Reduced need for temporary housing for protection-seekers from Ukraine

There is currently sufficient temporary housing to cover the immediate needs of people seeking protection in Sweden. At the same time, work on the procurement of more long-term accommodation is continuing.

”I am full of praise for all those who have responded quickly and helped to organise housing,” says Magnus Önnestig, Director at the Swedish Migration Agency.

The need for housing is determined by how many people from Ukraine come to Sweden to seek protection and how large a proportion of them need housing organised by the Swedish Migration Agency. At the moment, the Swedish Migration Agency is able to provide places to those in urgent need of temporary housing but the authority is continuing to expand its capacity to meet long-term needs as well.

In early March, the Swedish Migration Agency sent out a request to Sweden’s municipalities, via the County Administrative Boards, regarding “evacuation sites” for temporary housing.

”Many municipalities responded to that request and at short notice organised evacuation sites in, for example, sports halls or at campsites. We are very grateful for the municipalities’ efforts. Without that, we could not have coped,” says Magnus Önnestig.

So far, about 4,500 places at municipal evacuation sites have been activated and made available to the authority.

Housing situation has stabilised

Because the situation has stabilised when compared with the assessment made in early March, the Swedish Migration Agency now sees a reduced need for evacuation sites. Instead of a total of 12,000 places, the need is now for 6,000 places. The Swedish Migration Agency will primarily continue to use the evacuation sites that are already in operation.

”We will still need the municipalities’ evacuation sites in order to meet people’s immediate need for a roof over their heads, but to a lesser extent than we previously estimated. However, we must stress that our assessment may change if the number of protection-seekers changes,” says Magnus Önnestig.

One important reason for the change from 12,000 to 6,000 places is that the Swedish Migration Agency’s efforts to procure housing places have been successful.

”The procurement of housing places is dependent on suppliers showing an interest and offering their services. Up to now, there has been a lot of interest. On the basis of our requirements, procured housing places are more suitable for long-term accommodation,” says Magnus Önnestig.

The County Administrative Boards’ inventory

As the Swedish Migration Agency has adjusted its need for evacuation sites, the County Administrative Boards have recently presented an inventory of the municipalities’ total number of housing places in the short, intermediate and long term. The inventory has been drawn up on behalf of the government and shows that, all in all, the municipalities can provide about 74,000 housing places, both short-term evacuation sites and more long-term forms of accommodation.

”The Swedish Migration Agency has received the inventory which will be an important document for our continued work. Our goal is to have a system that will enable an even distribution all over Sweden,” says Magnus Önnestig.