TEMPORARY PROTECTION NO SOLUTION FOR REFUGEES, FORMER MINISTER SAYS
For some time, Sweden has been considering the introduction of a new refugee policy basically aiming at replacing - to as far an extent as possible - the traditional refugee status embodying the refugees right to permanent residence in the receiving country by a status of temporary protection (see CL No.7, p.5). The Social-Democrat Party is in support of such a policy, but a prominent member, Georg Andersson, a former minister of immigration, questions his party's line.
The Swedish debate on temporary protection has met widespread interest among European governments eager to curb down immigration, and in practice, the policy is already applied throughout Western Europe in the context of massive refugee fluxes from former Yugoslavia.
But Georg Andersson is worried about the effects of a policy aiming at reducing the number of refugees benefiting from permanent residence permits.
In his view, this will lead to legal and social insecurity for the refugees who will never be sure that their temporary permit will be renewed. Efforts to ease refugees' access to meaningful activities (language training and a smooth integration into the labour market) are likely to be jeopardised.
Andersson stresses that the assumption that many refugees might soon be able to return back to their home country has all to often proven to be wishful thinking.
Andersson further expresses criticism about the asylum policy of the conservative government of Carl Bildt. Commenting the recent police raid against a covent (see FECL No.21, p.8), he said: "How can one [the government] complain about the police searching for refugees, when one at the same time increases the police's resources for precisely hunting hidden refugees by 100 million crowns? This money should have been used for humanitarian tasks instead".
The former Minister also questions public statements by Prime Minister Bildt, indirectly linking refugees with organised crime by stressing the organised character of refugee trafficking. "It is naive and cynical to believe that flight needs no organisation", Andersson said. As for Swedens donation of coast-guard vessels to the Baltic countries, he remarked: "We are talking about gifts, but no openly about the fact that they are to be used for keeping away refugees from our borders".
Sources: Dagens Nyheter, 27.11.93; our sources.