On the Swedish Migration Agency's website, there is no information specifically aimed at the 11,000 Swedes abroad who move home each year.

- Most people do not understand what this means for us, says Karin, who has just moved home with her family.

- There is no information.

We got to use Facebook groups with Swedes abroad, she says.

Harder to apply online

But Swedes abroad believe that it is not only the information that is lacking - it is also more difficult for families to make an application, something that Ida from Kalmar experienced.

One way to apply for a residence permit is to do so as a relative, with a connection to a partner or own children.

But when Ida and her American husband filled in the application on the Swedish Migration Board's website, they noticed something strange.

In the box where they would choose where their children came from, Sweden was not included as an alternative.

- The Swedish Migration Agency said that it was a technical error and asked me to call the support.

Then I was disconnected, says Ida.

He is not with Sweden

When SVT calls the Swedish Migration Agency, they state various reasons.

First, they say that due to narrow development resources, they have not had time to include Sweden - despite the fact that the web service has existed for several years:

- When the web service was first launched, we would invest in the larger cases - the others we would take later.

But later never happened.

We are developing it now, says Anders Weström, process manager at the authority.

In a later interview, the Swedish Migration Agency believes that it is a conscious choice not to include Sweden because very few people would be granted such an application.

- We mainly test whether the foreign parent can get a residence permit via their Swedish partner, not via the child.

That is the main rule, says Annica Dahlqvist, press communicator.

Is it still not strange that Sweden is missing from the list, when all other countries are included?

- We are working to ensure that all possible alternatives are available.

Ida has now submitted her application in paper form, as it is the only way to be able to fill in the correct information.

Her husband can stay abroad until the decision is made:

- They told me that I am a very special case.

But I'm not, am I?