What happened
Migrationsverket estimates that only about 350 quota refugees can be transferred to Sweden this year, instead of the full quota of 900 people. The reason is that the government delayed deciding on the focus regarding which nationalities and groups should be covered. The agency submitted its proposal as early as December last year and needed a government decision by mid-September at the latest to manage the process in time. According to the government's late decision, the selection will primarily comprise Congolese refugees in Uganda as well as Afghan women and girls in Turkey.
Our analysis
The government bears responsibility for more than 500 people in acute vulnerability not receiving the sanctuary in Sweden for which the Riksdag allocated resources. Of this year's quota of 900 people, approximately 550 places are completely lost this year due to the government's dawdling, despite Migrationsverket having warned about the timeframes since last year. Reporting often misses what a bureaucratic delay actually costs: behind the numbers are women, girls, and LGBTQI persons whom the UN has already assessed to be in acute danger and who are now left behind. Two-thirds of those to be transferred are women and girls, and for Afghan women in Turkey, every lost month means continued lack of legal protection. A stressful effort now awaits Migrationsverket to process the 350 people before the end of the year, while the government has offered no explanation as to why the decision could not be provided on time.
Explained
A quota refugee is a person who has fled their country and has been selected by the UN refugee agency UNHCR for resettlement and protection in another country.