PROPOSAL to develop national policy 2004/2005 

EQUAL Community Initiative
National Thematic Network Asylum Seekers in Sweden

1. Background

The proposals proceed from the collective experiences of the four Development Partnerships in the Equal Community Initiative in Sweden dealing with the issue of asylum seekers and from the work of the 
National Thematic Network Asylum Seekers in Sweden (NTN).

The National Thematic Network’s work has focused on four main areas:

a.	Surveying, analysing and assessing project experiences arising from projects under Equal, the European Refugee Fund, Objective 3, and the Swedish Integrations Board’s government  financed projects to develop refugee reception and introduction.

b.	Surveying and analysing policies and systems in relevant policy fields.

c.	Collecting knowledge through research; three studies have been launched that focus on individual contra system level. One study already presented its findings in 2004.

d.	Seminar series aiming to contribute both to the collection and spreading of knowledge but also to establish a dialogue between practitioners, researchers and decision and policy makers. 

In addition to the above, experience and results are also acquired by means of participation in the work of the European Thematic Group on Asylum (ASETG) of which Sweden and the Netherlands share chair-manship. The Steering Committee for ASETG has produced an analysis of 39 Development Partnerships and 15 transnational co-operation agreements under the theme. Three Practice Events, which included participants and representatives of all Development Partnerships (DP) from the asylum strand throughout the whole EU, have generated further input in assessing and highlighting good practice. Prior to the European Conference of the asylum theme, in Dublin in April 2004, the European Asylum Thematic Group carried out a survey and validation of the Development Partnerships. The Group organized, among other activities, peer reviews in four Member States. A number of deeper studies into priority areas under Equal Asylum Theme have also been carried out and are disseminated by way of reports, handbooks and examples of good practice. 

The year 2004 has been characterized as having witnessed extensive reform and changes as regards the number of asylum seekers, their composition, reception systems and national and EU policy in this area. The implementation of a Common European Asylum System (CEAS) has, by way of recently adopted directives on minimum standards for reception, moved on to a new phase. The mid-term evaluation of CEAS (and ongoing monitoring through score boards) within the frame of the Tampere Process, and the adoption of the new Hague Programme, entail a number of important and decisive steps towards the common European asylum system and policy that should be fully achieved by 2010.

Also in the field of integration policy the Union has taken important steps forward. The EU Commis-sion’s Communication, with the accompanying instruments for monitoring and implementing a new European integration policy (annual reports, indicators, European handbook for integration, national contact points for integration/European integration network, the INTI development programme etc.) will henceforth and in a decisive way change the European and national integration policy landscape. 

Taken together, these changes entail that learning from project experiences from the European programmes - Equal and ERF (note the increased amount of funding going to Community Actions in the ERF!) - as well as results and analyses from the European Thematic Group on Asylum are becoming increasingly important for all relevant policy areas, while national measures play a declining role.

2. Current situation in Sweden - somewhat fewer asylum seekers, increasing number of refusals, continued long waiting time, mixed flows, extensive smuggling of asylum seekers to great expense

The number of asylum seekers coming to Sweden has declined somewhat compared to 2003; from just over 30,000 to 24,000. A certain decline of the number of asylum seekers registered in the Swedish Migration Board’s reception system has also been noted; from around 40,000 to an estimated 36,000 at year’s end.  A larger share of asylum seekers is rejected already at the first level of application assessment while the increase of numbers of appeals and the so called new applications has continued. The previously announced foreseen changes to the application process have still not been carried through. If they are carried through (possibly in 2006), they will not have full effect before the end of the Equal programme period.

During 2004 the asylum seeker’s health situation has been brought to light, among else by way of the so called Common Approach Document, approved by the main national authorities in Sweden. As regards asylum seeker and asylum seeker reception, both background texts and proposals are however surprisingly vaguely formulated in the document. A dramatic rise in the County Councils’ costs for health care for asylum seekers, the very large share of asylum seekers in closed psychiatric care, the low number of asylum seekers who go to medical check ups, in many counties, or the sharp rise of approvals due to humanitarian grounds linked to the situation in Sweden during their wait, are ignored in the document. 

The question of asylum seekers’ health and their access to adequate health care as a prerequisite for social and vocational (re-)integration continues to be a key issue for further development work within Equal, both at national and EU level. 

The number of registered asylum seekers in the reception system remains on a very high level despite a decline in the number of newly arrived. At the same time there has been a strong increase in the number of absconded. Among them, as well as among those in the system, are probably a growing number who are working in the informal economy. Sweden thus seems to be on the path to a similar situation as can be found in most of the other Member States. This development underlines the question of target groups and measures for the asylum theme, in among else, Equal and the situation should also be analysed within the frame of relevant national policy. 

“Competition” between activities and gaining a living in the informal sector and that of the so called organised activities (language tuition, work practice etc.) under the Swedish Migration Board’s auspices should be given greater attention. Factors contributing to the situation that has arisen could include the growing divergence between different groups/categories of the asylum seekers, as well as the high proportion of asylum seeker that are heavily in debt after paying human smugglers to get to Sweden.

A discussion and further analysis of these development trends is missing at national level. Current and planned research and development work in other Member States in Equal and ERF, within the frame of the National and European Thematic Network/Group, should provide a valuable contribution to collective knowledge in this sphere.

3. The Common European Asylum System

Implementation of the Common European Asylum System is one of the most important results coming out of the Tampere Process. Just as is the case with employment policy, there is now a European strategy when it comes to asylum policy. This takes the form of legal instruments, including directives, co-ordination method, guidelines, development programmes (European Refugee Fund and the asylum theme in Equal) and mechanisms to monitor how Member States’ implementation and development work proceeds.

As previously mentioned, efforts to bring to life a common European asylum system, by way of The Hague Programme, have now moved into a new and decisive phase. The directive on minimum standards for reception must be implemented in all Member States by February 2005. While Sweden formally meets the conditions stipulated in the directive, a different picture of reality has emerged through seminars organised by the National Thematic Network Asylum.

The NTN’s proposal for national policy has a clear connection with the Hague Programme and the new directives. Every national change/reform in the area of asylum policy must be in line with current policies, programmes and EU directives.

The same also goes to an increasing extent in European integration policy, to which the activities of the National Thematic Network Asylum and the participating Development Partnerships have a growing connection with. The basic document in Sweden for the asylum theme in Equal underlines the importance of understanding asylum reception as a part of a larger, comprehensive process. This view is now also mirrored in the EU Commissions Communication on immigration, integration and employment and in the Commission’s guidelines to the European Refugee Fund 2005-2010. 

4. Results and recommendations to the Swedish Government

In connection with reporting to the Swedish ESF Council in the run up to the drafting of the National Action Plan for Employment for 2004, the National Thematic Network presented proposals and recommendations extracted from, among else, examples of good practice from the Swedish Development Partnerships in Equal. The majority of the proposals also fall within the frame of the EU Directive laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers, thus enabling them to contribute towards the EU's and the Swedish Government's efforts to further develop and fortify the Common European Asylum System.

The five proposals that were put forward earlier in 2004 are presented more fully below. Additional proposals concerning, among others, civic education for unaccompanied minors and other newly arrived asylum seekers/migrants have been added. 

4.1 Health care promotion measures for asylum seekers

A large number of asylum seekers suffer from poor health, the reasons for which lie in part in having undergone traumatic experiences prior to arriving in Sweden, in part due to the long period of waiting for a decision. Poor health and poorly organised/adapted health care systems render it more difficult, even impossible, for asylum seekers to take advantage of (re-)integration measures which leads to soaring health care costs. The national Common Approach Document on health care and introduction largely confirms this picture. 

Proposal

In order to improve the health situation of asylum seekers and the services provided by the health care system, the RE-KOMP Development Partnership has developed the concept of health advisors.  Persons with cultural and language competencies act as a link between the Swedish health care system and the asylum seekers. Other health promotion measures have also been developed. These have resulted in a substantial drop in health care costs for asylum seekers. The Skåne County in southern Sweden has as of January 1, 2005, hired staff i.e. asylum seekers to act as health advisors.

Good health is also a precondition for asylum seekers' social and vocational (re-)integration. The concept of health advisors thereby supports the Employment Guidelines number 5 and 7 and contributes to increasing work force participation among immigrants (Recommendations to Sweden 2003), improved monitoring of programmes that target immigrants as well as increasing access to vocational training (Recommendations to Sweden 2004).

Two Development Partnerships in Germany have also developed a similar concept. The trans-national partnership Aspire, comprising one of the German DP:s and RE-KOMP, has in its newly adopted policy recommendations proposed that the system of health advisors to be established in the Member States' reception systems to support implementation of article 15 in the Commission Directive on reception.

4.2  Skills audit – validation

Many asylum seekers have good vocational training, long work experience or a recently acquired academic degree but they do not have written documentation to prove this. Questions concerning validation and skills auditing are made more complicated by the fact that many asylum seekers, even among those that gain a residence permit, are unable to validate their identity. An early systematic skills audit, adapted to the asylum seeker's language skills and background, combined when necessary with skills/experience/qualifications validation, is a very effective instrument to facilitate and to speed up vocational (re-)integration. 

Proposal

The RE-KOMP Development Partnership has developed an adapted skills audit and validation instrument for asylum seekers. The ETG Asylum Working Group on Skills audit has also developed a similar instrument that is presented in a handbook and on a CD-Rom. The early skills audit and refined validation model is proposed to be included in the Member States' routines within the frame of the Directive on reception, article 11 and 12. Routines and instruments for validation based on this model should also be included in the Swedish Government's pending Bill on reception and introduction of refugees and new arrivals.

The concept supports Employment Guideline number 5 and 7 and contributes towards Swedish compliance with the EU Commission's recommendation on increasing immigrant participation in the work force (Recommendations to Sweden 2003), and improving monitoring of measures for immigrants and increasing access to vocational training (Recommendations to Sweden 2004).

4.3 Common introduction period and tailored vocational training

Despite the large number asylum seekers having to wait a very long time to get a decision on their asylum application, as well as the obvious difficulties on the labour market for immigrants, few asylum seekers participate in programmes that adequately prepare them for municipal refugee introduction. Even fewer receive a systematic skills audit, validation or participate in basic/complementary vocational training, despite the fact that doing so would decisively facilitate and speed up their (re-)integration.

RE-KOMP has developed a comprehensive concept for skills auditing and vocational training for asylum seekers and newly arrived/refugees. Experiences from other Member States underline the substantial benefits of this concept, both from a socio-economic as well as an individual perspective, from early, tailored and comprehensive vocational training measures. Asylum seekers are often well motivated and rapidly become attractive to employers on the labour market, and thereby self-supporting.

Proposal

The concept of a comprehensive introduction which includes, among else, skills auditing, validation and vocational training, has proven very cost effective and time saving, both from an individual as well as from a socio-economic perspective. In connection with the Swedish Government's drafting of the pending Bill on reception and introduction for refugee and newly arrived, these project experiences and concepts should be taken into serious consideration and disseminated throughout the country.

The concept supports the Employment Guidelines number 5 and 7 and contributes towards Sweden living up to the EU Commission's recommendations on work force participation among immigrants (Recommendations for Sweden 2003), improved monitoring of measures and programmes for immigrants and increasing access to vocational training (Recommendations for Sweden 2004). 

4.4 Civic education in mother tongue as a means for integration

Unaccompanied minors seeking asylum are especially in need of support, both during the waiting period and the introduction period in Swedish schools. Life in Sweden becomes more easily understandable, manageable and meaningful if the asylum seekers, as well as newly arrived minors, get the opportunity to learn about the values, behavioural and cultural norms and unwritten rules in the receiving country as soon as possible. 

The importance of civic education, for newly arrived immigrants is getting growing recognition in a number of Member States. The EU Commission’s Communication on immigration, integration and employment underlines the role played by education and the school system in conveying basic norms and values:

"It should be noted that the education system plays an essential role not only when it comes to knowledge acquisition but also as a place for acquiring formal and informal information on norms and values in society and as a cultural bridge."

A number of Equal Development Partnerships (both in the asylum theme as well as other themes) have developed concepts to initiate, in a respectful manner, asylum seekers and other newly arrived into citizenship and what can be characterized as European values and norms. The Ankomst Göteborg  (Arrival Gothenburg) Development Partnership has developed a much appreciated introduction course to EU policies for asylum seekers. The RE-KOMP Development Partnership has, in co-operation with the upper secondary school Celsiusskolan, in the Swedish city of Uppsala, developed an ambitious and very successful programme called "We break the code" which targets minors participating in introductory training for immigrants (IVIK, Upper secondary school courses for immigrants). Mother tongue language teachers are responsible for key areas of this training, including the part on cultural differences. The existing education plan and society's basic norms and values make up the basic framework when dealing with issues such as family, social rules, law and order, equality and mental and physical health.

Proposal

Survey different forms and concepts for civic education in the sphere of youth and adult education centres and identify further examples of good practice as an obligatory element for asylum seekers and newly arrived immigrants. Make use of cross-cultural expertise embodied in mother tongue language teachers.

4.5 Organisational differentiation between the consideration of asylum application and asylum reception

Voluntary organisations play an important role as a development initiator in the asylum theme under Equal. Many Development Partnerships, among them Arrival Göteborg, have generated successful concepts and results due largely to the special qualities and perspective that they have and to the trust and confidence they enjoy among asylum seekers. This fact has been confirmed by on-going studies carried out within the frame of the National Asylum Thematic Group.

As regards unaccompanied minors, the activities in the Modul 16-20 Development Partnership in Stockholm have pointed to the conflict between a respectful reception (by NGOs) and the judicial treatment of the asylum application (by the Swedish Migration Board). Trial activities in the northern Swedish municipality of Skellefteå with unaccompanied minors have confirmed the benefits of – in this case - a municipal reception system separated from the Swedish Migration Board's application consideration.

In most Member States, there is a division in responsibility between the state, which considers asylum applications, and the reception, while NGOs are occupied with reception. Equal and European Refugee Fund co-financed projects in other Member States show that NGO's deliver very good results when it comes to reception of asylum seekers.

Proposal

It is proposed to separate responsibility for asylum application consideration and the implementation of reception between the state and NGOs and or municipalities. The Swedish Migration Board and the Aliens Appeals Board/or equivalent should retain responsibility of asylum application consideration while asylum reception, including measures for social and vocational (re-)integration, should be transferred to other bodies, primarily NGOs and municipal authorities. The proposal should be further developed by way of trial projects before feeding into the Government's pending Bill on reception and introduction of newly arrived immigrants.

4.6 Inter-departmental policy forum – mechanisms for effective dissemination and policy impact

The (re-)integration of asylum seekers touches upon a number of policy fields, primarily asylum and refugee policy but also integration, employment,  education/vocational training, social and foreign aid policy. There is no inter-policy forum in which Equal (and other ESF/EU program-mes) products and recommendations can be presented to Government policy decision makers/ administrators. Products and recommendations have to only a limited extent reached the ears of decision makers, something which entails a shortcoming (so far) in the success of the program-mes. Not even the responsible Ministry of Industry, Labour and Communications or the Swedish ESF Council have given feedback to the Development Partnerships or National Thematic Networks that have managed to present results and recommendations to them. 

Within the frame of a special agreement between the central governmental authorities in Sweden - Agreement concerning development of the introduction for refugees and other immigrants  - it is foreseen to have a joint government agency development strategy aiming to improve the asylum reception and the introduction of refugees/asylum seekers. A number of initiatives with a similar aim - to improve the introduction and integration of asylum seekers/refugees/immigrants - have been adopted by the Government over recent years (primarily initiated by the Ministry of Justice, responsible for integration and anti-discrimination issues), in co-operation with employer and employee organisations and others. The Swedish Labour Market Administration has introduced a number of new measures to support labour market integration of new arriving immigrants. In all cases, however, the National Thematic Network Asylum finds that the issue of asylum seekers' (re-)integration still has low priority on the policy agenda. Furthermore, the various initiatives/activities are not co-ordinated well enough to allow for co-ordinated monitoring and evaluation.

The Internal Audit department of the Swedish Migration Board has studied how the results from work under the European Refugee Fund are taken advantage of, both internally and externally. The report underlines serious difficulties for the responsible units in the administration to take advantage of, and disseminate, project experiences and examples of good practice. The report confirms the same picture held by the NTN Asylum as to the Swedish Migration Board's development efforts, especially as concerns reception. This picture includes a surprising lack of policy and strategy, insufficient routines and mechanisms for transfer and implementation of trial/project results into ordinary practice and an almost complete lack of accumulation of knowledge through research.

Proposal

In order for the recommendations and proposals generated through the development work carried out within the asylum theme to gain influence, it is proposed to establish an inter-ministerial forum with the participation of civil servants and/or political representatives from all relevant ministries (industry, employment, foreign affairs, justice, education and social affairs). This would create a national, multi-policy forum which could also serve as a think tank feeding into the concerned policy fora at European level that are being set up, i.a. within the frame of the European Asylum Thematic Group under Equal. This would also ensure broad support from all relevant policy areas.

A review, follow-up and an evaluation of the number of activities and initiatives in the area of reception, introduction and integration of new arrived immigrants should be done. The evaluation foreseen by the authorities included in the Agreement (see above) should include a review of these activities and initiatives and an assessment of their overall effects.

The Swedish Migration Board is urged to adopt a comprehensive strategy for development, knowledge accumulation, competence development and exploitation of development activities, both from national and European projects under Equal and the European Refugee Fund. The Swedish Migration Board should especially and actively participate in networks and take advantage of experiences from Community Actions within the frame of the European Refugee Fund. Also, other activities sharing the objective of developing the common European asylum system should receive attention and priority (i.e. work by the European Migration Network and the European Integration Network). 

4.7 Return to home country linked to foreign aid

An increasing share of asylum seekers have their asylum applications rejected and are forced to return to their homeland or equivalent. The Government proposed back in 1997 in the Bill entitled Verkställighet och återvändande - en del av asylprocessen that integrated measure packages for facilitating the asylum seekers return to their home country, in close collaboration with NGOs, should be established. Despite this stated ambition, there is still no comprehensive programme for those returning, neither under the coat of the Swedish Migration Board or NGOs. The Bill includes enlightened reasoning on the value of such programmes which originally were thought to include training in Sweden before returning, counselling and support as well as reintegration activities in their home country to which they return.

In the above noted Government Bill, a number of suggestions as to how NGOs can collaborate/be responsible for vital parts of reception/returning asylum process. Even this area lies barren of actual examples, and even more barren when it comes to follow-up studies.

A Bill adopted much later, entitled Common responsibility: Swedish policy for global develop-ment, includes a chapter reasoning around migration flows and returning in general, without, getting any more specific. However the issue of linking measures for returnees to foreign aid, as considered very important in the Equal programme, is not mentioned. 

Under the asylum theme of Equal, the question of returning has grown in importance, both in Sweden and other Member States. While all Development Partnerships under the theme recognise returning/(re-)integration as an important area, actual initiatives in this field have only seen the light towards the end of the project period. A good example is the Arrival Göteborg Development Partnership which, drawing from its rich experience of returning activities, has adapted and developed the so called 5 T model for returnees.

Proposal

The Government is recommended to follow-up the proposals in Bill 1997/98:173, both as regards the proposals for integrated returnee programmes and NGO’s role in the reception/returning process. The question of co-operation between foreign aid and asylum policy/returning should also be followed up and transcribed into concrete measures that subsequently lead to actual changes in the relevant directives of concerned government agencies. 

Equal project experiences, in Sweden and other Member States and the European Refugee Fund, in the area of returning will subsequently be systematized and assessed by the secretariat of the National Thematic Network Asylum. Following a survey and retrieval of validated concepts, methods and models of good practice, a collected assessment should be made and incorporated into a comprehensive asylum and foreign aid programme. 

All references can be found on the NTN asylum website: www.temaasyl.se