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Zanyar found a future in Sweden

Every year children and young people come to Sweden without custodians and seek asylum. Zanyar came to Sweden when he was five years old.
"My parents were freedom-fighters in Kurdistan and I came to Sweden without them when I was only five years old. I longed for my parents all the time and what I wanted most was to go back again. Instead I was placed in a foster family. I had never seen snow before coming to Sweden; it was exciting but strange," Zanyar recalls.

"After a year my parents also came to Sweden but my sister remained for 10 years so the whole family was not gathered in Sweden until I was fifteen. When I think about everything that my family and I have experienced, all the problems in Sweden are so small."
 
"Now I work in the media and I like to take part in the public debate - especially on questions concerning unaccompanied minor refugees" says Zanyar.

2,393 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum in 2010. In all, 1,351 unaccompanied minors were granted residence permits during the year.
10,344 asylum seekers were granted residence permits in Sweden in 2010.

Facts


Sweden has, along with over a hundred other countries, signed the UN Convention on refugees. This means that Sweden must examine all applications for asylum and grant asylum to those, who are recognised as refugees according to the Convention.
 
Asylum seekers are those who come to Sweden and apply for asylum (protection) here, but who have not yet had their application assessed. The Migration Board will offer temporary accommodation while the application is under consideration. The county councils are responsible for providing health and medical care for asylum seekers.

For more information about protection and asylum in Sweden, see here.

Kurdistan

The Kurds are a major ethnic group in the Middle East without a state of their own. The geographical area known as Kurdistan ("the Kurds country") is shared between Iran, Iraq and Turkey.

The total Kurdish population is probably between 25 and 30 million people. Most Kurds live in Turkey, but there are also many who live in Iran, Iraq, Armenia and Syria.

Unaccompanied children


Children and young people who come to Sweden without custodians and seek asylum generally live in a municipal group home or in youth accommodation, if they do not have relatives that they can live with.

The municipalities are responsible for receiving unaccompanied minors; this includes appointing a custodian who can act in the place of their parents. A public counsel is appointed to help the child with the asylum application.

The Swedish Migration Board cooperates with the Children's Ombudsman, the county administrative boards, the National Board of Health and Welfare and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and regions in receiving unaccompanied minors.

Sidan senast uppdaterad: 2011-07-15