Frequently asked questions
For many years, asylum seekers have been coming to Sweden from Somalia and they have been able to be reunited with their families here. For a few years, suddenly, no family members were allowed to come here, but, now, a family from Iraq was reunited even though they do not have acceptable identification documents. Why has the Swedish Migration Board refused to grant a resident permit to so many Somali families? Has the Swedish Migration Board been too harsh in their conclusions in recent years?
No, the Swedish Migration Board had not been too harsh in its assessments. The assessment that the Swedish Migration Board carries out on applications is controlled by the Aliens Act (Utlänningslagen). It is the judgements made by the Migration Court and the Migration Court of Appeal that show how the law should be applied.
In one judgement from 12 May 2011, the Migration Court of Appeal concluded that all those applying for a residence permit from abroad in order to move to a person who is settled in Sweden must establish his or her identity in order to be granted a residence permit. Following that decision, the Swedish Migration Board could not consider applications regarding close family ties from individuals who were not able to prove their identity.
On 18 January 2012 , a new judgement was handed down by the Migration Court of Appeal that shows that reuniting families can be more important than proving one's identity. This means that the Swedish Migration Board can now be more generous in its assessments of applications from families with children. The Swedish Migration Board can now assess applications even if passports or identification documents are missing. If the applicant comes from a country where it is not possible to obtain identification documents that are accepted in Sweden, the Swedish Migration Board can still in some cases grant a residence permit — if parenthood is established and the identity is credible.
In one judgement from 12 May 2011, the Migration Court of Appeal concluded that all those applying for a residence permit from abroad in order to move to a person who is settled in Sweden must establish his or her identity in order to be granted a residence permit. Following that decision, the Swedish Migration Board could not consider applications regarding close family ties from individuals who were not able to prove their identity.
On 18 January 2012 , a new judgement was handed down by the Migration Court of Appeal that shows that reuniting families can be more important than proving one's identity. This means that the Swedish Migration Board can now be more generous in its assessments of applications from families with children. The Swedish Migration Board can now assess applications even if passports or identification documents are missing. If the applicant comes from a country where it is not possible to obtain identification documents that are accepted in Sweden, the Swedish Migration Board can still in some cases grant a residence permit — if parenthood is established and the identity is credible.
Sidan senast uppdaterad: 2012-02-16
Migrationsverket
