    Dagens Nyheter 30 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Sveriges Radio 30 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Skånskan 30 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Nyheter24 31 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    The Local 31 January 2012 (in English)

N.B. This story was also covered in Finland

    YLE 30 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Helsingin Sanomat 31 January 2012 (in Finnish)

More refugees and migrants die trying to cross the Mediterranean

UNHCR in the news 

UNHCR states that at least 1,500 migrants and refugees fleeing from Africa to Europe have died while crossing the Mediterranean in 2011. The figure is based on actual registered deaths and persons reported missing after having begun their journey crossing the Mediterranean. UNHCR spokesperson Sybella Wilkes concludes that it is the highest number of deaths in the region since UNHCR started recording statistics in 2006. Particularly the Arab Spring – especially in Tunisia and Libya – has had an impact on the number of refugees and migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean. Around 58,000 people from Africa reached Europe by crossing the Mediterranean, mainly entering through Italy, Malta, and Greece. ­– Most of these were migrants and not asylum-seekers, says Sybella Wilkes. In addition to these figures, Greek authorities estimate that around 55,000 people entered the EU by crossing the boarder between Turkey and Greece.

    NRK 31 January 2012 (in Norwegian) 
    Nettavisen 31 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Møre si nettutgåve 31 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Vårt Land 31 January 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Jyllands-Posten 31 January 2012 (in Danish)
    BT 31 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Kristeligt Dagblad 31 January 2012 (in Danish) 
    Fyens Stiftstidende 31 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Dagbladet Ringkøbing-Skjern 31 January 2012 (in Danish)
    Sveriges Radio 31 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Sydsvenskan 31 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Dagens Nyheter 31 January 2012 (in Swedish)
    Iltalehti 31 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Iltasanomat 31 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Uusisuomi 31 January 2012 (in Finnish)
    Verkkouutiset 1 February 2012 (in Finnish)

[Roope]

Thursday 2 February to Friday 3 February 2012

Minister Räsänen sees no reason to change asylum rules

Finland 

Päivi Räsänen, Minister of Interior, believes that the laws for asylum-seekers do not need to be changed. However, she hopes for better co-operation between different Finnish authorities when processing asylum applications. Her statement comes after a case concerning a Christian Pakistani woman who was rejected asylum in Finland sparked criticism towards the Finnish asylum policies. Räsänen would not comment on the specific case, but expressed her concern that asylum applications are not always treated equally.

    Hufvudstadsbladet 2 February 2012 (in Swedish)

NGOs warn against forced return to Eritrea

Norway 

Norway has commenced negotiations with Eritrea to send back rejected asylum-seekers, this is confirmed by Pål Lønseth State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice. Lønseth stresses that even though an agreement would be reached, all cases will nevertheless be handled on an individual basis and Norway will not return rejected asylum-seekers who risk persecution in Eritrea. Based on a number of reports showing human rights violations in Eritrea the Norwegian Organization for Asylum Seekers (NOAS) fears an agreement will jeopardize the safety of the people returned to Eritrea. NOAS also states that the situation in Eritrea has worsened throughout the last years and NGOs have been told by the Eritrean authorities to leave the country.

    Nettavisen 1 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

Socialist Left Party: children without documents should stay in Norway

Norway 

The new agreement between Norway and Ethiopia ensures that rejected asylum-seekers can be forcibly returned to Ethiopia. The Socialist Left Party (SV) now demands that children without documents should be able to stay in Norway if they have lived here for 2-3 years. – It is imperative that the Government's policy is clear on this issue, so it ensures that the children can stay, before we start returning the rejected asylum-seekers, says Heikki Holmås from SV. The issue has been discussed in Parliament before but the parties have yet to reach an actual agreement. According to Heikki Holmås the procedure should be to let the children and their families stay in Norway.

    NRK 2 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

Quarrel about asylum-seekers' work-permit

Norway 

The procedure for granting and dismissing temporary work-permits for asylum-seekers is so non-transparent that companies employing asylum-seekers risk fines from the Norwegian authorities. Companies are not automatically informed once an asylum-seekers work-permit is expired or dismissed; it is thus up to the company to check up on the work-permit of the employee regularly.

    Aftenposten 2 February 2012

Arlanda airport's border police required to wear uniforms

Sweden 

The management at Arlanda airport wants the police officials to wear uniforms at work and report to the police if they catch refugees with false identification. However, several police officials refuse to follow these instructions. – We have not had to wear uniforms in the past 15 years and it is inappropriate in our work. We meet refugee families, not criminals, says a senior border official. He also believes that his uniform is not compatible with the UN Refugee Convention, which requires sensitivity and understanding of refugees' plight. According to Juni Berglund, Public Information Associate for UNHCR in Stockholm, the general rules are clear. – Generally a person who flees should not be punished for the lack of identification documents or false identifications when coming to Sweden. One should keep in mind that when someone flees, he or she might not have the time to bring ID-documents. Sometimes false identification papers are the only way to get out of the country and seek protection, says Berglund.

    Aftonbladet 3 February 2012 (in Swedish)

UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Adel Iman sentenced for insulting Islam

UNHCR in the news   

Famous Egyptian actor and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador since 2000, Adel Iman, has been sentenced to three months in jail by an Egyptian court for mocking Islam. Adel Iman states that he wishes to appeal the ruling.

    Kristeligt-Dagblad 2 February 2012 (in Danish)
    DR Nyheder 2 February 2012 (in Danish)
    Ekstra Bladet 2 February 2012 (in Danish)
    Fyens Stiftstidende 2 February 2012 (in Danish)
    Jyllands-Posten 2 February 2012 (in Danish)

Mediterranean most deadly stretch of water for refugees in 2011

UNHCR in the news 

A record-breaking 1,500 Africans fleeing to Europe by crossing the Mediterranean have died in 2011. They escape from war and poverty and many end up paying with their lives. – It is the highest number since we have begun collecting these statistics and the numbers may be even higher, says Pia Prytz Phiri, Regional Representative for UNHCR Regional Office for the Baltic and Nordic countries. Phiri adds that the number is based on the information UNHCR has been able to gather from the survivors. Due to the unrest in Libya and Tunisia in 2011, the borders in these countries have not been supervised strictly. –When you have to flee you simply take a chance and say if I stay here I can die, if I manage to escape I might be able to survive, says Pia Prytz Phiri.

    P3 Nyheder 1 February 2012 (in Danish)

[Roope]

Saturday 4 February to Monday 6 February 2012

Children should not be punished for having false documents

Denmark 

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors should not be punished for entering Denmark with false ID-documents. The Supreme Court has decided to overrule a sentence by the High Court of Eastern Denmark. It sentenced an Afghan and a Somali asylum-seeker, both under 18 years, to 40 days in prison and deportation for entering Denmark with false identification documents. In addition the two asylum-seekers are also exempt from paying the costs of the trial.

    Fyens Stiftstidene 3 February 2012 (in Danish)
    TV2 Nyhederne 3 February 2012 (in Danish)
    Avisen.dk 3 February 2012 (in Danish)
    DR P4 København 3 February 2012 (in Danish)

Only 25 cases of successful family reunification since July 2011

Denmark 

Due to the new point system implemented by the prior Danish government in July 2011, which demands that the applicant either holds an education or job experience, only 25 families have had success with their application for reunification. In 2010 some 3,869 applications for family reunification were successful. The number of family reunification with a spouse has gone down 50 per cent from 2010 to 2011.

    BT 4 February 2012 (in Danish)
    Berlingske Tidende 4 February 2012 (in Danish)

More Africans coming to Finland illegally

Finland 

More and more people from Western and Central Africa are coming to Finland illegally. Most of these persons are young men for whom Finland is a transit country through which they can reach the Schengen area, including countries such as Italy, Spain, France and Germany. Many illegal immigrants reach Finland through Russia. The Arab Spring did not seem to have an impact on the increase of illegal immigration in Finland. However, for instance Libya's situation remains unstable, which could have an effect on the Finnish borders. The biggest group of Africans coming to Finland is people from Somalia, who also want to stay in Finland due to family reunification.

    Turun Sanomat 4 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    Helsingin Sanomat 4 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    Kouvolan Sanomat 4 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    Iltalehti 4 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    Etelä-Saimaa 4 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    Verkkouutiset 4 February 2012 (in Finnish)

Socialist Left Party politician embarrassed of her own Government

Norway 

Marianne Borgen from the Socialist Left Party (SV) is embarrassed about the strict practices concerning refugee children. She points out that the situation of the child is not carefully considered; she believes that UN standards are not being met. Borgen also advises that children should not be forcibly returned before the Parliament has finished its discussion on refugee children. Borgen believes the current practice interferes with the Convention of the Rights of the child. Pål Lønseth, State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, disagrees and says it is a political matter how strict the rules should be. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) has stated that the practice should be softened.

    NRK 5 February 2012:1 (in Norwegian) 
    NRK5 February 2012:2 (in Norwegian)

Demonstration against forced return of refugee children

Norway 

Around 40 demonstrators from various youth, humanitarian and political organizations were assembled 3 February to demonstrate against the Government's return agreement with Ethiopia and its steps towards a possible return agreement with Eritrea.

    VG Nett 3 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

High number of asylum-seekers dealing with narcotics in Oslo

Norway 

Last year the police apprehended 500 people dealing in narcotics in Oslo. Many of them were asylum-seekers or people without ID-documents, mainly originating from Africa. The police characterize the drug-dealing as well organised. According to the police it is difficult to deport the people involved since many have no documents and therefore cannot be identified and some come from countries that Norway has no return agreements with. Last year alone 134 people were found reentering Norway after having been deported.

    http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/norge/1.7983730NRK 5 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

Deaths in the Mediterranean not widely covered in media

UNHCR in the news 

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has stated that at least 1,500 refugees have died when crossing the Mediterranean in 2011, but the number could be higher. However, another accident in the Mediterranean, the sinking of the cruise liner Costa Concordia, received much wider media attention. According to Pia Prytz Phiri, the Regional Representative for UNHCR in the Baltic and Nordic countries, only two journalists have approached UNHCR's office in Stockholm for further inquiries about the deaths in the Mediterranean.

    Sveriges Radio P1 Medierna 4 February 2012 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Tuesday 7 February to Wednesday 8 February 2012

Politicians: New framework for the Danish Refugee Appeals Board

Denmark   

Politicians and experts now point to the lack of transparency and statistics concerning the rulings of the Danish Refugee Appeals Board. The Government is currently discussing how to change this and points to the way it used to be in 2002. Currently there are three representatives of the Appeals Board, however the Social Liberals and the Red-Green Alliance would like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Danish Refugee Council to be represented. Zenia Stampe from the Social Liberals adds that statistics should be more transparent and accessible, ensuring that the rulings may set a legal precedent.

    Information 7 February 2012 (in Danish)

Estonia prepares for more asylum-seekers

Estonia 

Estonia expects an increase in asylum-seekers this year. According to Ellen Lebedeva from the Police and Border Guard Board's status determination bureau this is partly due to the Arab Spring and tightening of immigration rules in Finland and Sweden. Lebedeva adds that most of the asylum-seekers however use Estonia as a transit country. The number of asylum-seekers doubled last year. Chief specialist at the Social Affairs Ministry, Triin Raag, states that they have already thought about solutions if the number of asylum-seekers exceeds the capacity of the facilities.

    Baltic News Service 7 February 2012 (in English)

NOAS criticizes asylum policy for leading to child abuse

Norway 

According to the Norwegian Organization for Asylum Seekers (NOAS) letting children live in asylum reception centres for years constitutes child abuse. – When children 8-9 years of age develop anxiety, it is a warning sign about their living conditions, says Jon Ole Martinsen from NOAS. The statement comes as Norway is currently discussing the rights of children in connection to the new return agreement with Ethiopia. Pål Lønseth, State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, disagrees and points to the responsibility of the parents.

    Verdens Gang 7 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

Amnesty remains concerned about forcibly returned asylum-seekers

Norway 

Amnesty advocates for a more elaborate Norwegian policy ensuring tracking of asylum-seekers forcibly returned to their country of origin. According to Beate Ekeløve-Slydal, political advisor at Amnesty, the Norwegian authorities ought to establish a system that deals with the asylum-seekers after they have been returned, guaranteeing that asylum-seekers are being treated according to their rights. The Norwegian Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) adds that it is not their responsibility to follow asylum-seekers who have been forcibly returned, however UNE uses general knowledge about returnees when handling cases.

    Aftenbladet 7 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

Directorate of Immigration calls for softening of asylum policy

Norway 

Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) now takes a stand in the debate on forced return of refugee children. Officials point to four areas where they would like to see legal changes regarding those with small children: better consideration of children in deportation cases; increase of permanent residence permits to those with less verifiable identities; lower income requirements in cases of immigrating dependants with a family, and fines instead of deportation in some cases. The Government has refused the first two suggestions and not answered the other ones. - Making these regulations less stringent would undermine respect for the Immigration Act, would lead to more people breaking the law, and would lead to more people coming to Norway, if every child was allowed to stay, says Pål Lønseth State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice.

    NRK Søndagsrevyen 5 February 2012 (in Norwegian)
    NRK Kveldsnytt 5 February 2012 (in Norwegian) (see 3 min 40sec into programme)
    The Foreigner 7 February 2012 (in English)

Situation in Somalia still fragile

UNHCR in the news   

Even though there has been some precipitation in areas of Somalia, and some persons have returned, most internally displaced persons are still too scared to return home. - I think there is a considerable number of people who would return if the conditions were better in their home areas, says Gwendoline Mensah from UNHCR in Mogadishu. - A lot of the refugees are farmers. It is very obvious to them that there is not much they can do here. I do not think they just want to walk around in Mogadishu, Gwendoline Mensah adds.

    Information 5 February 2012 (in Danish)

Continuous unrest in Mali

UNHCR in the news 

Fights between resistance groups and government forces in Mali have forced an estimated 20,000 people to flee the country. According to UNHCR most of them reach the borders of Niger and Mauritania, while a smaller number flee to Burkina Faso. UNHCR has sent emergency teams to the neighbouring countries to deal with the influx of refugees.

    Hamar Arbeiderblad 7 February 2012 (in Norwegian)
    iTromso 7 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

[Roope]

Thursday 9 February to Friday 10 February 2012

New agreement on family reunification

Denmark 

The Government has entered into an agreement with the Liberal Alliance and the Red-Green Alliance, making it easier for children under the age of eight to be reunited with their families. The main change is that children under eight will not be evaluated on their potential for integration, however the so-called two-year rule still applies, which means that family reunification may still be denied in cases where it has gone more than two years between the arrival of the parent and that of the child. - It is the Government's core belief that children and parents should be able to live together with regards to family reunification, says Morten Bødskov Minister of Justice.

    Jyllands-Posten 9 February 2012 (in Danish)
    Politiken 9 February 2012 (in Danish)

Deportation of children can be put on hold

Denmark 

Due to the new agreement on family reunification, which makes it easier for children under eight to come and live with their parents in Denmark, all deportations of children concerned by the new agreement will be put on hold. This will be the case until the new rules come into force this summer.

    Berlingske Tidene 9 February 2012 (in Danish)

Asylum-seekers want Government to stick to its promises

Denmark 

Asylum-seekers remind the Government of its promises during the election in September 2011. During a public hearing at a community centre asylum-seekers voiced their disappointment of the lack of concrete action when it comes to working and living outside accommodation centres.

    Arbejderen 9 February 2012 (in Danish)

Ombudsman criticises the Danish Immigration Service

Denmark 

The Parliament's Ombudsman criticises the immigration authorities handling of renewals of residence permits. The Ombudsman urges the Immigration Service to give clear information to the applicant regarding documentation when his or her paperwork has been received and how long it will take to process the application. The Danish Immigration Service has responded by promising to change its guidelines especially when it comes to the application procedures conducted over the phone.

    Berlingske Tidende 8 February 2012 (in Danish)
    The Copenhagen Post 10 February 2012 (in Danish)

Employing illegal immigrants could lead to penalty

Finland 

The Government of Finland proposes a penalty for employers who hire an illegal immigrant. The penalty could be between 1,000 and 30,000 euros. The Finnish Immigration Service would determine the fee. The proposal is based on an EU-directive. Its aim is to ban the recruitment of illegal immigrants and thus prevent illegal immigration.

    Iltasanomat 9 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    Itä-Savo 9 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    Helsingin Sanomat 9 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    Iltalehti 9 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    Aamulehti 9 February 2012 (in Finnish)

New NGO to help asylum-seekers

Norway 

The new Norwegian NGO, Association of 12 January, wants the public to be aware of the conditions of asylum-seekers by focusing on stories of deportation and showing the gaps in the asylum policy. The NGO sees itself as a counterweight to information provided by immigration authorities and states that it will primarily use social media to get its voice heard.

    Nytid 9 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

Earmarked funds cause problems for the UN

UNHCR in the news 

Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) states that earmarked funds are a problem for the United Nations (UN). According to Norad there are millions of dollars left on the UN bank accounts as the year runs out. One of the main reasons is that the funds are earmarked and therefore can only be used for specific purposes. Along with other recommendations the study suggests that more funds should be un-earmarked. Norad bases its statement on a recent study carried out by the Investment Development Consultancy. The UN agencies targeted in the study covering the period from 2000-2010 are UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNHCR, and WFP.

    Aftenbladet 8 February 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Møre si nettutgåve 9 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

[Roope]

Saturday 11 February to Monday 13 February 2012

Political quarrel concerning new agreement on family reunification

Denmark 

The Danish People's Party (DF) says the Government's new agreement on family reunification will give parents an incentive to send their children back to their country of origin in order to make them aware of their cultural and religious heritage. DF argues that even though the child who is sent back might loose his/her residence permit, the new agreement makes it possible to regain the permit upon return to Denmark. However, the Social Democrats (S) says that there will be preventive measures making sure that parents know their children may loose their residence permits if they are sent on a cultural familiarisation visit to their country of origin.

    Berlingske Tidene 10 February 2012 (in Danish)

New agreement makes it easier for children to reunite with their families

Denmark 

Experts say the new agreement on family reunification makes it easier for children to reunite with their families; however it does not live up to the Government's aim to simply the immigration law. – The immigration law's article 9 on residence permit alone has 27 sections. The same goes for the rules on family reunification, which will not be less complicated by these changes, says the well-known lawyer Bjørn Elmquist. He adds that it is very difficult to change an entire law and that is why the Government has to come up with this patchwork approach.

    Information 9 February 2012 (in Danish)

Finland receives criticism for deporting refugees

Finland 

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the United Nations Committee against Torture have stopped a number of deportations of rejected asylum-seekers from Finland in recent months. In many cases the asylum-seekers, who have been refused asylum, have risked becoming victims of inhumane treatment. According to the Finnish Immigration Service torture is not a sufficient reason to be granted asylum or a residence permit if conditions have improved in the asylum-seekers home country. However, the Finnish Refugee Advice Center and the Center for Torture Survivors argue that tortured asylum-seekers have been sent back, even though the authorities have failed to demonstrate the improved conditions in their country of origin. In the past three months the UN and the ECtHR have halted four deportations of rejected asylum-seekers who have been victims of torture. The latest intervention took place last week.

    Iltalehti 13 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    Helsingin Sanomat 13 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    Aamulehti 13 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    YLE 13 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    Lapin Kansa 13 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    MTV3 13 February 2012 (in Finnish)
    Kaleva 13 February 2012 (in Finnish)

Eleven dead and several others missing in a refugee boat incident

UNHCR in the news 

At least eleven Somalis were killed and another 34 are missing after a boat carrying refugees to Yemen sank in rough weather in the Gulf of Aden last Wednesday, says the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The dead have been washed ashore on beaches around the coast and 13 survivors have been found. Last year it was estimated that over 100,000 refugees and migrants from the Horn of Africa crossed the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

    Aftonbladet 10 February 2012 (in Swedish)
    SVT 10 February 2012 (in Swedish)
    Länstidningen Södertälje 10 February 2012 (in Swedish)

UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie makes controversial film

UNHCR in the news 

Angelina Jolie's controversial film "In the Land of Blood and Honey" has premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. The film tells about the Balkan war and so-called rape-factories in Bosnia, where Muslim women find themselves degraded by Serbian prison guards. Angelina Jolie's experiences working for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have inspired her in making this film.

    Berlingske Tidene 10 February 2012 (in Danish)

[Roope]

Tuesday 14 February to Wednesday 15 February 2012

Christian asylum-seekers encouraged to hide their faith

Denmark 

The Refugee Appeals Board will meet today to discuss the issue of evaluating Christian and converted asylum-seekers. – The Danish asylum system breaches human rights by encouraging Christian rejected asylum-seekers to hide their faith, says conversion consultant Mogens S. Mogensen and immigration pastor Niels Nymann. They add that the converts may encounter fatal consequences when returning home, and that the Danish immigration authorities have developed the idea that a convert can just keep a low profile once he or she returns. –The thought of hiding your faith may not be so appalling to a secular Danish mindset as it is considered private. However, many other places and especially in the Middle East religion is considered more public, says Mogens S. Mogensen.

    Berlingske 14 February 2012 (in Danish)
    Kristeligt Dagblad 14 February 2012 (in Danish)
    Kristeligt Dagblad 14 February 2012 (in Danish)

Difficult for asylum-seekers to prove their faith

Denmark 

The interpretation of what it takes for an asylum-seeker to prove conversion to for instance Christianity is now being criticised. – As the procedure is now it is very difficult to prove that you have converted and thereby make claim to asylum on the grounds of persecution, says lawyer Niels Henrik Christensen and Amnesty International. One of the reasons is that the Refugee Appeals Board puts emphasis on that the conversion has been made official by informing authorities, says Niels Henrik Christensen.

    Kristeligt Dagblad 15 February 2012 (in Danish)

Homosexuality not enough to justify asylum

Finland 

Persecution in the grounds of homosexuality is not usually strong enough reason for granting asylum in Finland. Despite this, it is used quite frequently as a reason for seeking asylum. In mid-January the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland halted the deportation of an Iranian man and sent the case back to the Immigration Service.  According to the Supreme Administrative Court, the Immigration Service has not determined in its previous decisions whether the asylum-seekers were facing fears of persecution in their country of origin due to their sexual orientation.

    Iltasanomat 13 February 2012 (in Finnish)

Norway's reputation results in less asylum-seekers

Norway 

While Sweden received 30,000 applications for asylum last year Norway only received 9,000. – I think it is an effect of the strict immigration policy in Norway, says Ann-Magrit Austenå, Secretary General of the Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers (NOAS). She adds that information about where it is easiest to be granted asylum is spread through smuggler networks and relatives and that Sweden has a whole other debate on the topic. – Sweden has a reputation for a generous asylum- and immigration policy, and they also have many exile groups which attract more asylum-seekers of the same nationality. Besides, Norway has managed to dissuade asylum-seekers not in need of protection to come to Norway by putting in place accelerated procedures, says Frode Forfang, Director at the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).

    VG Nett 15 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

Converted rejected asylum-seekers may face fatal consequences

Norway 

People converting from Islam to other religions can now be hanged in Iran without a fatwa first. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, spokesperson for Iran Human Rights in Norway, says he is concerned about these new changes and what it can mean for converted rejected Iranian asylum-seekers returning to Iran.

    Aftenposten 14 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

Workers at the Swedish Migration Board HIV-trained

Sweden 

Since 2009 the Migration Board has conducted a pilot project for the better handling of HIV-positive asylum-seekers, which has been partially funded by the European Refugee Fund. According to Eva Thyselius, Project Manager at the Migration Board, the HIV training will become a permanent part of the internal training program at the Board. Now all officers are taking part in the two day training in subjects such as HIV-trends in the world, discrimination and how to better handle the shame many HIV-positive feel. According to Thyselius, the training aims at increasing the proportion of asylum-seekers who will undergo the offered medical examination. Many believe that it can have a negative effect in their ability to stay in the country, says Thyselius. The psychological support of HIV-positive asylum-seekers should also be taken into account, and the asylum-seekers should receive more help in seeking out health-care resources.

    Dagens Nyheter 14 February 2012 (in Swedish)

Several refugee accommodations closing down

Sweden 

The city of Malmö has started canceling contracts with private transit accommodation providers for refugee children after too many places have remained empty. On Monday some 147 refugee children were placed in one of Malmö's transit centers, while at the same time 90 places out of 237 remained empty. – I know that the Swedish Migration Board thinks we shouldn't terminate the contracts since the need for placements is subject to change. But at the same time we feel responsible for our tax money, says Carina Nilsson, Chairman of the Social Resource Board of Malmö.

    Skånskan 14 February 2012 (in Swedish)

UNHCR: - Return to Eritrea no less problematic than earlier

UNHCR in the news 

This week news broke that Norway is negotiating a readmission agreement with Eritrea, for return of rejected asylum-seekers. – Readmission agreements in and of themselves are positive as they commit states to receive back their nationals, says spokesperson Hanne Mathisen at UNHCR's office in Stockholm. UNHCR's latest guidelines on asylum-seekers from Eritrea do not pronounce themselves on return whilst UNHCR's general guidelines advocate that returns take place in safety and dignity. – When we do not include information on return to Eritrea in our latest guidelines it is not because we are more open to return [than in previous Eritrea guidelines]. Our primary role is to advise on eligibility and our emphasis is therefore on groups or profiles that in particular may have international protection needs. In some instances UNHCR provides advice on return, as part of its wider humanitarian role. This is decided on a case by case basis. Given the lack of information and difficulties in monitoring the situation for forcibly returned, UNHCR cannot advise on return of rejected Eritrean asylum-seekers. We do not exclude that there are asylum-seekers from Eritrea that are not in need of international protection, says Mathisen.

    Dag og Tid Friday 3 February 2012, page 3 (in Norwegian)

[Roope]

Thursday 16 February to Friday 17 February 2012

No change in conversion procedure

Denmark 

The Danish Refugee Appeals Board has after a two-day meeting decided not to change procedures when it comes to asylum-seekers who have converted from Islam to Christianity. Immigration pastor Niels Nymann Eriksen, who has taken an active part in the debate, says that he is disappointed and says that it is troubling that Denmark is not capable of protecting people who risk persecution if they practice their faith in their country of origin.

    Kristeligt Dagblad 17 February 2012 (in Danish)

Pudasjärvi to accept 40 quota refugees

Finland 

The city of Pudasjärvi is ready to accept 40 new quota refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the Development Director Mikko Kälkäjä, quota refugees are an important part of the future of the city of 9,000 inhabitants, since the population of Pudasjärvi is decreasing. The arrival date of the refugees is still unknown, but the hope is that they would arrive during the spring. The quota refugees are part of the 750 quota refugees that Finland has committed to taking each year.

    Kaleva 17 February 2012 (in Finnish)

Progress Party calls for restrictions of movement

Norway 

An Iranian asylum-seeker has been killed by knife after a fight at Dale reception centre in Sandnes. The police have arrested and charged two other asylum-seekers for the crime. The asylum-seekers were residents at another reception centre in the region. The Progress party immigration spokesperson Ørsal Johansen is asking that increased restriction on movement be introduced at reception centres for asylum-seekers. State Secretary for the Ministry of Justice Pål K. Lønseth says that he does not believe that restrictions on movement will decrease violence, on the contrary it may add to it.

    NRK 16 February 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Aftenposten 17 February 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Aftenposten 15 February 2012 (in Norwegian)
    Dagbladet 17 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

Iran Human Rights: New law should have consequences on Norwegian asylum policy

Norway 

New changes in Iranian law makes it easier to sentence people who have converted from Islam to other beliefs to death. Spokesperson for the Norway-based organisation Iran Human Rights Amiry-Moghaddam says these changes should impact on Norway's asylum policy. – With the latest changes in Iranian law it is reckless to return asylum-seekers who have openly come forward as converts, says Amiry-Moghaddam. Head of the asylum department at the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) Tone Loge Tveter says that they are awaiting confirmation and monitoring the situation closely. She adds that it will be an individual assessment of each case and that UDI will not send anyone back to Iran who are in risk of persecution.

    Dagen 17 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

Level of violence in reception centres considered low

Norway 

A thorough study from made by Brøset Kompetansesenter in 2007 shows that the level of violence in Norwegian reception centres is remarkably low. – The study from 2007 clearly states that there were few cases of violence. Actually we find this surprising as the reception centres do not receive people according to ethnicity or any other sort of affiliation, which means that asylum-seekers from conflicting states live side by side, says Jim Aage Nøttestad, senior researcher on the study.

    Aftenbladet 16 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

Municipalities must accept more refugee children

Sweden 

The Swedish Migration Board urges municipalities to accept more refugee children. Last year 2,657 unaccompanied refugee minors sought asylum in Sweden, most of them boys from Afghanistan. The numbers were three times higher than four years ago. Next week the government will receive a report of the number of asylum-seeking children that are expected to come to Sweden in the future years. In January, some 235 unaccompanied minors sought residence permit in Sweden, which was the highest figure for January on record. In 2012 the accommodation of the refugee children was divided between the 236 municipalities throughout the country, but mainly the responsibility rests on Malmö and eight other municipalities.

    Sydsvenskan 16 February 2012 (in Swedish)

The process of care for undocumented accelerated

Sweden   

Tens of thousands of undocumented refugees have been denied health care in Sweden. The United Nations has criticized Sweden for violating human rights in not granting undocumented similar access to health care as the local population. A government proposal that came in May proposed that the health care law should be amended to meet the international standards. However, the proposal has not yet been sent out on hearing. Today the Ministry of Health received a petition from the Swedish Red Cross along with 60 other organizations and 12,000 individuals requiring that the proposal be sent out immediately for comments.

    SVT 17 February 2012 (in Swedish)

Increase in voluntary Swedish lessons

Sweden 

Since the Swedish Migration Board has stopped teaching Swedish to adult asylum-seekers, voluntary actors are taking the responsibility for it. According to Daniel Uddling, Refugee Coordinator of the Swedish Church, the teaching is the responsibility of the Migration Board and it is important in promoting integration into the society. – The voluntary sector is trying to cover up as well as possible, but we recognize that we don't have the capacity to cope with this fully, he says. Since the Migration Board stopped the organized teaching last autumn, there has been a significant increase in the number of asylum-seekers seeking teaching at the church. Another result from the lack of language classes has been the inactivity of people. – I understand that the teaching will cost money, but I think this is money well spent, says Uddling.

    Sveriges Radio 16 February 2012 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Friday 18 February to Monday 20 February 2012

Significant decrease in applications for family reunification

Finland   

The number of Somalis applying for family reunification has decreased significantly since the beginning of the year. Since the beginning of January 2012 the Finnish Immigration Service has received 5 applications for family reunification compared to around 200 a month in 2011. Jaana Vuorio, Director of the Legal and Country Information Unit at the Finnish Immigration Service, believes the number of Somalis applying for family reunification has reduced due to a new law amendment that came into force 1 January 2012. The tightening of the regulations for family reunification means that a person living in Finland no longer can start the process of applying for family reunification for a family member living abroad. Now each family member has to hand in their own application at a Finnish embassy.

Aamulehti 20 February 2012 (in Finnish)
Kainuun Sanomat 20 February 2012 (in Finnish)
Keskisuomalainen 20 February 2012 (in Finnish)
Iltalehti 20 Feburary 2012 (in Finnish)
Porin radio 20 Feburary 2012 (in Finnish)
Turun Sanomat 20 February 2012 (in Finnish)
Verkkouutiset 20 Feburary 2012 (in Finnish)
YLE 20 February 2012 (in Finnish)
YLE Svenska Nyheter 20 February 2012 (in Swedish)

Bishops remain critical of possible return agreement

Norway 

Refugees and asylum-seekers were one of the topics of the bishops' recent meeting held in Norway. Especially the topic of persons without documents, the rights of the child, and cases of conversion were discussed. According to the bishops it is unacceptable on humanitarian grounds to return children who have lived in Norway for years, which the return agreement with Ethiopia seems to open up for. The bishops would also like to see the religious institutions given a larger role when it comes to cases that involve conversion.

Vårt Land 17 February 2012 (in Norwegian)
Dagen 18 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

NOAS fears consequences of Ethiopian return agreement

Norway 

In the newly signed return agreement between Norway and Ethiopia it is stated that Ethiopian intelligence will contribute to identifying rejected asylum-seekers. Norway obligates itself to pass on as much information as possible about the rejected asylum-seeker to the Ethiopian intelligence. – We fear that the risk of persecution will increase with this agreement, says Ann-Margrit Austenå Secretary General of the Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers (NOAS).

Aftenposten 20 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

Four years living in a reception centre, despite residence permit

Norway 

Statistics from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) show that 2,030 persons have received residence permits with restrictions that do not give them the right to apply for family reunification or live outside reception centres. Many of these persons are children. UDI informs that unknown identity and lack of ID documents are the most common reasons for issuing these limited permits. – The procedure of issuing residence permits with restrictions has been so efficient that half of the persons put forward identity papers in the second round, says Pål K. Lønseth State Secretary for the Ministry of Justice. He adds that he is aware of the problems that residence permits with restrictions create and states that there may be reasons to look into minimizing these problems.

Aftenposten 19 February 2012 (in Norwegian)

Prepared for Syrian refugee influx to Jordan

UNHCR in the news 

Some 10,000 – 15,000 people have already crossed the border from Syria into Jordan. Jordanian authorities are now preparing for more people and they are setting up camps in the North together with the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR.

VG Nett 19 February 2012 (in Norwegian)