Restrictions on housing allowance cause problems for Ukrainian refugees in Sweden
The European Commission has announced that refugees who come from Ukraine and settle in Sweden are deprived of a daily wage because they live in the “wrong” district, where they are not entitled to any cash support to meet their daily needs.
In a press release issued on April 5, the Commission also states that this is due to the fact that settlements in certain districts, usually socio-economically disadvantaged suburbs in more significant urban regions, disqualify these people from receiving a daily wage, reports SchengenVisaInfo.com.
There are as yet no announcements to change this legislation to promote support for those fleeing Ukraine.
“Since the beginning of the 1990s, asylum seekers in Sweden have had to choose to either live in accommodation provided by the Swedish Migration Board, or for those who choose not to live in accommodation provided by the Swedish Migration Board, the rule applies. has been that they have to finance their own housing. “ the statement reads explain how the grant system works.
It further explains that asylum seekers who decide to live with relatives or friends in Sweden are still entitled to daily allowance from the authorities.
The Commission also announced that this daily payment is currently minimal. At the same time, those who live in accommodation where food is included have the right to:
- SEK 24 per day for single adults
- SEK 19 per day and person for adults who share household expenses
- SEK 12 per day for children up to and including 17 years
Refugees living in accommodation where food is not included are entitled to:
- SEK 71 per day for single adults
- SEK 61 per day and person for adults who share household expenses
- SEK 37 per day for children up to three years
- SEK 43 per day for children between four and ten years
- SEK 50 per day for children aged 11–17 years
Following concerns about segregation and integration in some municipalities that are waiting for a large part of the asylum-seeking population, the law was amended on 1 January 2020. According to this legislation, asylum-seekers retain the right to settle wherever they wish.
In addition, 30 municipalities can demand that the Swedish Migration Agency refrain from paying a daily fee for individuals and families who settle in certain socio-economically vulnerable areas.
In 2015, Sweden had received 163,000 refugees seeking asylum.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, about 20,000 people had come to Sweden in safety, of which about 80,000 arrived before the summer.
>> Timeline for Ukrainian refugees reaching EU countries in the midst of Russian invasion