Several politicians want interpreters who have worked for Sweden in Afghanistan to get a residence permit – Radio Sweden in easy Swedish
Several people who have worked for the Swedish military in Afghanistan have not received a residence permit in Sweden. Several opposition parties want it. But the government says they can not decide who gets a residence permit because it violates the law.
As we have reported before, about 20 Afghan interpreters have received a residence permit in Sweden. But there are also several tools that have not received it. They are now worried about their safety. They are afraid that the Taliban will find out that they have worked for Sweden. An interpreter that Swedish Radio has spoken to says that he is afraid of being killed.
Now it has become a political discussion about the interpreters. Several politicians have said that they want the interpreters to get a residence permit in Sweden. Nyamko Sabuni is the party leader for the Liberals. She says that she thinks that those who have worked with Swedish soldiers should be allowed to come to Sweden.
– These interpreters have served, side by side, with Swedish soldiers, and as little as we would abandon our veterans, we can abandon these interpreters, says Nyamko Sabuni.
Mikael Oscarsson works with foreign affairs in the Christian Democrats party. He also wants Sweden to be able to do several other countries, such as Germany and the United States, and give interpreters residence permits.
But the Swedish government says that they can not give the interpreters a residence permit because it would break the law. Morgan Johansson of the Social Democrats is Sweden’s Minister of Migration. He writes to Sverige Radio that politicians can not decide who should get a residence permit. It is the Swedish Migration Agency that must decide who receives a residence permit.
Men Pål Jonson, in the party Moderaterna, wants the government to decide that the Swedish Migration Board should make the system for quota refugees. He wants new rules that say that those who have worked for the Swedish military should be allowed to come to Sweden as quota refugees.