Collaboration against crime
The Swedish Migration Agency collaborates with a number of other Swedish authorities in order to detect and counteract criminality in Sweden. The collaborative tasks are usually coordinated by a law enforcement authority and the Swedish Migration Agency plays an important role in this work by, for example, detecting and reporting criminal activities and sharing information with other authorities.
The Swedish Migration Agency's main task is to examine applications for residence permits for people who want to come to Sweden. During that process, the Agency may sometimes detect people or companies who have committed, or are suspected of intending to commit, a crime. For example, a company may be exploiting applicants on the labour market, or some people may be planning to exploit an applicant in Sweden. The Swedish Migration Agency also detects cases where the applicant has committed, or is suspected of committing, a crime in Sweden or abroad.
If the Swedish Migration Agency finds out that a person has committed a crime in Sweden, for example, a violent crime, drugs offence or unlawful threat, the Agency will report the matter to the police. After that, collaboration will take place as required for the case in question.
Joint operations by authorities in Sweden to combat organised crime
As of 2013, the Swedish Migration Agency has taken part in joint operations by authorities in Sweden to combat organised crime, as commissioned by the Swedish government and led by the Swedish Police Authority. This collaboration started in 2009 and the participating authorities are now the Swedish Public Employment Service, the Swedish Economic Crime Authority, Sweden's social insurance agency Försäkringskassan, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, the Swedish Enforcement Authority, the Swedish Coastguard, the Swedish Migration Agency, the Swedish Police Authority, the Swedish Tax Agency, the Swedish Security Service, the Swedish Customs and the Swedish Prosecution Authority.
Nine additional authorities are included as network authorities: The Swedish Work Environment Authority, the Swedish Companies Registration Office, the Swedish Board of Student Finance, the Financial Supervisory Authority, the Swedish Pensions Agency, the National Board of Institutional Care, the Swedish Transport Agency and the County Administrative Board of Stockholm County, which coordinates the participation of other county administrative boards in the operations.
The purpose of the joint operations is to counteract organised crime by, for instance, the retrieval of crime gains, prosecution and administrative measures. Within the framework of the joint operations, the authorities collaborate on matters at both regional and national level and they have established joint strategic and operative councils.
Counter-Terrorism Cooperation Council
The Counter-Terrorism Cooperation Council is a forum for cooperation among fifteen authorities, the purpose of which is to strengthen Sweden's ability to counteract and handle terrorism. The Swedish Migration Agency has been a member of the council since it was started up in 2005. All authorities are represented in the council at head of authority level.
The fifteen cooperating authorities all have a specific role to play in the work to counteract and handle terrorism. The purpose of the cooperation network is to improve coordination and streamline interventions before, during and after a terrorist attack. The cooperation council is led by the Swedish Security Service. The other cooperating authorities are the Swedish Economic Crime Authority, National Defence Radio Establishment, Swedish Armed Forces, Swedish Prison and Probation Service, Swedish Coastguard, Swedish Migration Agency, Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, Swedish Police Authority, Swedish Tax Agency, Swedish Radiation Safety Authority, Swedish Defence Research Agency, Swedish Transport Agency, Swedish Customs and the Swedish Prosecution Authority.
National Method Support against Prostitution and Human Trafficking (NMT)
The Swedish Migration Agency is part of the collaboration forum called National Method Support against Prostitution and Human Trafficking, which is coordinated by the Swedish Gender Equality Agency. Method support is a strategic resource for the development and streamlining of collaboration to counteract human trafficking. Some examples are human trafficking for sexual purposes, the removal of organs, war service, forced labour or other activities that place people in a vulnerable situation. The collaborating authorities are the Swedish Gender Equality Agency, Swedish Migration Agency, Swedish Police Authority, municipal social services and the Swedish Prosecution Authority.
Cooperation to detect war crimes
Since the Swedish Migration Agency's task is to investigate and examine applications for residence permits in Sweden, the Agency plays an important role in the work to detect suspected war crimes that have been committed abroad. Cooperation with the Swedish Police Authority on these matters has been in place for a long time and in 2016, the cooperation was developed even further together with the Swedish Prosecution Authority.
The purpose of more in-depth cooperation is to increase the exchange of information and knowledge among the authorities, for example, through joint educational interventions. New forms of cooperation have been set up and the authorities now have regular meetings to discuss ongoing cases, development measures and other matters.
Collaboration for better detection of violence
The Swedish Migration Agency, the Swedish Public Employment Service, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and the National Board of Health and Welfare are collaborating to improve the possibility of detecting violence. The collaboration is being conducted on behalf of the Swedish government.
According to the government, central governmental authorities that engage in broad contact with many people should help to detect exposure and vulnerability to violence. The aim is to provide people with such experiences with the right support and protection, both via the authority itself and by informing and referring victims of violence and perpetrators of violence to other authorities. The government mission encompasses the period of 2019–2021.
The Swedish Migration Agency, the Swedish Public Employment Service, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, the National Board of Health and Welfare and the Swedish Gender Equality Agency have therefore developed a joint action plan for strengthening collaboration aimed at detecting violence.
The four authorities are collaborating on
- procedures and methods for detecting violence
- information (both internally and externally) about violence, legislation and protection, the support society can provide in the event of exposure to violence and the perpetration of violence, and about how to refer cases to the correct authority
- providing staff with skills development and guidance on violence issues.
The MUR Initiative – increasing the resilience of paying and law enforcement agencies against abuse and crime in the welfare systems
The MUR initiative was launched by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency in December 2019. The launch brought together representatives of 18 different authorities with various roles in the administration and payment of benefits in the Swedish welfare systems.
The purpose of the MUR Initiative is to examine the conditions for closer and more structured long-term co-operation between the authorities, in order to prevent payments from being made on an incorrect basis. The intention is to examine opportunities for further collaboration between the authorities, primarily within the framework of the applicable laws and regulations.
The 18 authorities participating in the MUR Initiative are the Swedish Public Employment Service, the Swedish Work Environment Authority, the Swedish Companies Registration Office, the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, the Swedish Board of Student Finance, the Swedish Economic Crime Authority, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, the Swedish Social Security Inspectorate, the Health and Social Care Inspectorate, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, the Swedish Enforcement Authority, the Swedish Migration Agency, the Swedish Pensions Agency, the Swedish Police Authority, the Swedish Tax Agency, the National Agency for Education, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and the Swedish Prosecution Authority.