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What rights do you have?

Who are children?


In Sweden you are a child until you turn 18.
 

What rights do you have?


Sweden has signed the UN convention on the Rights of the Child (In Swedish: Barnkonventionen). UN means United Nations. Almost all of the world's countries are members of the UN. The UN is an organisation that cooperates for peace and human rights.

The children's convention contains the rights that all children should have. Sweden and almost every other country in the world have promised to follow the children's convention.
 
The children's convention consists of rules that describe what your rights are as a child. The rules are called articles and they say that:

  • you have the same rights as other children (article 2)
  • your best interests should always be important (article 3)
  • you have the right to live and develop (article 6)
  • you have the right to say what you think (article 12).

Asylum-seeking children have the same rights as other children in Swedish society, for example:

  • you have the right to have your say. This means that if you want to, you have the right to speak and to be listened to
  • you have the right to medical care and dental care if you need it  
  • you have the right to go to school.

You will meet people from different authorities

The Swedish Migration Board is responsible for, among other things:

  • investigating and deciding whether you and your family have the right to asylum or not
  • your home – if you live in one of the Swedish Migration Board's flats
  • financial support – if you don't have any money of your own
  • appointing a public counsel. This is a person that knows the Swedish laws and who helps you with your application for asylum
  • to help you with your journey from Sweden if you cannot stay here.
The municipality is responsible for, among other things:
  • that you go to preschool, school and secondary school
  • something called the social services. In the social services, the staff work according to a law called socialtjänstlagen, the Social Services Act. This law is about your right to care and treatment. It contains rules for how society should help everyone who needs help and can't get it from anyone else.
The medical services is responsible for:
  • providing dental care and health care for you.
Sidan senast uppdaterad: 2011-10-25