Baltic and Nordic Region

Baltic and Nordic Headlines

A summary of asylum and refugee-related stories in regional media.

Tuesday 27 July to Wednesday 28 July 2010

Denmark

Government threatened by DF over immigration law
The People’s Party (DF) will not support the Liberal-Conservative government’s upcoming reform plan if the current law requiring foreign spouses to be at least 24 years old to be eligible for residence permit is changed to the age requirement of 28 years. As the 24-year rule now stands, Danish citizens who marry a foreigner must both be at least 24 to be able live together in Denmark. DF wants that age requirement to be raised to 28 years, and wants the law to be changed to include an exemption for spouses from Western countries. Kristian Thulesen Dahl, DF’s party secretary, notes that the idea behind the party’s proposal was to avoid creating unnecessary difficulties for non-problematic immigrants. Both the Liberals and Conservatives have indicated they would not support DF’s proposal.
Berlingske Tidende 24 July 2010 (in Danish)
Jyllands-Posten 28 July 2010 (in English)
The Copenhagen Post 28 July 2010 (in English)

Finland

Finnish municipalities cut down asylum places
The number of asylum-seekers in Finland has decreased this year by one third compared to last year’s figures. This means that the Finnish Immigration Service has begun to cut resources for the reception centers. Last year, 6000 persons applied for a residence permit in Finland, and the City of Helsinki invested in several new reception centers. This year, the number of asylum-seekers is estimated to be around 4000 persons. In Helsinki, the Immigration Service has already reduced the number of places with 700. Also in Espoo, there are several empty rooms in centers. If the numbers continue to decline, the Immigration Service has to decide on new cuts already in the autumn. At the same time, the asylum process functions more smoothly than ever. Previously, an applicant had to wait up to one year or longer for a decision, but currently the process is faster. Esko Repo, Head of the Asylum Unit at the Immigration Service, notes that more flexible decisions will be cheaper for the municipalities. An asylum-seeker awaiting a decision costs 40 euros a day, he explains. A decline in the number of asylum-seekers has also been noticed in other Finnish municipalities and cities, including Oravainen, Pietarsaari, Pirkanmaa, Kajaani and Lapland.
YLE 27 July 2010 (in Swedish)
YLE 26 July 2010 (in Swedish)
YLE 26 July 2010 (in Finnish)
YLE 26 July 2010 (in Finnish)
YLE 27 July 2010 (in Finnish)

Norway

UDI cuts down 177 places for minor asylum-seekers
The Directorate of Immigration (UDI) closes 177 reception places for unaccompanied minors in six municipalities in the upcoming autumn and winter. So far in 2010, there has been a reduction of 66 per cent for minor asylum-seekers. According to UDI, closing down reception places leads to fewer jobs. At the same time, asylum centers cannot stay empty. Per Engan-Skei, acting Deputy Director at UDI, sees that UDI’s mission lies in adapting the center capacities to demand. Center operators, center staff and communities deserve praise for the great efforts in offering minor asylum-seekers protection and housing, he adds. Reception places to be closed are situated in the municipalities Tromsø, Tysfjord, Hitra, Stavanger, Kristiansand and Tranøy. The centers will start closing 31 October this year.
Dagsavisen 27 July 2010 (in Norwegian)
NRK 27 July 2010 (in Norwegian)

388 children disappeared in ten years
In the past ten years, nearly four hundred minors have disappeared from Norwegian asylum centers. Only a third of them show up after their disappearance, Directorate of Immigration (UDI) statistics states. Tirill Sjøvoll from Save the Children’s youth organization PRESS considers that the number of disappearances is too high. Save the Children contacted police districts near the reception center two years ago, and several stated that they put less effort into finding minor asylum-seekers than Norwegian children. So far this year, 48 children have disappeared, despite the large decrease in the influx of minor asylum-seekers. Only 63 of the 194 minors who have been reported missing since 2005 until today have returned to centers. The reception centers have a regular procedure for notifying the police, the UDI and children’s welfare. UDI officials believe that the majority of the children leave the centers voluntarily, but the possibility that they might be in debt to human smugglers cannot be excluded.
Verdens Gang 28 July 2010 (in Norwegian)

Sweden

New rules for identification
The Swedish government has decided that all those who have a residence permit in Sweden will receive an identification document equivalent to a Swedish passport. A number of persons who have ended up in an identification vacuum when they arrived in Sweden will have the same opportunities as everyone else, comments Lars Tegenfelt, lawyer at the Swedish Tax Agency. Many new arrivals come from war-torn areas and have no opportunity to obtain proper identification documents. With the new change, the only requirement to receive an identification document is that the person has a residence permit and that the personal data submitted earlier to Swedish authorities is consistent. In order for the new system to function, the Tax Agency will need data from the Migration Board to issue ID cards. The changes are expected to come into force on 1 October this year.
Sveriges Radio 26 July 2010 (in Swedish)

Persons without documentation receive no health care during summer
During the summer, the opportunity for persons without documentation to receive health care reduces drastically. The undocumented persons do not dare to look for care within the usual health sector. In Sweden, there are several clinics under secret addresses with volunteer doctors and nurses that the undocumented persons can turn to. However, several secret clinics are closed during the summer. Many regular hospitals lack clear instructions for the staff on how to receive patients without identity documents, and often undocumented persons are denied care. Within the EU Sweden has the most restrictive health care legislation for persons without documentation. On several occasions, the UN has criticized Sweden for limited access to health care for the undocumented. Staff in healthcare often contact the Migration Board or even the police for instructions, and provide information on the person’s hiding place. If the Migration Board is contacted and the undocumented is picked up, then medical confidentiality has been violated and a person in need of health care may be deported.
Sveriges Television 27 July 2010 (in Swedish)

Sweden and Norway continue returns to Greece
The Greek authorities should immediately review their policy of locking up immigrants and asylum-seekers, including minors, states Amnesty International in a new report. The organization is particularly concerned that Greece locks up children. Because of this Sweden decided to stop deportations of unaccompanied minors to Greece in 2008. However, Sweden continues to return hundreds of adults to Greece every year. Amnesty calls for a stop on the deportations. Madelaine Seidlitz, lawyer at Amnesty, considers that Sweden should not return asylum-seekers to Greece. Tobias Billström, Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, notes that a total ban on deportations to Greece is not planned. He comments that countries with poorly functioning asylum systems cannot be allowed to evade responsibility to improve these systems. These countries might take advantage of the system while evading responsibility and Sweden cannot support such a position, Billström concludes. Amnesty International has also criticized Norway on returning asylum-seekers to Greece.
Dagens Nyheter 28 July 2010 p: 16 (in Swedish)

NB. This story was also covered in Norway
Dagsavisen 27 July 2010 (in Norwegian)

Renewed unrest at Haslemoen in Norway
Four persons were arrested after fighting at the Haslemoen center on Monday evening. Several persons were injured, but none of them seriously. According to the police in Hedmark, both center staff and residents were assaulted and injured during the unrest. The police received several call-outs in the last week. About 60 of the center residents were evacuated from the Lier return center which was set on fire in early July. When the new arrivals came, the number of staff at the center has been increased.
Dagens Nyheter 27 July 2010 (in Swedish)

RFSL: Sweden Democrats use LGBT rights against immigration
Ulrika Westerlund, chairperson of the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL), warns for a trend similar to that in the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark where anti-immigration parties have used LGBT issues to pick votes. RFSL recently adopted an action plan against racism which included a strategy to actively respond to the Sweden Democrats. She gives the example of Jimmie Åkesson’s debate article in Aftonbladet where he tried to use LGBT persons’ rights to argue against immigration.
Dagens Nyheter 26 July 2010 (in Swedish)

Prejudice against gay asylum-seekers
The Migration Board criticizes itself on the use of a stereotypic picture of a gay person, which can lead to an inaccurate decision when an LGBT person seeks asylum in Sweden. Knowledge on LGBT issues among staff members has to be improved. This year, the Board attends Pride for the first time. According to two externally conducted studies, experienced administrators and decision-makers at the Migration Broad who meet asylum-seekers and make important decisions on their future have prejudiced idea of homosexuals based on norms and stereotypes. Sofia Sjö is the leader of the project ”Beyond the border” at the Migration Board. The project aims at reducing risks related to norms and ideas about sexual orientation and gender identity that could affect the asylum process. Errors in the assessment of an individual asylum-seeker may lead to wrong decisions. So far 300 employees at the Board have been trained in norm criticism within the project. Minister Tobias Billström considers that many Swedish authorities still view the LGBT perspective as a new and unknown issue, but the Migration Board is now on the right track. He adds that correct information and knowledge is crucial to guarantee the quality assurance of the asylum process. Sjö estimates that about 300 persons seek asylum based on sexual orientation. One should remember that it is not sexual orientation or gender identity itself that is the basis for a residence permit, but a well-founded fear of persecution if returned to one’s home country.
Dagens Nyheter 27 July 2010 (in Swedish)
Sveriges Radio 26 July 2010 (in Swedish)

UNHCR bears no responsibility for the accuracy and content of the press summary, which is based on external news services and does not reflect the views of UNHCR.

External Relations Unit
UNHCR Regional Office for the Baltic and Nordic Countries, Stockholm
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