Migration and asylum

The Swedish Government decided today to temporarily reintroduce internal border controls. The Government also proposes identity checks for ferry passengers.

On Tuesday 3 November, the Government and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) organised a seminar on labour migration and ethical recruitment. Supported in part by the Swedish Government, IOM is currently developing the International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS), a certification system that will help companies ensure the ethical and sustainable recruitment of international labour.

The Government decided today to temporarily reintroduce internal border controls. The Government also proposes identity checks for ferry passengers.

11 November, Valletta, Malta. Check against delivery.

On Tuesday, 3 November, the Government is holding a seminar on ethical recruitment of migrant workers, in co-operation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The seminar will take place at the Government offices Rosenbad, in Stockholm.

Reykjavik, 27 October 2015 Check against delivery.

Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will be in Reykjavik on 27–28 October for the annual session of the Nordic Council. His schedule includes meetings with the Nordic prime ministers, the Nordic Council Presidium and the three self-governing territories of Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland. Subjects including migration, climate, the environment and Syria will be on the agenda.

On Thursday, 22 October, Germany's Minister of State for Europe, Michael Roth, visited Sweden and had a meeting with the Minister for Employment, Ylva Johansson, and the Minister for Justice and Migration, Morgan Johansson. The aim was to exchange experiences on the occasion of the refugee situation in Europe.

Today we celebrate United Nations Day. And we are doing so in a world that is more uncertain than for many years and in which the United Nations is needed more than ever. Global crises and challenges require common solutions.

Sweden and Europe are in the midst of an enormous task in providing security to people fleeing war, persecution and oppression. The Swedish asylum system is facing major challenges, as the number of people who have sought asylum in Sweden has increased dramatically. In this serious situation, the Government, the Moderate Party, the Centre Party, the Liberal Party and the Christian Democrats have agreed on necessary measures to reinforce capacity in Sweden’s reception of asylum seekers and strengthen the introduction of new arrivals.

Over 60 million people are currently displaced around the world. This is the highest number since the Second World War. People are fleeing to Europe mainly from Syria, where the civil war is now in its fourth year. Almost 8 million Syrians are currently displaced in their own country and more than 4 million have fled from Syria. This corresponds to half of the Syrian population.

Migration issues were once again in focus when EU heads of state and government met for the European Council meeting in Brussels on 15 October. Discussions concerned both the reception centres (hotspots) to be established in the EU and EU common return policy. Prime Minister Stefan Löfven took part in the meeting.

In early October 2015 the Government presented a number of measures in response to the refugee situation.

New York, 30 September 2015. Check against delivery.

There are large numbers of asylum seekers coming to Sweden. The responsible agencies have the capacity to deal with the situation, but things are strained. Above all, it is important to ensure access to accommodation for asylum seekers. This needs to be dealt with quickly.

DN Debatt 11 September “Values-based organisations, representatives of the business sector and municipalities, and politicians from Sweden, Romania and Bulgaria are meeting today to discuss the situation of vulnerable EU citizens. Our message is that the greatest difference is made when people give money to professional NGOs on the ground in the home countries. Giving to them is one way to break the cycle of vulnerability,” says Minister for Children, the Elderly and Gender Equality Åsa Regnér and Martin Valfridsson, the Government’s National Coordinator for vulnerable EU citizens.

On 20–23 September, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven hosted a visit by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The purpose of the visit was to further strengthen Sweden’s relations with Africa and confirm support for the African Union as a central regional actor and strategic partner for the EU.

At the informal meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 23 September, the EU heads of state and government agreed on further measures to help bring about a resolution to the acute migration crisis in Europe and its neighbourhood. Prime Minister Stefan Löfven attended the meeting.

Prime Minister Stefan Löfven is taking part in an extraordinary EU summit between heads of state and government today, Wednesday 23 September in Brussels. The main point of the discussion will be combating the underlying factors causing people to flee. The EU must do more to help resolve the ongoing conflicts and to help people on the ground.