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JRS Sweden -
sweden(a)jrs.net
Political Developments
More than 24,000 persons
(36,210 in 2007) sought asylum in Sweden in 2008, many
of who came from Iraq. The general drop in asylum cases
was more specifically due to a fall in the number of
Iraqi asylum seekers coming to the country. This was
largely due to stricter controls by the Swedish
government on Iraqi asylum seekers, and an aggreement
between Baghdad and Stockholm to return rejected
applicants back to Iraq. These controls meant Iraqis
sought refuge elsewhere.
Such measures saw Finland witnessing record figures of
asylum applicants in 2008. Finnish authorities put the
rise down to the tougher policies taken by their
Norwegian and Swedish counterparts.
While asylum cases were decreasing in Sweden,
family-based immigration was rising. Part of this was
due to the fact that Iraqis who came to Sweden as
refugees were now getting their family members to live
with them. |
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JRS Activities
In Sweden, JRS primarily works in detention centres with
detainees. There are five closed detention centres, with all
removal centres run by the Swedish Migration Board, and a total
capacity of around 150 places.
The biggest centre is Märsta, close to Stockholm International
Airport, where JRS is active, and which has a capacity of 70
places.
In 2008 the volunteer group comprised of seven volunteers,
including one Jesuit. The main task of the detention visitors
group was to give psychological support to the detainees,
helping them to get in touch with lawyers and their relatives,
or mediating between the detainees and the police or the Swedish
migration board.
Confessions and Holy Communion were offered to Catholic
detainees. On a case-by-case basis (especially for detainees
held under the Dublin II regulation), contacts were established
with NGOs or JRS offices in the destination country of the
returnee.
On a less structured basis, JRS offered its support and advice
to irregular migrants. An important focus of the work was also
the continuous training of the volunteers, for example, through
the detention visitors support group organised by JRS Europe.
Contact Details
Country office:
Fr Christoph Hermann SJ, Contact Person
Kungstradgardsgatan, 12, S-11147 Stockholm
Tel: +46 8 505 78006 - Fax: +46 8 611 8808
christoph.hermann(a)jrs.net
sweden(a)jrs.net
To send an email, just replace the (a) with @. |
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