UNHCR Baltic and Nordic Headlines (uutiskirje)

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Thursday 15 September to Friday 16 September 2011

Danish power shift

Denmark 

Until the very last minute it was uncertain whether there would be a political change of power in Denmark. However, when 98,5 per cent of the votes were counted, the Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen accepted defeat. This makes the Social Democrat's Helle Thorning-Schmidt the first female Prime Minister in Denmark. With nearly 100 per cent of the votes counted, the socialist "red block" has 92 seats and the "blue block" 87 seats, including the four North Atlantic seats. The "red block" consists of: the Social Democrats, the Socialist People's Party, the Red-Green Alliance and the Social Liberals. The election result will put an end to the influence by the Danish People's Party, which had a tightening affect on Denmark's immigration policy in the previous parliamentary term.

    * Berlingske 16 September 2011 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands-Posten 15 September 2011 (in Danish)
    * Politiken 16 September 2011 (in Danish)
    * Dansk Radio 16 September 2011 (in Danish)
    * Information 15 September 2011 (in Danish)

NB. This story was also covered in Sweden

    * Sydsvenskan 15 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio 16 September 2011 (in Swedish)

NB. This story was also covered in Finland

    * Hufvudstadsbladet 15 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio 15 September 2011 (in Finnish)

Reception centres face cuts

Finland 

Reception centres for asylum-seekers are facing cuts next year. The 20 per cent cut in spending and the 200 fewer places in the centres means that Finland is forced to accept fewer asylum-seekers in 2012. During the last weeks the number of asylum-seekers has increased, although the amount of asylum-seekers has continuously been decreasing in recent years

    * YLE 15 September 2011 (in Finnish)

Government drops refugee return centres

Norway 

The Norwegian government has decided not to build new centres to house rejected asylum-seekers, since it is too expensive, according to the Ministry of Justice. State Secretary Pål Lønseth says that they will instead give priority to other measures aimed at expediting the return of rejected asylum-seekers. The proposal to build a separate centre for rejected asylum-seekers was presented last year, but as they received several construction bids, the proposal was found much more expensive than first expected.

    * Aftenposten 15 September 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * NRK 15 September 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Dagsavisen 15 September 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Views and News from Norway 15 September 2011 (in English)

Norway to combat refugee harassment

Norway 

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) has decided to create information films concerning freedom of religion in order to avoid harassment and discrimination of asylum-seekers. This is a reaction to an incident where an Afghan man got seriously injured when a fellow refugee threw boiling water over him after he had decided to convert to Christianity. These films were originally designed to inform homosexuals of their rights, but UDI has now decided to expand it to the topic of freedom of religion.

    * The Foreigner 14 September 2011 (in English)

Östergötland has received 157 children

Sweden 

The province of Östergötland is hailed by the Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy for the way it deals with unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors. However the Swedish Migration Board says this is not enough, twice as many places for unaccompanied minors are still needed.

    * SVT 14 September 2011 (in Swedish)

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Saturday 17 September to Monday 19 September 2011

One in four Danes would hide an illegal alien

Denmark 

Although it is illegal and punishable to help illegal aliens hide from the authorities, many Danes are still willing to do so, according to a public opinion poll carried out by Megafon. The spokesperson for The Committee for Underground Refugees (Flygtninge under Jorden), Michala Clante Bendixen, is pleasantly surprised, but doubts that most people would put thought into action. The organization has existed for 25 years but does not actually help people go underground. It has provided medical care until recently, when a new health clinic for illegal immigrants opened in Copenhagen.

    * Politiken 17 September 2011 (in Danish)
    * Dansk Radio 17 September 2011 (in Danish)
    * Modkraft 18 September 2011 (in Danish)

Danish People's Party's opposite the new balance of power

Denmark 

The Danish election result is likely to change the Danish rhetoric and policies towards immigrants. This is due to the fact that the Social Liberals got enough votes to take away the balance of power from the Danish People's Party (DPP). Marlene Wind, professor at the Department of Political Sciences at Copenhagen University, believes that change will come but that will take time. Especially the rhetoric will change as the new Government is using a different language. – Asylum-seekers will also be received in a new way, she says. The DPP has lost its power. However, it is still a strong party; the difference is that it does not have the same support from other parties anymore.

    * Dagens Nyheter 16 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Verkkolehti 19 September 2011 (in Finnish)

Swedish Migration Board critical of lawyers

Sweden 

The report about the quality of the Swedish asylum decision-making, published recently by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), revealed that 60 per cent of the legal representatives' submissions included in the study were of satisfactory quality, but 40 per cent, were not. – These are appalling numbers, says Mikael Ribbenvik, Director for Legal Affairs of the Swedish Migration Board. – Some lawyers are brilliant, but there are others who should not engage in this legal area because it is so complex and lives are at stake, Ribbenvik adds. He reminds, however, that the decision does not depend solely on the lawyer's submission. – The Migration Board looks at cases objectively and if there are inconsistencies, we will address them, Ribbenvik concludes.

    * Sveriges Radio 16 September 2011 (in Swedish)

More money for municipalities to receive unaccompanied minors

Sweden 

The Swedish Migration Board (SMB) proposes that municipalities receiving unaccompanied minors get more money. Currently there is a lack of 500 places for these children, and SMB believes money could motivate municipalities in making a positive decision on the issue. So far this year SMB has received 1,611 asylum applications from children under 18, and the estimation for the whole year is 2,400.

    * Svenska Dagbladet 18 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * SVT 18 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio 18 September 2011 (in Swedish)

Changes in asylum law will reunite thousands

Sweden 

The Government and the Green Party (MP) have come to an agreement on common migration policies, which is the first step to allow Somali refugees without identification papers to reunite with their families in Sweden. In spring 2010 Sweden tightened its migration policies, leaving thousands of Somalis stranded in refugee camps. The recent changes in the law mean that as many as 4,000 Somali refugees, a majority of them children, could come to Sweden as of 1 July 2012 when the law will be implemented. Organizations such as Save the Children and the Somali Association in Sweden have welcomed the change, but Save the Children also criticizes the system for taking too long to take an effect, stating that all the time wasted on waiting weakens children's chances of becoming reunited with their families.

    * Sveriges Radio 18 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sverige Radio 18 September 2011 (in English)
    * Sveriges Radio 18 September 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Dagens Nyheter 19 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Katrineholms Kuriren 19 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Webfinanser 18 September 2011 (in Swedish) 

Playing for famine

UNHCR in the news 

Some people use a donation box, some play bad videogames. Game fans from around the world have engaged themselves in the fight against the famine in the Horn of Africa. Three young men from Australia had decided to push through 24 hours, playing what they say are the worst videogames of all times. The purpose was to raise money for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The game marathon could be followed live on their own webpage called The Lame Game Marathon, where people were encouraged to donate money through a link on the page.

Verdens Gang 16 September 2011 (in Norwegian)

UNCHR: Ashraf inhabitants officially asylum-seekers

UNHCR in the news 

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) confirms in a statement from 13 September that it has received a significant number of individual requests from residents in Camp Ashraf to examine their refugee status. UNHCR has announced that it has initiated a process that will examine people's preferences on an individual basis, as Iraq lacks a national asylum system. Also, UNHCR states that international law requires that the residents of Ashraf must be able to receive fundamental protection of their safety and welfare.

    * Webfinanser 18 September 2011 (in Swedish)

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Tuesday 20 September to Wednesday 21 September 2011

Socialist Left wants agreement with Labour on asylum policy

Norway 

– We want asylum-seekers in Norway to have access to the labour market to a larger extent than today, says Heikki Holmås from the Socialist Left Party (SV). Many asylum-seekers in Norway have to wait several years before they receive a decision on their application. Those who arrive without a passport are not allowed to work in the meantime, forcing many to accept illegal work or commit crimes. Now SV wants reach an agreement on the asylum policy with the Labour Party (Ap), as the current policy goes against Ap's own policies, according to SV. The Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers (NOAS) suggests that Norway should learn from Danish practice. After the Danish elections, the new Prime minister has announced Denmark will give asylum-seekers a chance to work.

    * 2 Nyhetene 20 September 2011 (in Norwegian)

New rules for health clinics overlook paperless

Sweden 

The County Councils can offer more generous health care to persons without legal residence than the law requires. However, in a draft for new guidelines for health care centres in the region of Västra Götaland, persons without legal residence are not guaranteed health care. If the proposals in a government survey on health care for persons without legal residence are implemented in the legislation, they will not take effect until 1 January 2013. Until then the health care received will depend on where in the country one lives. – It would be good if Västra Götaland would change its current rules, both to clarify and show a more generous attitude, according to the paediatrician Henry Ascher.

    * Göteborgs Fria 19 September 2011 (in Swedish)

Activists block vehicle transporting refugees

Sweden 

Approximately 40 people blocked the entrance of the Swedish Migration Board's detention centre in Mölndal, in an attempt to stop the deportation of an Afghan man. According to the activists the refugee in question would face torture and possible death if sent back to Afghanistan. The demonstration ended later that day when the police intervened. The scheduled transportation of the refugees from the detention centre to Landvetter airport was severely delayed.

    * Sverige Radio 20 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * SVT 20 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Göteborgs-Posten 20 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Expressen 21 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Svenska Dagbladet 20 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Aftonbladet 20 September 2011 (in Swedish)

Palestinian refugees have to return to Italy

Sweden 

According to the Director for Legal Affairs of the Swedish Migration Board, Mikael Ribbenvik, all the members of the Palestinian refugee group that came from Italy to Sweden 3-4 months ago should return voluntarily. The refugees who were granted resettlement in Italy and are currently residing in Åtorp, have all been denied asylum in Sweden. The Swedish Migration Board hopes that police involvement can be avoided and has asked UNHCR to conduct a dialogue between the refugees and the Italian authorities.

    * Bohusläningen 20 September 2011 (in Swedish)

Inconsistent assessment of asylum applications

Sweden 

The practice in similar asylum cases varies a lot between the three Migration Courts of Appeal. Variations are notable also within each court, according to a report by the Swedish Red Cross and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. – The courts seem to create their own internal practice regarding asylum cases, says Alexandra Segenstedt from the Swedish Red Cross. She calls for more in-depth knowledge about the asylum-seekers' country of origin.

    * Dagens Nyheter 20 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio Ekot 20 September 2011 (in Swedish)

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Thursday 22 September to Friday 23 September 2011

Red Cross's integration project beneficial to refugee parents

Finland 

The integration project "Parents at the Åland Islands" (Föräldrar på Åland) run by the Red Cross has produced a resource binder that can be beneficial to refugee parents or organizations that are working with integration issues. Authorities at the Åland Islands have granted 5,000 euros to create the binder.

    * Nya Åland 21 September 2011 (in Swedish)

Refugees and immigrants return home

Norway 

Last year immigration caused the biggest population growth in Norway in 100 years. However, many of the immigrants and refugees return to their home countries or move to other countries, and therefore the population growth is lower than previously thought. According to Statistics Norway at least one-third of Pakistanis, Somalis and Iraqis leave Norway after a few years to return to their home country or move to another Western country.

    * NRK 1: 22 September 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * NRK 2: 22 September 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Utrop 22 September 2011 (in Norwegian)

Billström: It is good if the rule of law is respected in the asylum process

Sweden 

Tobias Billström, Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, is sceptical about the Swedish Migration Board's proposal that asylum-seekers could apply for a residence permit for employment reasons during the asylum process. – It is good that we have employment based immigration, but it is also good if the rule of law is respected in the asylum process, Billström states. Since all the review instances have not made their comments to the proposal yet Billström does not think it is appropriate to comment in detail.

    * Sveriges Television 21 September 2011 (in Swedish)

Swedish Migration Board criticized by UNHCR

Sweden 

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has expressed criticism about the Swedish Migration Board's handling of refugees with religious beliefs. UNHCR examined 200 asylum cases from 2009 and found that in 30 cases religion was mentioned as the main reason to fear persecution. However, some Migration Board officials have argued that a person would not face persecution in their home country if they would not express their religion openly; hence they have no grounds for asylum. The right to religion is a human right by International law. According to UNHCR the Migration Board should formulate guidelines on the interpretation of religion as the grounds for asylum. Furthermore UNHCR notes that the Migration Court of Appeal is expected to deliver a ruling on the assessment of credibility in cases concerning apostasy.

    * Världen idag 21 September 2011 (in Swedish)

Municipalities may be forced to accept refugee children

Sweden 

According to the Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, Tobias Billström, the Government may have to consider changing the legislation so that more municipalities in Sweden would accept unaccompanied minors. Only four out of the 33 municipalities of Skåne Region accept unaccompanied children, and many of them have complained about problems with this voluntary system. Currently there are 128 refugee children in Malmö waiting to be relocated.

    * Sverige Radio 21 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Nationell Idag 21 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * SVT 21 September 2011 (in Swedish)

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Saturday 24 September to Monday 26 September 2011

Red-Green Alliance: Remove brutal immigration rules

Denmark 

The Red-Green Alliance calls for a halt to what the party believes are brutal and bureaucratic rules for foreigners. Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen, spokesperson for the party, has gone through refusals of family reunifications by the Danish Immigration Service. Her party sees it as their task to clean up "this mess of rules that splits families and is punishing children". The party also requires that all old cases of refusal, made by the former government, should be re-visited.

    * Politiken 24 September 2011 (in Danish)
    * Berlingske 24 September 2011 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands-Posten 24 September 2011 (in Danish)

More return home voluntarily

Norway 

A growing number of rejected asylum-seekers are choosing to leave Norway voluntarily. The strong financial support that the state provides is part of the reason. So far this year, more Russians and Iraqis have chosen to return voluntarily than new asylum-seekers have come to Norway from the same countries, according to the Director of the Directorate of Immigration (UDI), Ida Børresen. The asylum process has improved and the time has gone down to six months, and with shorter waiting time for a decision it is easier to get asylum-seekers to return home. However, Børresen adds that they do not know where they travel, whether it is back home, if it is to another country or if they go into hiding in Norway.

    * Dagsavisen 23 September 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Verdens Gang 23 September 2011 (in Norwegian)

Successful model for asylum-seeking minors

Sweden 

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors have been the centre of attention in a seminar in Skellefteå, where they have expressed their feelings and views about what works well. – We have found an approach towards the children that we think is important to spread, says Per Åhdén, from municipality administration. The so-called Skellefteå model – which emphazises close collaboration among social serviced, housing deprtments, employment agency, schools etc - was presented to several hundred persons who work with children and young persons who come to Sweden unaccompanied. Also the Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, Tobias Billström, who has previously appealed to local authorities to increase the number of places for unaccompanied minors, took part in the seminar.

    * Sveriges radio 23 September 2011 (in Swedish)

Job can become fast-track to stay

Sweden 

The Swedish Migration Board has proposed that asylum-seekers would not have to wait to get a decision on asylum in order to apply for a residence permit. Currently the Swedish law has a clear distinction between asylum-seekers and those wanting to come to Sweden to work. According to the Migration Board the current system is a waste of resources. According to Thord Ingesson from the Landsorganisationen (LO), however, it is dangerous to blur the lines between these two groups. – It could be harder to defend the right to protection of refugees when they suddenly turn into labor migrants, he explains.

    * Dagens Nyheter 24 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Stockholm news 24 September 2011 (in English)

Refugees attributing to the majority of men in Sweden

Sweden 

In 2015 there will be more men than women in Sweden, when in previous years the population has been dominantly female. In 2020 there will be an estimated 38,200 more men than women living in the country. One factor attributing to the surplus of men is the refugees arriving from Africa, Middle East and former Yugoslavia, majority of who are male.

    * Sydsvenskan 25 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Kristianstadsbladet 25 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio 25 September 2011 (in Finnish)
    * The Local 25 September 2011 (in English)
    * Hufvudstadsbladet 25 September 2010 (in Swedish)
    * Expressen 26 September 2011 (in Swedish)

Refugee children interrogated without adult supervision

Sweden 

Emmy Ivarsson, lawyer at the Asylum Law Office in Stockholm, criticizes the system where unaccompanied refugee children arriving to Sweden are being interrogated without the presence of an adult or an attorney. Children are questioned by the Swedish Migration Board immediately after their arrival when most of them are tired from a long journey, and the data from these interviews can be used to decide whether they are entitled to stay in the country.

    * Sverige Radio 26 September 2011 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Tuesday 27 September to Wednesday 28 September 2011

Hundreds of returned children

Denmark 

Children as young as two years have been returned to their country of origin because they are not fit for "successful integration" in Denmark, according to the Danish Aliens Act. Since 2005 some 800 children under the age of 15 have been forced to leave. This is due to a tightening of the Danish Immigration Policy in 2004, where children under 15 years can be returned if they do not arrive in Denmark within two years after their parents. The rule was intended to prevent parents from sending back their children to their home country for extended periods. However, after a Supreme Court ruling in 2010, the rules became even tighter. The Danish Ministry for Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs got looser reins when it came to deporting very young children that were not capable of "successful integration". Now the Red-Green Alliance demands that restrictions made in the past few years should be removed.

    * Berlingske 26 September 2011 (in Danish)

Paperless persons should have access to health care

Finland 

The Finnish Medical Association has published a statement where it criticizes that paperless persons are denied access to health care. According to the Association, every human is entitled to equal health care, and the failure to treat possible infectious diseases of a certain group of people could become a health risk for the whole society. Paperless women also face problems when trying to have an abortion, says the Free Movement network. They cannot afford to use private clinics and are denied treatment in the public sector. Paperless women who are pregnant are also denied access to maternity clinics and will only be accepted to hospitals to give birth.

    * Mediauutiset 27 September 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Kansanuutiset 28 September 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Helsingin Sanomat 27 September 2011 (in Finnish)

50 refugees arrive to Öland

Sweden 

Approximately 50 refugees have arrived to Lundegård, Öland. The Lundegård campsite is going to sign a contract that will allow it to operate as a reception centre for another season. According to Per-Einar Tuvesson, the refugee coordinator in the municipality, the refugees will be contacted by the Swedish Migration Board in a few days.

    * Sveriges Radio 27 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Östran 28 September 2011 (in Swedish)

LGBT refugees in risk of getting rejected

Sweden 

According to the No one is illegal Network (Ingen människa är illegal) the Swedish Migration Board does not have sufficient information on the lesbian, gay, bi- and transsexual (LGBT) refugees' situation. On 13 January this year the Migration Board's Director for Legal Affairs Mikael Ribbenvik took a legal position on the matter of LGBT-refugees. However, according to the No one is illegal Network the knowledge about the position has not trickled down to all the persons handling the cases. – Law in Sweden is generally good, but the problem is that it is not followed, Alexandra Ekwall from the Networks LGBT-group emphasizes. According to the Migration Board's legal position the decision on asylum should be based on the applicant's future way of life, and not whether they have lived openly as LGBT-person in the past. However, this is not always the case in practice.

    * Göteborgs Fria 26 September 2011 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Thursday 29 September to Friday 30 September 2011

Increased police force used to target unaccompanied children

Denmark 

According to experts events of small children being denied residency and separated from their parents, with police knocking on families' doors to check children's passports, are increasingly common in Denmark. The immigration lawyer Åge Kramp says the change is due to increases in the police force - an initiative pushed by the Danish People's Party with the specific objective of enforcing deportations.

    * The Copenhagen Post 28 September 2011 (in English)

Paperless allowed employment in Trondheim

Norway 

The city council in Trondheim agreed with the group "Asylum-seekers without asylum" (Asylanter uten asyl i Trondheim) in its application for school and work permits for asylum-seekers who have been denied asylum but cannot return back home. Some of them have lived in Norway for many years and are well integrated into society. The head of the organization, Reza Malaki, is pleased with the backing from the council and that it has promised to forward their requests to the Government. In the meantime, local solutions will be established in Trondheim, so that paperless persons will have the same rights to health care as everyone else.

    * Adressa 29 September 2011 (in Norwegian) 

Swedish Migration Board's Reunification project fails

Sweden 

Between 2009 and 2010 the Swedish Migration Board (SMB) launched a reunification project that aimed to find the family members of 480 unaccompanied minors who would be deported or denied asylum. The project failed, however, managing to launch only 26 searches and not being able to find a single family. None of the children have been forced to leave due to SMB's failure to reunite them with their families.

    * Dagens Nyheter 29 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Svenska Dagbladet 29 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * TV 4 Nyheterna 29 September 2011 (in Swedish)

Sweden Democrats: Immigration costs Sweden billions

Sweden 

The Sweden Democrats (SD) claims the state could save 15 billion SEK in 2012 and over 35 billion SEK in 2015, if SD's immigration policies were to be implemented. The Sweden Democrats wants to reduce asylum and family reunification by 90 per cent and cut back on benefits received by immigrants and refugees in the society. However, Jan Ekberg, professor at the Linnaeus University, says that the Sweden Democrats underestimates society's benefits from immigration.

    * Dagens Nyheter 29 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Svenska Dagbladet 29 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio 29 September 2011 (in English)
    * Aftonbladet 29 September 2011 (in Swedish)

Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy criticizes Skåne

Sweden 

Tobias Billström, the Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy criticizes the reception of unaccompanied minors in Region Skåne. According to him, more municipalities should take responsibility for accepting unaccompanied children. Especially Malmö, where there are currently 140 minors waiting to be allocated to other municipalities, is too slow in relocating the children. Billström was in Malmö to discuss the situation of 2,500 unaccompanied minors who are expected to arrive to Sweden this year.

    * Sveriges Radio 28 September 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sydsvenskan 29 September 2011 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Saturday 1 October to Monday 3 October 2011

New Government eases immigration policy

Denmark 

It will be easier to be granted family reunification, permanent residence and citizenship. Both legislation and administration will be revised by the new Government. For the past 10 years, the former government tightened the immigration policy. Now it is time to get a comprehensive overview of the consequences of these changes, according to the new Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt (Social Democrat), Margrethe Vestager chairman of the Social Liberals and Villy Søvndal, leader of the Socialist People's Party. According to the new Government programme the parties want to relax the immigration policy in several areas. The Ministry of Refugees, Immigration and Integration Affairs will be disbanded and other ministries will take over its work. Also, the current point system for family reunification will be removed, but the language requirements will stay. In the future, it will be possible for asylum-seekers to live and work outside the asylum centres after six months.

    * Jyllands-Posten 1 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands-Posten 2 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands-Posten 3 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * Politiken 2 October 2011:1 (in Danish)
    * Politiken 2 October 2011:2 (in Danish)
    * Politiken 3 October 2011 (in English)
    * Berlingske 2 October 2011:1 (in Danish)
    * Berlingske 2 October 2011:2 (in Danish)
    * B.T. 2 October 2011 (in Danish)

Trondheim wants to change immigration policy

Norway 

On Thursday, the city council in Trondheim stated that undocumented asylum-seekers should be able to obtain work permits in the city, and in doing so, it went against the Government. The Labour Party in Trondheim is asking the Government to change its immigration policy when it comes to undocumented immigrants. – People that are paperless in Trondheim must be able to work, pay taxes to take care of themselves, before they are sent back home, said Rune Olsø from the Labour Party. – It is about human dignity and the ability to contribute to society, he continues. The opposition in Trondheim has strongly reacted against the city council's plans not to follow the State's immigration policy.

    * NRK 30 September 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * TV 2 Nyhetene 30 September 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Rogalands Avis 1 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

How asylum-seekers come to Norway

Norway 

Asylum-seekers cross dangerous borders, open seas and pay a lot of money to get a chance to live in Norway, according to documents from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). So far this year the number one country of origin is Somalia, with 1,070 asylum-seekers.

    * Verdens Gang 30 September 2011 (in Norwegian)

New documentary on unaccompanied minors

Sweden 

Annually some 2,000 unaccompanied children seek asylum in Sweden. Last year 1,315 of them got permission to stay. Monday evening a new documentary series will air on the Swedish TV channel SVT. The documentary follows some young people who have escaped from their home countries.

    * Sveriges Radio P1 3 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Utbildningsradio 26 September 2011 (in Swedish)

Poor protection against forced marriage

Sweden 

The protection against forced marriage and child marriage is poor for those seeking residence permits in Sweden. The Swedish Migration Board (SMB) would like to strengthen the current law, so that applicants who are forcibly married, or in danger of being so, could inform the authorities without being afraid that their partner or relatives would find out about it. SMB suspects that many people keep quiet about their reluctance to come to Sweden due to fear of reprisals, according to a new report to the Government.

    * Aftonbladet 1 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Svenska Dagbladet 1 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio International 2 October 2011 (in English)
    * SVT 1 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Skånskan 1 October 2011 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Tuesday 4 October to Wednesday 5 October 2011

New Government: The ministerial list

Denmark 

More than two weeks of secretive negotiations on a new government platform have ended and Helle Thorning-Schmidt has met with the Queen to ask to form a government. Thorning-Schmidt and the Social Democrats will lead a coalition that is joined by the Social Liberals and Socialist People's Party (SF). The immigration policy will be reviewed, and it will become easier to be allowed family reunification, permanent residence and citizenship. Reduced social welfare benefits for new immigrants will be eliminated, the 24-year rule remains, the attachment requirement is kept but modified and asylum-seekers can live and work outside asylum centres after six months. The former Government's point system for family reunification will be removed. The Ministry of Refugees, Immigration and Integration Affairs will be abolished, and its portfolio split between several ministries, including the Social Affairs Ministry and the Justice Ministry. The latter will be responsible for handling asylum and family reunification applications. The Minister of Social- and Integration Affairs, Karen Hækkerup (SD), will coordinate the integration work. She does not believe that the integration and immigration policy will loose focus without a ministry. Former Minister Søren Pind fears the consequences of the new policies: "It means open borders and open coffers. We will see an increase of non-Danes on social benefits. And abolishing the points system means that the Anatolian Plains move closer".

    * The Copenhagen Post 3 October 2011 (in English)
    * Jyllands-Posten 3 October 2011:1 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands-Posten 3 October 2011:2 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands-Posten 3 October 2011:3 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands-Posten 3 October 2011:4 (in Danish)
    * Information 3 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * Berlingske 3 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * Berlingske 4 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * TV2 Øst 4 October 2011 (in Danish)

NB. This story was also covered in Finland

    * Ilta-Sanomat 3 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Itä-Savo 3 October 2011 (in Finnish)

NB. This story was also covered in Sweden

    * Dagens Nyheter 4 October 2011 (in Swedish)

Fewer seeking asylum in Finland

Finland 

This year a third fewer asylum-seekers have arrived to Finland compared to last year. Between January and September a total of 2,217 persons applied for asylum in Finland, which is 31 per cent less compared to 3,203 persons in 2010. Some 120 persons of these asylum-seekers were unaccompanied minors. The Finnish Immigration Service estimates that by the end of the year the number of refugees can exceed 3,000, if the same pattern continues. Most of the applications were submitted by Iraqis (436), Somalis (255), Afghans (242) and Russians (227). Finland also received an increasing number of applications from Syria, due to the ongoing uprising. Out of those who applied for asylum between January and August, 836 persons received a positive decision and were either granted asylum or a residence permit. This is 35 per cent of all applicants. Some 1,291 applications were rejected.

    * Yle 4 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Yle 4 October 2011 (in English)
    * Turun Sanomat 4 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Aamulehti 4 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Kauppalehti 4 October 2011 (in English)
    * Kainuun Sanomat 4 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Kansan Uutiset 4 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Åbo Underrättelser 4 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Vasabladet 4 October 2011 (in Swedish)

500 per cent increase in unaccompanied refugee children

Sweden 

Sweden has experienced an increase in the number of unaccompanied minors arriving each year. Between 2004 and 2010 the number of unaccompanied minors has increased from 500 individuals to over 2,500 per year. However, the total number of unaccompanied minors coming to other Nordic countries has decreased significantly. In 2009, Finland received 557 unaccompanied minors, compared to 329 last year. In Finland, Norway and Denmark the rules of determining the age of an unaccompanied minor is stricter than in Sweden. For example last year 600 children underwent an age test in Norway, out of whom 289 or 48 per cent proved to be over 18 years old. Now Tobias Billström, Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, wants to ensure that unified rules are also followed in Sweden. – We strive to become more consistent with other Nordic countries, this way the situation becomes more legally secure.

    * Nationell Idag 4 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Nyheter 24 3 October 2011 (in Swedish)


Angelina Jolie on the podium at UN celebration

UNHCR in the news 

Angelina Jolie was present when the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) awarded the prestigious Nansen Medal. As the Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, Angelina Jolie used the opportunity to appeal for more aid for refugees from war-and famine-torn Somalia. This year, the Nansen Medal went to the organization Society for Humanitarian Solidarity from Yemen. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, showed his gratitude and congratulated Jolie for her work as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR during the past 10 years.

    * Jyllands-Posten 4 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * Ilta-Sanomat 4 October 2011 (in Finnish)

[Roope]

Thursday 6 October to Friday 7 October 2011

Paperless still without work permits

Norway 

The police in Trondheim believe that the politicians have created false hope, since the city council's decision to allow paperless people to work goes against immigrant regulations. Cathrine Tørum, from the police, stresses that no laws, regulations or instructions are changed for paperless asylum-seekers who want to work. The number of applications for work permits have more than doubled since the council's decision, and paperless asylum-seekers have come all the way from Oslo to apply. However, the decision only states that the city council asks the government to facilitate that undocumented people can work legally until they have to leave the country. Many do not understand that there has not been a change in the law. – This creates new hope, which is extremely unfortunate, says Tørum. Stavanger is now following Trondheims lead and is sending a request to the government to help the paperless.

    * Adressa 5 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * NRK 5 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * NRK 6 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Vårt Land 6 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

Epidemics spread in Dadaab

UNHCR in the news 

Epidemics such as measles and tuberculosis have been raging in Dadaab, the world's largest refugee camp situated in Kenya, since January. Now there are concerns about the upcoming rain, which is expected to trigger a massive outbreak of cholera. The refugees living in the slums on the outskirts of the camp are likely to suffer the most due to the lack of water and latrines. There are nearly half a million people living in Dadaab, who are not allowed to leave the camp and cannot be integrated into the Kenyan society. According to Fafa Attidzah, the head of the UNHCR in Dadaab, the people have two options. - The first and the best is that they can return home, but that is not realistic for another 15-20 years. The second is that we invest in these people and use the opportunity to educate them now that we have them here. We should prepare them for a life out in the world.

    * Expressen 7 October 2011 (in Swedish)

Honored lifesavers

UNHCR in the news 

This year's Nansen award was presented in Geneva by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) High Commissioner Antonio Guterres and the Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie, together with the Norwegian Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gry Larsen and the Norwegian Refugee Council's Secretary General Elisabeth Rasmusson. Angelina was clearly moved when she spoke of the award-winners, Society for Humanitarian Solidarity from Yemen. She was also honored for her 10 years of service for the UNHCR as an ambassador. During this time she has made 40 field trips all over the world to visit groups of refugees. – Words cannot describe what these ten years have meant to me. Refugees have changed my life, she said.

    * Bladet Vesterålen 5 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * 2 Nyhetene 5 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Verdens Gang 5 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

[Roope]

Saturday 8 October to Monday 10 October 2011

More paperless seek medical care

Norway 

This year over 800 people will have visited the Health Centre for Undocumented Immigrants in Oslo. This is more than double compared to the previous year. The centre is run by the Norwegian Red Cross and the Church City Mission since 2009. – The increase is steady, says Solveig Holmedal Ottesen, general manager of the centre. – Too many people do not know they are entitled to medical care, including infectious diseases, she continues. However, the centre is becoming better known; hence the number of visitors is increasing. The rules state that all residents in Norway have the right to emergency care, regardless of whether they are legally or illegally in the country.

    * NRK 7 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

United Nations criticizes children's rights in Sweden

Sweden 

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child is criticizing Sweden for the fifth time for failing to properly adopt the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Sweden signed the Convention in 1990 and an additional protocol on child trafficking in 2006. This week in Geneva the Committee examined for the first time how the Swedish Government is protecting children against child trafficking, child pornography and prostitution. Paperless and asylum-seeking children in Sweden were also mentioned in the criticism. According to Christina Heilborn, children's rights lawyer at UNICEF in Sweden, the Committee does not think that these children have enough protection in Sweden.

    * Sveriges Nyheter 8 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sydsvenskan 8 Ocotber 2011 (in Swedish)
    * The Local 8 October 2011 (in English)

More than 27,000 fleeing unrest in Sudan

UNHCR in the news 

Tension is increasing between Sudan and new autonomous South Sudan. According to reports from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), thousands of people are fleeing from the unrest in the Sudanese state Blue Nile. In total, 27,500 refugees have crossed the border to Ethiopia and South Sudan after a series of bloody clashes between Sudanese forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). UNHCR has established several refugee camps along the Ethiopian border. The unrest started after South Sudan became independent on 5 July this year.

    * Berlingske 8 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands-Posten 8 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * B.T. 8 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * TV2 Nyhederne 8 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * NRK 8 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Verdens Gang 8 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Agderposten 8 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Dagens Nyheter 8 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Turun Sanomat 8 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * YLE 8 October 2011 (in Finnish)

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to visit Scandinavia

UNHCR in the news 

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is visiting Scandinavia this week. His tour begins in Oslo on 10 October, where he amongst other engagements will participate alongside King Harald in a ceremony honoring the 150th anniversary of the birth of Fridtjof Nansen. Nansen was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and was appointed by the UN's predecessor, the League of Nations, to be the very first High Commissioner for Refugees. After Norway Ban Ki-Moon will travel to Denmark and end his three day long Nordic visit in Sweden.

    * Göteborgs-Posten 7 October 2011 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Tuesday 11 October to Wednesday 12 October 2011

Government does not want to change asylum policy

Norway 

The government rejects the wishes of local politicians in Trondheim and Stavanger to give undocumented asylum-seekers in Norway the right to work. The city council in Stavanger has asked the Government to change its policy, but State Secretary Pål Lønseth says local authorities can not make such decisions. He repels the idea that it is appropriate for the Government to follow the decisions of the two major cities. – To reward those who have resided illegally in Norway for many years with work or residence permits will have major repercussions for the asylum policy, says Lønseth. However, Per Thorbjørnsen from the Liberals in Stavanger finds it strange that the Government believes that local politicians should not engage themselves in people they meet in difficult situations.

    * TV 2 Nyhetene 10 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

Mass deportation of Iraqi asylum-seekers

Sweden 

Sweden forcefully returned more than 50 rejected Iraqi asylum-seekers on Tuesday night. A group of demonstrators gathered around the detention centre in Åstorp to protest against the deportation. Meanwhile Iraq is appealing to Sweden to put an end to these forced deportations. One of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki's closest advisors, Ali Mosawi, confirmed that the government certainly welcomes its citizens back, but underlines that their return must be voluntary.Three years ago Sweden and Iraq signed a readmission agreement about the return of rejected Iraqi asylum-seekers. The two countries agreed on forced returns as long as they are phased, well organized and humane.

    * Sveriges Radio 11 October 2011 (in English)
    * Sydsvenskan 12 October 2011 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Thursday 13 October to Friday 14 October 2011

New immigration policy

Denmark 

The Danish Immigration Service's staff is now guiding public servants on the consequences of the changes proposed to the Aliens Act, in order for them to be able to guide asylum-seekers on the new rules. The Government's list of legislation, including the new immigration policy, is expected to be published at the end of November this year. It is not known when the different legislative amendments will be presented to parliament.

    * Berlingske 12 October 2011 (in Danish)

Danish Immigration Service agrees with criticism

Denmark 

After being criticised, the authorities now want to help unaccompanied minors who have fled to Denmark to find family members. The Danish Immigration Service has been criticised by the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman, and the Service agrees that it should not be left to the International Red Cross to find family members. – We have now taken on the responsibility and will cooperate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Organization for Migration on how to search for relatives in practice, says Jakob Dam Glynstrup from the Danish Immigration Service's Asylum Office. According to the Aliens Act it is the duty of the Danish Immigration Service to search for family members as soon as unaccompanied minors come to Denmark, however, this has not been done for several years. One reason, according to Jakob Dam Glynstrup, is that many countries are marked by war and unrest, making the search difficult.

    * Berlingske 13 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands-Posten 13 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * TV2 Nyhederne 13 October 2011 (in Danish)

New studies to evaluate the reception of unaccompanied minors

Sweden 

Strömsund municipality has been granted 6.4 million SEK by the Swedish Migration Board to conduct research on best practices to receive and introduce unaccompanied minors into Swedish society. The study will last two and a half years and will be conducted in co-operation with the County Council and Save the Children. Originally the project was implemented to only profit the local community of Strömsund, but the Swedish Migration Board estimated that the results of the research could benefit the whole country. Another research team at the University of Umeå also received 3.2 million SEK in EU-funds from the Swedish Migration Board to evaluate the reception of unaccompanied minors in Umeå municipality. The team will work on the project for two years together with the social services, the YWCA-YMCA of Sweden and other actors.

    * Sveriges Television 12 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio 12 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Östersunds-Posten 12 October 2011 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Saturday 15 October to Monday 17 October 2011

Municipalities can be forced to accept refugee children

Sweden 

According to a new proposal the Swedish Migration Board should be able to ensure that municipalities accept unaccompanied minors. The study was ordered by Tobias Billström, Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy. - By all accounts the proposal becomes law from 1 January 2013, says Billström. Within the current voluntary system 86 out of 290 municipalities have failed to reach an agreement with the Swedish Migration Board to accept unaccompanied minors. So far the Swedish Migration Board has only been able to make municipalities accept unaccompanied minors in exceptional cases, e.g. if the child has relatives in the same municipality. The number of unaccompanied minors has increased in recent years. In 2005 approximately 400 children came to Sweden, whereas in 2010 over 2,400 arrived.

    * Sveriges Radio 14 October 2011:1 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio 14 October 2011:2 (in Swedish)
    * Norra Skåne 14 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Dagens Nyheter 14 October 2011 (in Swedish)

Refugee smugglers could be stopped

Sweden 

According to the Swedish Migration Board asylum-seekers should know that it is possible to come to Sweden legally as labour immigrants before they flee their home country. This could stop smugglers and criminal networks. – Traditionally, many migrants only know about the possibility of seeking asylum, which means that many pay up to 100,000 SEK to a refugee smuggler, says Monika Wendleby, operations manager at the Swedish Migration Board. For example Iraqis have been forced to use smugglers in order to seek asylum in Sweden. They are not granted visa to enter the European Union and it is not possible to seek asylum from Iraq. The new labour law provides a legal way into Sweden for those who manage to get a job before leaving.

    * Dagens Nyheter 16 October 2011 (in Swedish)

Reduced compensation a risk to Malmö

Sweden 

State investigators want to lower the compensation municipalities receive for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. The new proposal suggests that local authorities should receive a flat fee of 1,900 SEK per child per day, instead of being compensated for the actual costs. This is contrary to Malmö city's view. – We have all along said that we need to be compensated for actual costs. This could otherwise leave big gaps in Malmö's economy, says Lene Cordes from Malmö city.

    * Sydsvenskan 16 October 2011 (in Swedish)

Growing number of Somali refugees in Yemen

UNHCR in the news 

According to UNHCR the amount of Somali refugees fleeing to Yemen has increased significantly in the last few months. The refugees are crossing the Gulf of Aden in crowded boats and many of them do not survive the dangerous journey to Yemen. According to Adrian Edwards, representative of UNHCR, the fact that there has been a flood of Somali refugees trying to get to Yemen, demonstrates the desperate situation of these people who prefer even politically unstable Yemen over Somalia.

    * MTV3 16 October 2011 (in Finnish)

Kenyans pretend to be from Somalia

UNHCR in the news 

Desperate famine victims from Kenya with ancestors from Somalia are registering as refugees from Somalia in the refugee complex Dadaab in order to receive food. In the camp the malnourished children and their families from Somalia receive help. However, for Kenyans the help should come from their Government, but this help is inadequate. In Dadaab, which is run by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), refugees receive six times the compensation the Government in Kenya gives to its citizens. However, Kenyans who claim to be from Somalia automatically lose their citizenship and run the risk of remaining in the camp for many years to come.

    * NRK 16 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

[Roope]

Tuesday 18 October to Wednesday 19 October 2011

City council in Bergen wants a more humane paperless policy

Norway 

The city council in Bergen has voted in favour of asking the Government to ensure better rights for so-called paperless persons. The Socialist Left Party (SV) managed to get the Christian Democratic Party's (KrF) support. In the proposal, SV is asking the Government to go over its entire asylum policy when it comes to paperless persons.

    * NRK 17 October 211 (in Norwegian)
    * TV 2 Nyhetene 17 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Bergensavisen 18 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Vårt Land 18 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

91-year old woman can stay in Sweden

Sweden 

The forced return of a 91-year old Ukrainian grandmother Ganna Chyzevska has been halted at the last minute. Chyzevska has been living in Sweden with her relatives for several years, and has no family members in Ukraine. After receiving a negative decision from the Swedish Migration Board, Chyzevska, who suffers from dementia, was due to be deported yesterday. However the deportation was stopped after the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg intervened. According to the Swedish Migration Board's spokesman Andreas Lundberg, the decision is only a temporary reprieve, even if it could become permanent. The deportation has caused strong protests from the public and several politicians have criticized the operation. Many humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross also pleaded for the grandmother to be able to stay in Sweden.

    * Dagens Nyheter 18 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio 18 October 2011 (in English)
    * The Local 18 October 2011 (in English)
    * SVT 18 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Aftonbladet 18 October 2011 (in Swedish)

NB. This story was also covered in Finland

    * Verkkouutiset 18 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Yle 18 October 2011 (in Finnish)

Asylum applications jump in industrialised countries

UNHCR in the news 

According to a new report from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) the industrialised countries have experienced a large increase of asylum-seekers in the first half of 2011. Due to the crisis in the Horn of Africa and in West- and North Africa, the number of asylum claims has in total increased by 17 per cent compared to the same period last year. However, the Nordic region was the only part of Europe that experienced a decline in the number of asylum applications. The number of asylum applications has fallen by 39 per cent in Finland and 10 per cent in Sweden. Norway experienced a small increase by 4 per cent, while Iceland saw an increase of 88 per cent. In Denmark the number of applications has dropped by 23 per cent. Hanne Mathisen, UNHCR's spokesperson in the Baltic and Nordic countries, says there is no clear answer to why the numbers have dropped. - One explanation could be that the number of Afghans, who constitute the largest group of asylum-seekers in Denmark, has declined. More Afghans are now getting the right to work in their neighbouring country Iran, says Mathisen. Another large group of asylum-seekers come from Iraq and Mathisen points out that possibly fewer people can afford to come to Denmark. – It may also be due to security improvements in Iraq, and the risk of being forcibly returned from Denmark, but there is no clear overall picture, Mathisen adds.

    * Avisen 18 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * Helsingin Sanomat 18 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Iltalehti 19 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Hufvudstadsbladet 18 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Österbottens Tidning 18 October (in Swedish)
    * Kansan Uutiset 18 October 2011 (in Finnish)

UNHCR office under threat in Kenya

UNHCR in the news 

The UNHCR office in Kenya has come under security threat. UNHCR conducts extensive operations in the Horn of Africa due to the ongoing crisis in Somalia, and the security situation in Kenya has also worsened. This is reinforced by the Kenyan troops entering Somalia over the weekend. The Swedish embassy, which is located in the same building with UNHCR, has evacuated all of its 60 employees and left the premises permanently. Björn Häggmark, Deputy Head of Mission at the Swedish Embassy in Nairobi, does not want to comment whether there is a direct threat towards UNHCR.

    * Dagens Nyheter 19 October 2011 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Thursday 20 October to Friday 21 October 2011

Asylum-seekers have to wait longer for appeal

Denmark 

Asylum-seekers that have been refused asylum in the first instance have to wait longer and longer for a final decision by the Refugee Appeals Board. This is due to the fact that the number of cases at the Refugee Appeals Board has continued to increase. This year there will be around 1,000 – 1,100 so called spontaneous cases; this comprises approximately 1,400-1,500 people. A spontaneous case is when an asylum-seeker has been refused asylum by the Danish Immigration Service, and then the case is automatically directed to the Refugee Appeals Board.

    * Avisen 20 October 2011 (in Danish)


Government wants to abolish controversial interpreter fee

Denmark 

The previous government's interpreter fee is not worth the extra work it creates, according to hospitals and the Social Democrats. Since 1 June, refugees and immigrants who have lived in Denmark for more than seven years have had to pay 150 Danish crowns (DKK) for an interpreter, should they need one. However, according to the hospitals, the administration around the fee is almost as expensive as providing the service. The Government is therefore willing to abolish the fee for the upcoming budget negotiations. Astrid Krag, Minister for Health, says that hospitals experience a large increase in administrative hassle and there is a danger that sick patients choose not to go to the doctor because they cannot afford the fee.

    * Politiken 19 October 2011 (in Danish)

Government refuses to follow demands

Norway 

The Government does not want to discuss its own asylum policy, despite demands from three of the country's largest cities. The City Councils in Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim have demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the Government's asylum policy and demand changes to it. Pål Lønseth, State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, says that the demands to allow people who stay illegally in Norway the right to work are too vague and they do not represent a functioning policy. – They are welcome to come with substantial ideas and then we can take the discussion from there, says Lønseth. However, Oddny Miljeteig, from the Socialist Left Party in Bergen, replied that in order to get the debate started at the Government level, we need to go higher than the State Secretary.

    * NRK 19 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

[Roope]

Saturday 22 October to Monday 24 October 2011

Asylum-seekers suffer from anxiety for many years

Denmark 

A report suggests that rejected asylum-seekers who for various reasons cannot be deported should receive residence permits. The idea is supported by many politicians. Anxiety is a fundamental problem for asylum-seekers who live in uncertainty about their futures. – The uncertainty could be removed with a less restrictive interpretation of existing laws and by initially granting applicants temporary stay, says Michala Bendixen, affiliate to the Committee for Underground Refugees who published the report. – We should not accept that people are getting sick and degraded by the treatment they get when they come to Denmark to seek protection, she adds. Both the Red-Green Alliance and the Social Liberals recommend that rejected asylum-seekers who cannot be sent home, should receive residence permits.

    * Berlingske 23 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * MetroXpress 23 October 2011 (in Danish)

Illegal immigrants should have the right to medical care

Denmark 

Illegal immigrants are only entitled to medical care for acute or life-threatening illnesses. – This is fundamentally wrong, according to the Red-Green Alliance (EH), the Social Liberals (S) and the Socialist People's Party (SF). Women without a residence permit cannot be scanned during their pregnancy and illegal immigrants with diabetes are not allowed medical care. The three parties want the new Minister of Health, Astrid Krag (SF), to look at the possibility of opening more clinics for illegal immigrants, like the one that was opened in Copenhagen in August by the Danish Red Cross, the Danish Refugee Council and the Medical Association. – People are entitled to treatment regardless of their legal status, says Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen (EH).

    * Berlingske 24 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * Dansk Radio 24 October 2011 (in Danish)

North and East Finland receive more refugees

Finland 

Municipalities in the North and East of Finland are accepting more refugees compared to the rest of the country. Since 2007 Lapland has accepted some 700 refugees, which is more than Turku and Tampere have accepted during the same period altogether. The municipalities of Southern Ostrobothnia and Satakunta have received the least refugees in Finland, with only a few hundred accepted throughout the 2000s. It is voluntary for municipalities to receive refugees; this is why the numbers between different municipalities vary greatly.

    * Helsingin Sanomat 24 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Itä-Savo 24 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Turun Sanomat 24 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Ilta-Sanomat 24 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Hufvudstadsbladet 24 October 2011 (in Swedish)

Tent camp must go

Norway 

The Palestinian camp next to the church Jakob in Oslo had to be removed before yesterday evening. Some 25 paperless Palestinans have stayed in the camp for about 5 months. Kari Helene Partapuoli, head of the Norwegian Centre against Racism, says the camp is a peaceful demonstration and one of few opportunities where rejected asylum-seekers can take action and make their voices heard. However, according to the municipality the camp had to be removed by Sunday or the police would take action and force the Palestinians to move. One of the asylum-seekers, Mohammed Ganan, responded that they will leave and rebuild the camp in another location.

    * Verdens Gang 20 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * NRK 21 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

300 asylum-seekers to stay at Västervik Resort this winter

Sweden 

Approximately 300 asylum-seekers will be residing in Västervik Resort this winter. The Swedish Migration Board is renting cabins at the campsite for the second consecutive year, due to the acute need of places for asylum-seekers. The families will live in the cabins and take care of themselves, but there will also be staff from the Swedish Migration Board providing support and assistance if necessary. The first 40 asylum-seekers originating from various countries are due to arrive on Monday.

    * Nyheterna 24 October (in Swedish)

Easier for abused immigrants to stay in Sweden

Sweden 

Due to a decision by the Swedish Migration Court, it will become easier for an individual to obtain a residence permit if there is evidence of physical abuse. This concerns immigrants coming to Sweden to live with their partner, but who may have to return home if the relationship ends.

    * Sydsvenskan 22 October 2011 (in Swedish)

Slave-like conditions at car washes

Sweden 

Many car wash companies have begun to exploit people who are staying in Sweden as illegal workers. – It is a new phenomenon, says Jerk Wiberg from the border police in Stockholm. Car washes have become a new market for black labour, where asylum-seekers and undocumented immigrants are exploited in slave-like conditions. Several people have testified that the working days are between 10 to 12 hours and the hourly pay is between 20 to 30 SEK. This is a growing problem in Stockholm, as well as in Gothenburg and Malmö.

    * Dagens Nyheter 23 October 2011 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Tuesday 25 October to Wednesday 26 October 2011

Danish People's Party rejects more medical care to illegal immigrants

Denmark 

Illegal immigrants should not have extra medical care as the Red-Green Alliance (EH), the Socialist People's Party (SF) and the Social Liberals (S) suggest. People without a residence permit should have to leave Denmark, believes Martin Henriksen, integration spokesperson for the Danish People's Party (DF). He accepts that illegal immigrants should have access to emergency medical care, but rejects an extension that will allow people without a residence permit to have access to preventative medical care or help with chronic disorders. Henriksen will ask the new Minister of Justice, Morten Bødskov, to ensure that illegal immigrants that come to the clinics are met by the police in order to send them back to their country of origin, or the country where they have a residence permit. Stine Mai Brix (EH) rejects this position. – This is not about how tight immigration policy should be, rather that people should have access to the treatment that they need, she says.

    * Berlingske 24 October 2011 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands-Posten 22 October 2011 (in Danish)

Minister Räsänen to tighten immigration rules

Finland 

Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen wishes to tighten immigration rules. According to Räsänen, the family reunification policies in Finland are much less strict than in other countries. This has made Finland particularly attractive to asylum-seekers. Although the process of reviewing immigration has only just begun, tougher rules for family reunifications can be expected in the future. Those who have been granted asylum in Finland can for instance be asked to prove that they have sufficient income to support their families. Currently there are as many as 10,000 applications for family reunification waiting to be processed by the Ministry of the Interior, which has blocked the system. Most of the applications are from Somalis. The review of immigration initiated by Räsänen will be finished in February.

    * Turun Sanomat 25 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Yle 25 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Verkkouutiset 25 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Itä-Savo 25 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Hufvudstadsbladet 25 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Yle Svenska 25 October 2011 (in Swedish)

NB. This story was also covered in Sweden

    * Dagens Nyheter 25 October 2011 (in Swedish)

Return to Somalia overturned

Norway 

Abdi, 25, came to Norway when he was 11 years old but after 14 robberies by the age of 13, Norway wanted to send him back to Somalia. Now the Borgarting Court has decided that he should get a second chance. He is currently surving a prison sentance and will not be released until next autumn. In 2010 it was ruled by the Norwegian Immigration Appeal Board (UNE) that it was safe for him to return to Somalia. However, UNE's ruling has now been overruled by the Borgarting Court, which submitted documentary evidence to support that internally displaced people in Somalia live in very miserable conditions, and that the risk is high of ending up in a refugee camp. The Court also noted that the food situation in the region is considered critical and there is a fear that it will become even worse. – It is like being reborn, Abdi said about the new decision.

    * Dagbladet 25 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

Tent camp can stay until further notice

Norway 

The disputed Palestinian tent camp next to church Jakob in Oslo will remain until further notice, the new Oslo Commissioner for Environment and Transport, Ola Elvestuen, has decided. Last week the police was told to by the municipality to remove the tented camp, but the new Commissioner has reversed the order. – We must first establish a dialogue with the Palestinians who live there in order to find a solution together, says Elvestuen. He stresses that the camp has to be removed sooner or later, but that the new council first has to decide how to handle the matter. The Directorate of Immigration has stated that the Palestinians are allowed access to a reception centre, where all asylum-seekers who have been rejected are permitted to stay.

    * Dagsavisen 25 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * NRK 26 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

Unaccompanied refugee children receive insufficient education

Sweden 

According to a survey by the Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company and Save the Children, unaccompanied refugee children are not receiving the education that they are entitled to. Nearly half of the survey's 348 teachers said that they received little or no support in working with unaccompanied refugee children. Six out of ten teachers said that they lacked proper guidelines and procedures when working with the children. Save the Children calls on municipalities who receive unaccompanied minors, as well as school principals, to meet their responsibilities and show a strong support for the education of these children.

    * Sveriges Radio 24 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * SVT 24 October 2011 (in Swedish)

Demonstrators occupy the Swedish Migration Board

Sweden 

On the United Nations Day on Tuesday a group of demonstrators occupied the premises of the Swedish Migration Board in Gothenburg. They were protesting against what they say is Sweden's inhuman refugee policy. Around 50 protesters marched into the Migration Board accusing Sweden of violating a number of UN conventions, including Convention on Human Rights and Convention on the Rights of the Child. After 10 minutes of protesting indoors, the group returned to the streets where the demonstration continued.

    * Göteborg's Fria 25 October 2011 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Thursday 27 October to Friday 28 October 2011

Increasing number of refugees stay in Lapland

Finland 

Since 2007 over 700 refugees from different countries have moved to Finnish Lapland. According to the leading social worker Kaisa Salmela from Rovaniemi's immigration office, a reasonable number of the refugees that come to Lapland will stay. In recent years more and more people are staying, adds Salmela. There are currently 137 Iraqi refugees living in Rovaniemi. One of them is 23 year-old Estefan Hando, who says that he will be happy to stay in Lapland as long as he is able to find work in the future. However, many refugees leave, mostly to work or study somewhere else.

    * Lapin Kansa 27 October 2011 (in Finnish)

Progress Party wants asylum-stop for five years

Norway 

The Progress Party's (FrP) new immigration policy spokesperson, Morten Ørsal Johansen, wants to close the borders for new asylum-seekers for up to five years. – We need to take a break in order to get integration on the right track, he says. He stresses that the asylum-stop only would apply to people from outside the EU and Schengen. The FrP is also open to say no to UN refugees, with the exception of family reunifications. – They already have a network in Norway that can help them integrate, says Ørsal Johansen. He also believes that the processing times for asylum applications are too long, and that this is partly due to too many appeal opportunities for asylum-seekers. Therefore Ørsal Johansen wants to close down the Norwegian Immigration Appeals Board and replace it with a court whose decisions cannot be appealed. Tirill Sjøvoll, head of Save the Children Youth Norway (PRESS), believes that FrP's comments are against human rights conventions. – It is a human right and a right in the Convention on the Rights of the Child to apply for asylum, she says.

    * NRK 27 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Dagbladet 27 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Dagsavisen 27 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Bergensavisen 27 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Nordlys 27 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Verdens Gang 27 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

NB. This story was also covered in Sweden

    * TV4 Nyheterna 27 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * SVT 27 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Svenska Dagbladet 27 October (in Swedish)

Deported Iraqi man murdered

Sweden 

Khaled Khodena, an Iraqi man who was rejected asylum in Sweden and forced to return to Iraq, has been murdered. Even though he came from the vulnerable religious minority of Ezid that faces daily discrimination and persecution in Iraq, the Swedish Migration Board chose to deport him. According to people in Northern Iraq, Khodena was murdered in his sleep by a member of a terrorist group. Khodena is only one of many people deported to places that look safe on paper. The Swedish Migration Board is criticized for not taking responsibility over what happens after these persons are forcibly returned.

    * Sveriges Radio 26 October 2011 (in Swedish)

359 refugees to Halland

Sweden 

The municipality of Halland has decided to accept 359 refugees next year. Of them 179 will be able to live on their own, while 180 will be allocated a place to stay.

    * Sveriges Radio 27 October 2011 (in Swedish)

2.3 million to integration projects

Sweden 

The County Administrative Board of East Sweden has granted a total of 2.3 million SEK to six different integration projects. The aim of the projects is to quickly integrate newly arrived refugees into society and the employment market. The projects will run until 2012. The County Administrative Board has since 2011 provided compensation to municipalities and local authorities to develop the reception of newly arrived refugees.

    * Folkbladet 28 October 2011 (in Swedish)

UNHCR provides aid in Turkey

UNHCR in the news 

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit the Kurdish-dominated province of Van in Southeastern Turkey on 23 October has so far killed 530 people. Hundreds of people are still missing and around 2,300 people have been injured. United Nations is concerned about the conditions in the quake area. UNHCR has been providing aid by donating 4,000 tents, 50,000 blankets and 10,000 bed mats.

    * Metro 27 October 2011 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Saturday 29 October to Monday 31 October 2011

Refugees concentrated in metropolitan area of Helsinki region

Finland 

Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and the commuter municipalities of Kerava and Hyvinkää accept most refugees in the greater metropolitan area. Outside the greater metropolitan area there is a gap in accepting refugees. For example the municipality of Pornainen, with a population of 5,000 has not accepted a single refugee in the past 20 years. Similarly Mäntsälä, with a population of 20,000 has accepted one refugee, and Nurmijärvi with 40,000 people has accepted two refugees. Changing attitudes and the financial situation decreases municipalities' willingness to accept refugees. At the same time the metropolitan area is under growing pressure, since many refugees move there to live closer to their friends and family.

    * Helsingin Sanomat 28 October 2011 (in Finnish)

Confinement of undocumented criminals

Norway 

The Norwegian Police Federation (PF) wants to lock up criminals and undocumented asylum-seekers. This would sharply decrease the number of rapes, according to Arne Johannessen, head of PF. He says there is a need for more visible police officers and illuminated streets, but this is not enough to fight rapes. – Criminal undocumented asylum-seekers are over-represented in cases that involve rapes, he states. The State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, Pål Lønseth, is questioning Johannessen's figures. The Red Youth (RU), believes that Johannessen is hurting the debate on rape. – Hopeless and oversimplified, says Iver Aastebøl, leader of RU. – Women who are afraid to go home alone suffer when the debate on rape becomes a debate about culture and ethnicity, he continues. The problem cannot be solved by putting the law aside. – Those who rape should be punished after a trial, and not locked in because they are undocumented asylum-seekers, says Aastebøl.

    * Dagbladet 28 October 2011:1 (in Norwegian)
    * Dagbladet 28 October 2011:2 (in Norwegian)
    * Dagbladet 28 October 2011:3 (in Norwegian)
    * Dagbladet 28 October 2011:4 (in Norwegian)

Reduced processing time

Norway 

The processing time for asylum applications has been reduced from over 250 days to 96 days. The Minister of Justice and the Police, Knut Storberget, is more than happy with this result. – Such long processing times do not favour either us or those seeking asylum. We are in a situation where it is crucial with shorter waiting times, says Storberget. He adds that the Government should have a clear return policy for those who are not in need of protection.

    * NRK 30 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

Halt deportations to Syria

Sweden 

Lena Sommestad, chairwoman of Social Democratic Women in Sweden (S-Kvinnor) and three other representatives of social democratic organizations, call for an immediate halt to deportations to Syria. According to their statement, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has for quite some time advised people against travelling to Syria and now urges Swedes to leave the country, yet at the same time the Swedish Migration Board is deciding to deport refugees back to the country. Sommerstad states that it is hypocrisy to stand up for human rights and support democracy, while at the same time denying protection to those fleeing a violent regime.  – If the Ministry does not consider Syria to be safe for Swedish people, why is it acceptable to deport politically active refugees there? The UN has estimated that over 3,000 have been killed in Syria due to the recent demonstrations.

    * Sveriges Radio 29 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * SVT 29 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sydsvenskan 30 October 2011 (in Swedish)
    * The Local 29 October 2011 (in English)

Suicide attack against UNHCR's office in Afghanistan

UNHCR in the news 

Three people were killed and two injured in a suicide attack against a building with UN offices in the Afghan city of Kandahar on Monday. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesperson for the fundamentalist group said that the attack was aimed at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which had an office in the building that was hit. According to the local governor, the victims were local civilians.

    * YLE 31 October 2011 (in Finnish)
    * NRK 31 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Aftenposten 31 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Dagbladet 31 October 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Verdens Gang 31 October 2011 (in Norwegian)

[Roope]

Tuesday 1 November to Wednesday 2 November 2011

Government scraps poverty benefits

Denmark 

In the budget proposal for 2012, the Government is suggesting to abolish poverty benefits such as start-help and the cash allowance ceiling. This will affect thousands of people, mostly immigrants. – It used to be believed that poverty led to employment. We say that it does not. What leads to employment is to be a part of society, says the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Villy Søvndal. Cash-help will now be the lowest social benefit except for student allowance. This is welcomed by the Danish Refugee Council, who believes that the low benefits have harmed integration. – Children have not been able to participate in sports clubs or birthday parties. All the small things that make you become part of the society you live in, says Andreas Kamm, Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council.         

    * Politiken 1 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands-Posten 1 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * Dansk Radio 1 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * TV2 Nyhederne 1 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * B.T. 1 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * MetroXpress 1 November 2011 (in Danish)

Demand for mental health check of asylum-seekers

Norway 

Despite the fact that many asylum-seekers are struggling with mental health problems, the mental health services is almost absent. Libe Rieber-Mohn, from the Labour Party, argues that mental health should be part of the health checks all asylum-seekers undergo when they come to Norway. – We know that many have experienced traumatic things in life and it must be taken seriously, she says. A survey conducted by the Institute for Social Research compared Norway with six other European countries. It showed that Norway is the worst when it comes to detecting mental health disorders among asylum-seekers.

    * Dagbladet 1 November 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Verdens Gang 1 Novermber 2011 (in Norwegian)

Hundreds of asylum cases published

Sweden 

Hundreds of asylum-seekers have had their cases published on an anti-immigration website Migileaks. The website has published several verdicts by the Swedish Data Inspection Board and it remains unclear whether it is violating the law by doing so. The published cases contain a lot of sensitive and personal data, which has resulted in some of the asylum-seekers receiving death threats. According to the legal counsellors, Helen Westlund and Ferec Serce, the publishing of data can lead to serious consequences and affect people's confidence and trust in the whole asylum system.

    * Sveriges Radio 31 October 2011:1 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio 31 October 2011:2 (in Swedish)

More unaccompanied minors than ever

Sweden 

In October, more than 140 unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors came to Malmö, which is more than any previous month. The idea is that unaccompanied minors should be transferred to other municipalities within a few days, where they stay while waiting for a ruling in their case. However, many of these children will now have to stay in Malmö, as there are not many places in other municipalities. Now Malmö's transit accommodations are filled with children waiting to get asylum, children who have already received their deportation order and children who have received permanent residence permits. – It is not good to mix children in this way, says Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Municipal Commissioner for Malmö. – Those who have been refused asylum are not doing well and it is also difficult for children who do not know where in Sweden they will end up, she continues. The Swedish Migration Board estimates that there is an immediate need for an additional 450 places for unaccompanied minors.

    * SVT 1 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Stricter requirements for accommodation for asylum-seekers

Sweden 

Apartments for asylum-seekers in Sweden have looked very different, but new requirements will raise the standards of the accommodations. The Swedish Migration Board and the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) together with other parties including landlords, immigration organizations and the Red Cross have developed new guidelines for housing. The Swedish Migration Board hopes that this will raise the standards of accommodation for asylum-seekers. The common guidelines require that homes must be equipped with hot and cold water, showers and toilets. Special needs should also be taken into account. Currently some 19,000 persons are living in accommodation provided by the Swedish Migration Board.

    * Sydsvenskan 1 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * SVT 1 November 2011 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Tuesday 8 November to Wednesday 9 November 2011

Government is not keeping its promise

Denmark 

The Red-Green Alliance demands that the Government keeps its pre-election promise to rejected asylum-seekers, but they will probably not get far with it, according to political commentator Helle Ib. Rejected asylum-seekers are allowed to move out of asylum centres and get a job if they promise to return home voluntarily later on. Therefore this offer does not apply to all 845 asylum-seekers who are currently living in Denmark and that the Government made a promise to. It only applies to 130 asylum-seekers who have agreed to leave voluntarily. According to spokesperson Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen, the scheme should also apply to those who cannot be forcibly repatriated because Denmark does not have a repatriation agreement with their homeland, and those who do not want to return voluntarily.

    * Berlingske 7 November 2011 (in Danish)

Social Liberals want to break UN Convention

Denmark 

A stateless man has the right to Danish citizenship even if the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET)  assesses him to be a threat to Danish society, according to the government. The Social Liberals, however, demand that Denmark break the UN Statelessness Convention, whilst the Conservatives say 'no'. According to the Convention Denmark should give a stateless person citizenship as long as he is not convicted of a serious crime. – The Government is putting the Convention above Danish citizens' safety, said the Social Liberals spokesperson Karsten Lauritzen. – On this issue we are ready to break the Convention. Earlier this year, the former Minister of Refugees, Immigration and Integration Affairs, Birthe Rønn Hornbeck, lost her job because young stateless persons did not get the treatment they were entitled to according to the UN Convention. – My belief is that if PET recommends that a person should not receive citizenship because he is a danger to national security, the recommendation should be followed, the previous legal Social Democrat spokesperson, Karen Hækkerup has previouly said.

    * Berlingske 9 November 2011 (in Danish)

Reception centers closing

Finland 

The Finnish Immigration Service is forced to shut down a number of refugee centers and cut back on the capacity of those centers that will remain open. The cost-saving measures will be implemented next year. The budget for reception centers this year was around EUR 86 million and will be reduced by approximately EUR 23 million next year.

    * YLE 8 November 2011 (in English)

Bus company refuse deportations

Sweden 

Strömma bus company, which previously transported forcibly deported Iraqis to the airport in Skåne, is now stopping its contract with the Swedish Prison and Probation Service. Mass deportations to Iraq have long been a controversial issue. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Swedish Amnesty International have criticised the Swedish Migration Board's assessment of the security situation in Iraq. Strömma bus company has previously allowed their busses to be used in mass deportations of Iraqis, but does not believe it goes in line with its social responsibility principles anymore. Its decision to change company policy is partly due to protests and the publicity surrounding the company after recent expulsions, according to Roger Mathiasson, chief executive.

    * MalmöFria 7 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Housing shortages for refugees

Sweden 

Last week the Swedish Migration Board received an unusually high amount of asylum applications. Some 700 persons applied for asylum in Sweden. Most asylum-seekers come from Afghanistan, Serbia and Somalia. Typically the Migration Board receives around 500 applications per week. The recent growth in applications means that it is more difficult to find accommodation for all the people who arrive to Sweden.

    * SVT 7 November 2011 (in Swedish) 

Easier for Iranians to receive asylum

Sweden 

The Swedish Migration Board has issued new guidelines on Iran, which means that it is easier for many Iranians to receive asylum in Sweden. According to Mikael Ribbenvik, legal expert at the Swedish Migration Board, there is willingness and capacity of some countries to monitor their own citizens, even if they become politically active abroad, and Iran is one of those countries. He states that the gradual deterioration of the situation in Iran is reflecting in the approval figures from the country.

    * Sveriges Radio 7 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * The Local 7 November 2011 (in English)

[Roope]

Thursday 10 November to Friday 11 November 2011

No more financial aid to municipalities for voluntary repatriation

Denmark 

In a new bill, municipalities no longer have to inform immigrants about the possibility for them to move back home with the use of a grant. Also, the municipalities will not receive a bonus of 25,000 Danish crowns (DKK) per immigrant that returns back home. The opposition is protesting against the Government's proposal. The new bill is meant to combat symbolic rules that create an ´us and them´ rhetoric that has characterised the integration policy for the past 10 years, according to the Government. – Bonuses are given out depending on how many persons the municipalities manage to return back home. That, I believe, sends an unfortunate signal, explains Karen Hækkerup, Minister for Social Affairs and Integration. Caseworkers must focus on integrating immigrants, rather than getting them to move home. The Danish Refugee Council is in charge of voluntary repatriation, and the organization supports the new bill.

    * Jyllands-Posten 9 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * Information 9 November 2011 (in Danish)

Municipalities reluctant in accepting quota refugees

Finland 

Around 400 refugees who have already been accepted to come to Finland are still waiting in refugee camps. This is because most municipalities are reluctant in accepting refugees. Some of the refugees have been waiting for years. For the last ten years the Finnish parliament-approved annual resettlement quota has been 750 refugees annually. Municipalities also receive money from the Government when accepting quota refugees, which will cover the costs of the person for four years. In the past few years Finland has not been able to find places for all the quota refugees, which is damaging the country's reputation. For example last year Finland was not able to find places for 116 quota refugees, even though the amount included 63 UNHCR recommended emergency cases.

    * YLE 9 November 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Suomen Kuvalehti 9 November 2011 (in Finnish)
    * YLE 10 November 2011 (in English)

Few unaccompanied minors allowed to speak at migration hearings

Sweden 

Only a small number of unaccompanied refugee children coming to Sweden are given the chance to speak at the Migration Courts' hearings. According to research by the Swedish National Radio News Ekot, only one in four children, or 28 per cent, are allowed to speak at their own hearing. Linus Trogeby, an expert on refugee issues at Save the Children, criticizes the system and says there is a need for change. – Children have the right to tell why they fled to Sweden and it is important to listen to them. There are three Migration Courts in Sweden and, according to Ekot, there are differences between them. For instance, at the Migration Court in Gothenburg only 9 per cent of the children spoke at their own hearing.

    * Dagens Nyheter 10 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio 10 November 2011 (in English)

Refugee camp bombed in South Sudan

UNHCR in the news 

According to South Sudan authorities and aid organizations, Sudan has attacked a refugee camp in the state of Unity in South Sudan. At least 12 people were killed and 20 people were injured in the attack on the camp where about 20,000 refugees from the Nuba Mountains have sought refuge. Aid organizations have reported that at least five bombs were dropped on the camp run by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), but the bombs did not detonate as they landed in the mud. South Sudan seceded from Sudan earlier this year, but in recent months there have been a number of disturbances along the border between the two countries.

    * Verdens Gang 10 November 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * 2 Nyhetene 10 November 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * ABC Nyheter 10 November 2011 (in Norwegian)

[Roope]

Tuesday 15 November to Wednesday 16 November 2011

Politiken dismantles Iraq Centre

Denmark 

The newspaper Politiken is now dismantling its humanitarian asylum project, the Iraq Centre. The 1,5 million Danish crowns (DKK) that its readers had donated to the project has now been used up. Two year ago, Politiken's former editor Tøger Seidenfaden launched the Iraq Centre to help Iraqis stay in Denmark instead of being sent back to an unstable home. – The problem was that the Danish Government cut off the possibility of helping people while they still were in Denmark. Instead we had to wait until they were back in Iraq. It has been difficult to find candidates as many go underground, as the situation is unstable, explains Torben Saxholt, who is financially responsible. However, Anita Bay Bundegaard from Politiken still believes the project has been successful.

    * Politiken 13 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * Berlingske 13 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * Media Watch 14 November 2011 (in Danish)

Saarakkala wants fewer quota refugees

Finland 

Member of Parliament, Vesa-Matti Saarakkala (True Finns), wants to lower the number of accepted quota refugees to 500 persons. Today the number is 750. According to Saarakkala, Finland is one of few countries in the world that accepts quota refugees. The municipalities, however, are no longer interested in settling them. – The economic situation is worsening and the integration of refugees has become more difficult, Saarakkala says. He has submitted a written question to the government concerning the issue. He also hopes that when choosing quota refugees the government would put emphasis on other nationalities than those who represent the top countries of origin of asylum-seekers.

    * Ilkka 15 November 2011 (in Finnish)

Deported man to wrong country

Sweden 

The police in Gävle was supposed to deport a man to Iran but the man was instead sent to Iraq. Now the man could get 15 years of imprisonment, suspected of presenting himself as a citizen of the country. The man was born in Iraq but was expelled by Saddam Hussein in the 1980s. He then became an Iranian citizen. After the failed deportation, the man has spent over a year in a police cell in Baghdad. It is unclear why the man was flown to the wrong country, but the event has been reported to the Parliamentary Ombudsman. In the expulsion decision it clearly states that he is an Iranian citizen and should be deported to Iran. The Swedish Migration Board's Director of Legal Affairs, Mikael Ribbenvik, says that the police have to follow what it is written on paper. – It is horrible that this can happen, says Kent Öberg at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (UD) press service. However, UD has not been involved in the case and has no intention to do so as the man is not a Swedish citizen.

    * SVT 16 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Dagens Nyheter 16 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Ystads Allehanda 16 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Nyheter 24 15 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors is good business

Sweden 

The care company VoB Syd almost quadrupled its profits last year, from 4 to 15 million Swedish crowns (SEK). The bulk of the money VoB Syd has earned through its transit accommodation Solberga in Lomma for unaccompanied minors. The money the company receives in order to run its business comes from the Swedish Migration Board, which it gives to municipalities to take care of unaccompanied minors. In 2010, the number of employees rose from 108 to 117, a 9.7 per cent increase, while profits rose as much as 275 per cent. An investigation at the governmental level is supposed to put an end to the generous contracts with the municipalities. – We will close the gap where it has been possible to make huge profits on the basis that they did not have full occupancy, said Caroline Henjered, operations manager at the Swedish Migration Board. The new study proposes a flat rate that is below the current level. – We want the money to go to the minors as much as possible, continues Henjered, as companies should not be able to profit from unused tax money.

    * Sydsvenskan 16 November 2011:1 (in Swedish)
    * Sydsvenskan 16 November 2011:2 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio 16 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Dagens Nyheter 16 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Several cases of cholera in large refugee camp

UNHCR in the news 

About 60 cases of cholera have been reported to be found in the world's largest refugee camp, Dadaab  in northern Kenya. At least one person has died, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Most of the cases have been detected among refugees who recently have arrived from Somalia. Ten cases of cholera have been established in lab tests. The camp houses around 450,000 Somali refugees and is regarded as Kenya's third largest city.

    * Dagens Nyheter 15 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Vasabladet 15 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Verdens Gang 15 November 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * YLE 15 November 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Verkkouutiset 16 November 2011 (in Finnish)

[Roope]

Thursday 17 November to Friday 18 November 2011

Deported migrant children get a second chance

Denmark 

The Red-Green Alliance (EH) and the Social Liberals (R) have left their mark in the Government's new immigration agreement, which the Danish People's Party calls a "disaster". It has been reported over the last few months that children as young as two years of age are denied family reunification and expelled from Denmark because the Danish Immigration Service do not find them suitable for "successful integration". Since 2005, some 800 children under the age of 15 have been expelled. EH, together with the Government and the Liberal Alliance, has this week adopted a new immigrant agreement. In several areas, such as family reunification, the rules have been relaxed towards foreigners. – The Red-Green Alliance will not be satisfied until all the children who have been expelled from Denmark due to the former Government's unreasonable rules, are back with their families, said spokesperson Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen. The new agreement will be implemented in March next year.

    * Berlingske 17 November 2011 (in Danish)

Undocumented migrants have to wait for health care law

Sweden 

40 organisations are demanding that the completed report on health care for asylum-seekers and undocumented migrants, presented five months ago by the Government, is sent out for comments as soon as possible. – In times of health scandals, this is the largest one, says Thomas Flodin, at the Swedish Medical Association. The report suggested that asylum-seekers and undocumented migrants should be offered health care by the County Councils. However, the Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, Tobias Billström, quickly judged that the report was not good enough. He argued that the financial implications were not adequately investigated. – Health care is a fundamental human right and right now there is humanitarian suffering in Sweden that many people are not aware of, says Ingela Holmertz, head of the national department of the Swedish Red Cross. – This is not ok.

    * Dagen 17 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Palestinian asylum-seekers to be sent back to Italy

Sweden 

Around 150 Palestinian asylum-seekers that have been residing in Åtorps are to be sent back to Italy in the coming days. The group has been in Sweden since May and was facing deportation already during the summer, but only now have the Italian authorities given the permission for them to return.

    * SVT 18 November 2011 (in Swedish)

– If human rights were protected, refugees would not exist

UNHCR in the news 

Hans Corell, Liv Feijen and Hanne Mathisen discussed the future of the 1951 Refugee Convention during the Human Rights days in Stockholm this week. – I believe that the solutions can be found in the legal instruments we already have. But it requires that States comply with them, said Hans Corell, Ambassador and former Director of Legal Affairs of the United Nations. – If you protected human rights, we would not have any refugees, said Corell. Hanne Mathisen, spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that persons displaced as a result of climate change are not protected by the 1951 Convention and that UNHCR advises against they use of the term "climate refugees".

    * Dagens Juridik 16 November 2011 (in Swedish)

[Roope]

Saturday 19 November to Monday 21 November 2011

Government investigates whether refugee children can be returned

Denmark 

The Minister of Justice, Morten Bødskov, confirms that Denmark is negotiating an agreement with Afghan authorities that will make it possible to send refugee children back to so-called reception centres in Afghanistan. The negotiations include help in tracing family members and reintegration. The Government will decide whether or not to sign the agreement when there is clarity over if it is possible to enter such a deal, Bødskov confirms. The Government's plan faces stiff criticism from a wide range of organizations, such as the Danish Red Cross and Save the Children. The latter organization states that it is in violation of children's rights. The organizations are surprised that the new Government is working to send back refugee children, considering that a year ago, the current Government parties voted against the bill to create controversial reception centres for Afghan refugee children.

    * Politiken 19 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands-Posten 19 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * Berlingske 19 November 2011:1 (in Danish)
    * Berlingske 19 November 2011:2 (in Danish)
    * B.T. 19 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * TV2 Nyhederne 18 November 2011 (in Danish)

Liberal Alliance and Red-Green-Alliance approach each other concerning rejected asylum-seekers

Denmark 

The Liberal Alliance is looking into whether rejected asylum-seekers, who cannot be forcibly returned and refuse voluntary repatriation, may be allowed to move out of asylum centres. – We are one step closer to an agreement with the Liberal Alliance, believes the Red-Green Alliance. Both parties entered an asylum agreement with the Government last week. Even though the agreement remains unclear in several respects, the parties agree that it needs to be clear what it means to "cooperate" with the Danish authorities. The current definition of cooperation excludes rejected asylum-seekers who refuse to go home and cannot be forcibly returned because Denmark does not have a repatriation agreement with their home countries.

    * Information 18 November 2011 (in Danish)

Thousands of illegal immigrants live in hiding

Denmark 

Nobody knows how many illegal immigrants live in hiding in Denmark, but the police and experts believe that the figure is much higher than the 1 – 5,000 previously assumed. – It is just the tip of the iceberg, says Associate Professor Shahamak Rezaei, who is researching illegal immigration at Roskilde University. The term illegal immigrant includes everything from refugees without residence permits and rejected asylum-seekers, to beggars, buskers, criminal gangs and trafficked women. As illegal immigrants are not registered, it is very difficult to estimate a realistic number.

    * B.T. 21 November 2011 (in Danish)

Norway in negotiations to return asylum-seeking children

Norway 

Norway, along with other European countries, has begun negotiating an agreement with the Afghan authorities for the possibility to return asylum-seeking minors to so-called reception centres in Afghanistan. The return concerns unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors without a need for protection, which means that they have not been granted asylum and are not entitled to humanitarian protection. Many humanitarian organizations are critical of the plans to return the children to Afghanistan. Janne Oline Raanes from Save the Children, says that Norway is not taking responsibility of the children that have fled and that the act goes against United Nations recommendations.

    * Verdens Gang 20 November 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * NRK 20 November 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Aftenposten 20 November 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Dagbladet 20 November 2011 (in Norwegian)

New agreement on detention of asylum-seekers

Sweden 

Rejected asylum-seekers will only be allowed to remain in detention for a maximum time of two months. This is a new agreement between the center-right Government coalition and the Green Party. There were no time limitations before this agreement. In cases where a rejected asylum-seeker refuses to leave Sweden the detention can be extended up to one month and in situations where a person is unwilling to cooperate with the authorities the detention can be extended to up to 12 months. In addition, travel restrictions will be implemented to those refusing to leave the country voluntarily. Tobias Billström, Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, welcomes the new rules as a positive change, and also states that particular cases such as children's needs should be given special attention.

    * SVT 18 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Ystads Allehanda 18 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Sveriges Radio 18 November 2011 (in English)
    * The Local 18 November 2011 (in English)

N.B This story was also covered in Finland

    * Hufvudstadsbladet 18 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Most EU countries reject refugees

UNHCR in the news 

There are significant differences between EU countries when it comes to accepting refugees. A small number of nations are receiving most of the asylum-seekers that come to Europe: in 2010 ten member states received 90 per cent or 90,000 of all asylum claims across the EU. Sweden receives a large number of asylum-seekers in the EU. According to UNHCR, Sweden received 31,875 applications in 2010, third highest in Europe. The country to receive most applications was France with 51,595 applications and Germany was second with 48,490 applications. Finland that has been notorious for not accepting many refugees softened its policies a few years ago and granted asylum to thousands of Somalis. Denmark that ten years ago had as many asylum-seekers as Sweden is now less attractive to asylum-seekers due to a more restrictive asylum policy. – There are huge differences between the assessments made in different countries, says António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. According to Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Migration Affairs, the EU is far from achieving a mutual and equal asylum policy. According to UNHCR there is a danger that countries that currently have a generous reception of refugees can experience growing xenophobia in the long term.

    * Dagens Nyheter 21 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Four out of five refugees do not end up in the West

UNHCR in the news 

Immigration is singled out as the biggest challenge for the world's rich countries. However, the majority of the world's refugees live poor countries. The number of persons who have had to flee is the highest in 15 years, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The number is around 44 million persons, but only few of them come to the wealthy part of the world. The overwhelming majority lives as refugees in another part of their home country. It is estimated that about 27 million are so-called internally displaced persons (IDPs). About 17 million have crossed the border to another country, usually a poor neighbour. In fact, 80 per cent of the world's refugees live in developing countries. The number of refugees in Europe has gone down from almost half a million per year to under 300,000. Stricter border controls can be a contributing factor to the lower numbers, explains António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. – We have a situation that is totally artificial, says Guterres. UNHCR has called on EU member states to take quota-refugees in order to reduce the suffering in overcrowded refugee camps. However, there is little interest among European countries. Guterres is deeply concerned that it is becoming increasingly difficult for refugees to enter Europe and seek asylum. It is imperative to secure refugees' ability to apply for asylum in Europe. – Otherwise we are pushing the refugees into the arms of criminal smugglers and traffickers, says Guterres.

    * Dagens Nyheter 20 November 2011 (in Swedish)

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Tuesday 22 November to Wednesday 23 November 2011

Only three persons have been granted work permits

Norway 

After the Government opened up to give deported asylum-seekers the opportunity to re-enter as labour migrants, only three persons have had their expulsion orders suspended and been granted work permits because they are skilled. The government recently changed the rules so that a person who has violated the Immigration Act still can apply for a work permit. The requirements include a job offer, education and correct identification papers from the home country. – The new regulation was deliberately made as narrow as possible, says Secretary General Ann-Margrit Austenå from the Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers (NOAS).

    * TV2 Nyhetene 21 November 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Verdens Gang 21 November 2011 (in Nowegian)

Asylum-seekers regret coming to Norway

Norway 

Out of the 1,500 asylum-seekers who have voluntarily returned back to Iraq, 40 per cent have said that they regretted coming to Norway in the first place. This according to a report from the Christian Michelsens Institute (CMI). - They realised when they returned back home that the development in the country has gone very well, and that they have put their lives on hold, says State Secretary Pål Lønseth at the Ministry of Justice. Director of the Directorate of Immigration, Ida Børresen, believes that the report will be an important tool for further work to increase voluntarily returns. So far this year, 1,569 persons have returned voluntarily compared to 1,253 persons the same period last year.

    * Verdens Gang 22 November 2011 (in Norwegian)

UNHCR: Sweden Democrats' solution too simple

Sweden 

The Sweden Democrats' answer to improving the situation of refugees in Sweden and in the world is too simplified, says UNHCR. Jimmie Åkesson, the SD party leader, says that UNHCR should receive increasing support for their work: – UNHCR helps refugees locally in areas where most of the world's 40 million refugees are. By directing resources to these regions we can help many more people than continuing the irresponsible immigration policy we have today. Hanne Mathisen, UNHCR spokesperson for Baltic and Nordic countries, says that Åkesson's solution of only supporting refugees on the region is insufficient. According to her, refugees must also be supported if they seek refuge in other countries than their neighboring regions – one does not exclude the other. – I want to emphasize that the help refugees receive in the region can never exclude the possibility that they will receive help in Europe. UNHCR Global Trends 2010 report shows that 80 percent of the world's refugees live in developing countries such as Pakistan, Iran and Syria. Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, has urged industrialized world to address this imbalance, saying that developing countries alone cannot continue to carry this burden.

    * SVT 21 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Asylum-seekers occupy bus

Sweden 

Around 30 asylum-seekers occupied a bus in Lindesberg on Tuesday. The group has been staying in a newly opened temporary accommodation for asylum-seekers in Gärdshyttan, outside Askersund, which they left in protest. According to them Gärdshyttan has problems with sanitation and water. Many also felt that they ended up in the woods far from healthcare and schools. Director of Gärdshyttan, Camilla Carlsson, said that she can understand why the asylum-seekers are unhappy. – The rumor even in our neighboring countries is that Sweden is a fantastic country for asylum-seekers, which is why many have probably had quite different expectations.

    * SVT 22 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Swedish Migration Board duck UN criticism

Sweden 

The UN Committee against Torture has criticised the Swedish Migration Board and the Migration Court repeatedly when it comes to misjudgments of future risks in several cases of expulsion. The Migration Board argues that they just "made a different assessment". – They have a different opinion than Sweden has, says Fredrik Beijer, expert at the Migration Board. – The problem is that it is difficult to verify whether a person is in trouble. If there is a clear case, we embrace it and make an assessment, Beijer continues. Lars Fagerström, Chairman at Hallands Asylum Committee, says that the authorities are quick to deny their responsibility after they have reached a decision. Beijer states that the task of the Migration Board is to carry out the assessment prior to deportation, what happens after is not their responsibility.

    * Nyheter24 22 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Georgia's refugee problem persists

UNHCR in the news 

Georgia is struggling with persisting amount of internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The conflicts remain unresolved, which is why the IDPs cannot return home. An estimated of 250,000 people first fled Abkhaz and later some 25,000 people have left South Ossetia. According to UNHCR, in 2010 there were just over 7,000 Georgian asylum-seekers in western industrialized countries. Out of the 55 Georgian asylum-seekers who applied asylum in Finland in 2010, none were granted asylum.

    * Monitori 22 November 2011 (in Finnish)

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Significantly fewer receive permanent residence in Denmark

Denmark 

In just one year, the number of new permanent residence permits has dropped by 70 per cent, according to recent figures from the Danish Immigration Service. The significant difference coincides with the introduction of the points system for permanent residence, introduced in 2010 by the Liberal Government and the Danish People's Party (DF). – This was not the intention, says Peter Skaarup (DF). – It was meant to get people to contribute to Danish society. I think the number will increase gradually as people begin to meet the requirements, such as work experience, he continues. The Government has in the government platform announced the abolition of the points system and a simplification of current rules. The Minister for Justice, Morten Bødskov, does not want to guarantee that more foreigners will receive permanent residence in the future, but he stresses that the Aliens Act will be used to promote integration.

    * Berlingske 25 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * Dansk Radio 25 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * Sjællands Nyheder 25 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * Avisen 25 November 2011 (in Danish)

Four reception centres closing down

Finland 

The Finnish Government has authorized the Finnish Immigration Service to close four reception centres for asylum-seekers by the end of June 2012. The centres are being closed due to the drop in the number of asylum-seekers coming to Finland. The number of asylum-seekers in Finland has dropped by one third compared to 2010. It has been estimated that the total number of asylum-seekers will remain around 3,000 persons this year, out of which 140 are unaccompanied minors. In the future the Ministry of the Interior and the Finnish Immigration Service wish to accommodate asylum-seekers in empty rental apartments instead of reception centres.

    * Aamulehti 23 November 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Karjalainen 23 November 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Hufvudstadsbladet 23 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Verkkouutiset 23 November 2011 (in Finnish)
    * YLE 23 November 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Helsinki Times 24 November 2011 (in English)
    * Helsingin Sanomat 25 November (in Finnish)
    * YLE Svenska 25 November (in Swedish)

Norway closer to return asylum-seeking minors to Afghanistan

Norway 

Some 90 refugee children that have been rejected asylum are one step closer to being sent back home after Norway and Afghanistan last Wednesday agreed to build a reception centre in Kabul. – We have agreed with the Afghan authorities to establish a centre to accommodate asylum-seekers who are not in need of protection but where the care-taker is not known. The centre will have room for 200 children, with the possibility for expansion, says Pål Lønseth, State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice. Ombudsman for Children, Reidar Hjermann, is concerned that Norway cannot guarantee the safety of the children. – It creates uncertainty about the children's safety when the Ministry of Justice is not using transparency or asks for input during the planning, he says. Even though the Norwegian authorities are helping with funds to establish care and education, the full responsibility for the children's safety and development still lies with the Afghan authorities.

    * Verdens Gang 23 November 2011 (in Norwegian)
    * Verdens Gang 24 November 2011 (in Norwegian)

Free for those without money

Norway 

The hospitals in Norway must cover the costs if persons without legal residence cannot afford to pay for obstetrics, according Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen, Minister of Health and Care Services. The topic was highlighted after a woman without a residence permit got a bill for 17,000 Norwegian crowns (NOK) after giving birth at a hospital in Kristiansand. Experts fear that illegal immigrants are going to give birth in medically irresponsible ways, if they have to pay to give birth at Norwegian hospitals. – If the patients cannot cover the costs themselves, the costs should be covered by the appropriate health institution or service provider, says Strøm-Erichsen.

    * NRK 23 November 2011 (in Norwegian)

More apathetic refugee children

Sweden 

According to the Swedish CAP association, the number of apathetic refugee children in the country's hospitals is increasing once again. Asylum-seeking children are treated for signs of deep resignation and depression at the psychiatric clinic for children and adolescence. – The same situation is being repeated. It makes me worry, says Lars Joelsson, chairman of the Swedish CAP association.

    * Svenska Dagbladet 23 November 2011 (in Swedish) 
    * Aftonbladet 23 November 2011 (in Swedish)

N.B. This story was also covered in Finland

    * Österbottens Tidning 23 November 2011 (in Swedish)

More people come to Sweden to work

Sweden 

For a long time Sweden has been a country receiving many refugees. However, now more and more people come to Sweden to work and the number of refugees coming to the country is decreasing. The number of refugees has been decreasing since the peak in 2006. The change is thought to be related to a law introduced in 2008 regarding immigrating workers.

    * Dagens Nyheter 23 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * The Local 23 November 2011 (in English)

Mine risk in Southern Sudan

UNHCR in the news 

According to a report by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), more and more countries are using anti-personnel mines, and their use is now the highest in almost a decade. The increased use of anti-personnel mines by a handful of countries threatens to undermine the whole process of banning anti-personnel mines, warns the Human Rights Watch. In Southern Sudan large quantities of landmines deployed along the road intensifies the country's refugee crisis. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), refugees should be spread across the country, but the organization does not dare to transport people due to the mine risk. Every day hundreds of people are fleeing the conflict in Sudan to Southern Sudan, where the largest refugee camp has 23,000 people.

    * Svenska Dagbladet 24 November 2011 (in Swedish)

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Saturday 26 November to Monday 28 November 2011

Asylum-seekers shocked about closure of refugee centres

Finland 

Asylum-seekers in Finland are shocked about the Ministry of Interior's decision to close four refugee reception centres. Both asylum-seekers and the staff working at the centres believe that the decision is inhuman. Osman Hassan, counsellor at the Kontionlahti reception centre, is worried about the future of the asylum-seekers in the centres. According to him, many fear that they will be deported when the centres will close. His main concern is the centre's 40 children, who first came to Finland as unaccompanied minors.

    * YLE 28 November 2011 (in Finnish)
    * YLE 28 November 2011 (in English)

Immigrants stuck in overcrowded accommodations

Sweden 

The Swedish Migration Board's accommodations are overcrowded. The reform that was supposed to get immigrants quickly into the workforce has had the opposite effect. The basic idea with the new reform was that an immigrant who receives a permanent residence permit should be directly moved from the Swedish Migration Board's accommodation to a municipality where there are opportunities to find work. However, it is taking too long to find a municipality with both housing and work opportunities. – The coordination does not work, says Caroline Henjered, from the Swedish Migration Board. – The most serious with this situation is that persons who have received residence permits are stuck in temporary housing in a place which they are supposed to leave, she continues.

    * Dagens Nyheter 27 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Billström rejects an amendment of the Aliens Act

Sweden 

The Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, Tobias Billström, says the Swedish Migration Board (SMB) does a good job but that it in some cases appears to be too generous towards asylum-seekers. – You also have to think about the consequences if you broaden the definition of "particularly distressing circumstances", says Billström. The Swedish Migration Board's rulings concerning two young Eritrean children risking deportation to Italy and the 91-year old Ganna Chyzevhevska who faced deportation to Ukraine have caused a lot of debate. Now five political parties want to see amendments to the Aliens Act concerning asylum on humanitarian grounds. However, Tobias Billström welcomes a debate on a possible amendment to the Aliens Act but he does not think changes are needed.

    * Aftonbladet 25 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Dagens Nyheter 25 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Expressen 25 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Nyheter24 25 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Difficult for immigrants with refugee background to get work in Sweden

Sweden 

Sweden has received the highest grade in Europe for its work on integration. However, in reality integration goes in the wrong direction in many aspects. According to statistics from the Swedish Public Employment Service the percentage of unemployed foreign-born persons has increased from 22 per cent in 2005 to 35 per cent in October 2011. On average it takes seven years for a refugee to find employment in Sweden. According to Jan Ekberg, professor of National Economy at Växjö University, one simple reason why it is difficult for immigrants to find work in Sweden is the language, and another answer could be discrimination. However, there are no studies showing more discrimination in Sweden compared to other countries, Ekberg adds. Sweden is often compared with Canada and USA that are successful when it comes to integration.

    * Dagens Nyheter 26 November 2011:1 (in Swedish)
    * Dagens Nyheter 26 November 2011:2 (in Swedish)

No observers present during forced return

Sweden 

The Government and the Green Party have decided to disregard EU's demands for greater transparency and monitoring in connection with forced return of rejected asylum-seekers. EU calls for independent observers to be present on board the aircraft, but this is not needed, says Tobias Billström, Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy. –The Government has not interpreted it as a requirement that external observers must physically accompany all forced returns, he states. According to the agreement between the Government and the Green Party, it is enough that institutions, such as the Office of the Chancellor of Justice (JK) and the Parliamentary Ombudsman (JO), in retrospect examine how the police conducted themselves.

    * Sveriges Radio 27 November 2011 (in Swedish)

African refugees tortured in Egypt

UNHCR in the news 

Human smugglers in Egypt are targeting African refugees, threatening to steal their organs unless their relatives pay them large sums of money. Last week some 600 people, most of whom were Eritrean, crossed the border of Israel from the Sinai desert. The fleeing group apparently was targeted by human traffickers but managed to escape. - Some of them told our staff in Israel that smugglers threatened to sell their organs, says Andrei Mahehic, spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Many refugees have reported of camps where human smugglers are torturing people in order to blackmail the victims' relatives into paying them money. Despite this, neither UNHCR nor Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) have been able to confirm these claims.

    * Expressen 25 November 2011 (in Swedish)

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Tuesday 29 November to Wednesday 30 November 2011

Police watches over controversial health clinic

Denmark 

The Danish People's Party (DF) is dissatisfied that the Police has not intervened against the Health Clinic for illegal immigrants in Copenhagen. Even though the clinic has been open since August, the Copenhagen police has not found any illegal immigrants at the medical clinic, according Morten Bødskov, Minister of Justice. Therefore Martin Henriksen, integration spokesperson for DF, now puts pressure on the Government. – It is unsatisfactory that there has not been a larger effort made in connection with the clinic. Either this has not been prioritized or then no one uses the clinic, says Martin Henriksen. However, Vibeke Lenskjold from the Health Clinic says there is a need for the clinic.  – We have on average 7-8 patients in the two days that we are open, three hours per day, says Vibeke Lenskjold. – The police does not come when we are open, and this makes me happy. It is a human right to be able to go to the doctor, regardless of your legal status, she adds.

    * Berlingske 29 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * Jyllands Posten 29 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * Information 29 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * TV2 Nyhederne 29 November 2011 (in Danish)
    * B.T. 29 November 2011 (in Danish)

Estonia can send illegal border crossers back to Russia

Estonia 

On Monday, the implementation protocol of a treaty between Estonia and Russia entered into force, enabling the countries to send back people crossing the border illegaly to their country of origin or state of residence. The protocol was signed in September this year in Moscow. Estonia has also concluded an implementation protocol of the treaty with Moldova, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. In 2010, some 111 cases of illegal border crossing were discovered in Estonia and 169 people crossing the border illegally were detained. The majority of the illegal border crossings took place involuntarily, during fishing on border lakes or at sea or due to navigation errors. Only five cases were attempts of illegal immigration.

    * The Baltic Course 29 November 2011 (in English)

Immigrants active in setting up businesses

Finland 

According to a survey by the Uusimaa Regional Council, immigrants in Finland are active in starting their own businesses. The survey shows that immigrants have set up more companies than people of Finnish origin in the 2000s. Last year, there was around 6,000 companies set up by foreigners. Over 80 per cent of the businesses are located in the metropolitan area, and more than half of the companies are in the Helsinki region. The companies are mostly small single owner business enterprises or small corporations. In Uusimaa region, most of the immigrant businesses are owned by Asians. The survey reveals that women were especially active in setting up their own businesses; they bear the main responsibility in one-fourth of all the companies.

    * MTV3 28 November 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Taloussanomat 28 November 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Turun Sanomat 28 November 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Kaleva 28 November 2011 (in Finnish)
    * Länsiväylä 29 November 2011 (in Finnish)

The municipality of Vimpeli joins refugee negotiations

Finland 

The municipal government of Vimpeli decided to start negotiations with the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY) regarding accepting quota refugees. The other municipalities in the area, Alajärvi and Soini, have already announced that they will join the negotiations.

    * Ilkka 29 November 2011 (in Finnish)

Asylum hearings not centralized

Finland 

The authorities' plans to centralize asylum hearings to specific police stations have so far failed. This is due to the Police's reluctance to conduct the initial hearings of asylum-seekers in a few stations. According to Esko Repo, director of the Finnish Immigration Service, the police has not issued a formal decision on the plans to concentrate its part of the asylum procedure in certain localities. Therefore asylum-applications can still be submitted to the police across the country.

    * YLE 23 November 2011 (in Finnish)

Requirement for equal healthcare

Sweden 

Some 42 different organizations have signed a petition demanding equal health care for undocumented persons and asylum-seekers. Currently refugees in hiding are only entitled to emergency health care in the Skåne region. Many of the organizations signing the petition are medical associations. – It is difficult to judge what counts as an emergency, says Åsa Wieslander, from the Delta Foundation Health Care Network for Hidden Refugees in Malmö. Currently undocumented persons in the Scania province are entitled to the same health care as asylum-seekers, but all children receive the same care as Swedish children. The petition was initiated since the Government's inquiry into health care for undocumented persons has not advanced since it was presented in May. In the inquiry it was suggested that undocumented persons should receive the same health care as those registered in Sweden.

    * NårraSkone 30 November 2011 (in Swedish)

Rebels attack the UN

UNHCR in the news 

Somalia's neighbouring countries want the Government to put pressure on the Islamist rebels that on Monday attacked several UN offices and banned additionally 16 international organizations from operating in the famine stricken country. Al-Shabab has attacked and raided several aid organizations in different parts of Somalia, in what appears to have been a well coordinated attack. The group has several times attacked aid agencies in the past that it accuses of political bias. Also the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has been banned by the group. – We are discussing with our partners on how to manage our work there, says Andy Needham from UNHCR.

    * SVT 28 November 2011 (in Swedish)
    * Politiken 28 November 2011 (in Danish)