Asylum in Sweden

The Asylum process

You have to apply for asylum as soon as possible, preferably the same day. When you apply for asylum they take your fingerprints and a photo. They also decide if you should have economic help if you do not have any money.

In the first interview the Migration Office only ask you a little about why you apply for asylum in Sweden. They ask you for your name, date of birth, citizenship, and language. You have to leave your passport or other ID if you have some. They want to know when you left your home country, which place you travelled from and how you came to Sweden. After this the Migration Office investigates if your asylum application should be tried in Sweden or in another country.  At the interview with the Migration Office you need to tell about your specific situation in the country you have fled from.  It is good to tell with many details and coherent.

If the Migration Office does not believe you the first time it will have negative effect the whole process. If you get a no you can appeal to the Court of Migration. If you get a no also from them you can appeal to the Supreme Migration Court. If Sweden does not want to give you protection you can contact the European Court of Human Rights.


Expulsion and “Stop of Expulsion”

If you get at negative decision on your asylum application and are to be sent back you can apply for stop of the expulsion. This means that you tell the Migration Office that you can not  be sent back an why.  If you get a stop this mean that the expulsion (the sent back) is postponed or that your grounds for asylum are going to be tried again.  Something new must have happened for you to be able to apply for stop of expulsion. This can for example be that the situation in your home country has changed, your health or that you will not be accepted by the country you will be sent back to. It can be hard to get a stop of the expulsion.

If you are waiting for a expulsion it is important to have your papers with you (ID, documents from the Migration Office, certificates etc), money, phone numbers to persons in Sweden and organisations that might help you in the country you are to be sent back to.

Statistics

According to the Migration Office 29602 persons applied for asylum in Sweden during 2010.
The most of the asylum-seekers comes from Serbia, Somalia, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq or Iran.
Number granted asylum of total applications:
Afghanistan 55%, Eritrea 67%, Georgia 3%, Iraq 39%, Iran 21%, Kazakstan 3%, Kirgizistan 1%, Kosovo 4%, Libyen 2%, Macedonia 1%, Mongolia 1%, Nigeria 8%, Russia 9%, Serbia 1%, Somalia 92%, State-less 39%, Syria 2%, Uzbekistan 8%, Belarus 3%.