Hunger strike at Storbodaanstalten - dissatisfaction with expulsions that drag on

At Storbodaanstalten, there is a department with 24 residents that is especially intended for those who are awaiting deportation from Sweden.

Some of them have served prison sentences and are awaiting deportation, for which they have also been sentenced.

Others are placed in the ward when the Swedish Migration Agency has decided that they cannot be placed in the Swedish Migration Agency's detention for security reasons while they wait for deportation.

On Sunday, twelve of them went on hunger strike in dissatisfaction with the delay in their deportation, and on Monday another seven joined the hunger strike.

- We follow this closely and experience that we have a good dialogue with the inmates and check that no one feels bad about this and need medical care, says Magnus Jonsson, deputy head of the prison at the institution.

"May not be released into the open air"

Despite the decision on deportation, they are still in Sweden and waiting for them to be implemented.

- They are dissatisfied that it takes time.

The uncertainty and having to sit and wait is difficult.

If and when someone is to be deported is not something we decide on, but it is up to other authorities.

SVT has spoken to one of the inmates who is on hunger strike.

He is dissatisfied with having to wait for an expulsion, despite having served his prison sentence.

- We have sat here, year in and year out, and now we have served our sentences.

We are still not allowed to go out into the open air, but are still waiting, he says.

Common with protracted expulsions

It is not entirely uncommon for disturbances to occur in an institution, says Magnus Jonsson, but hunger strikes in particular are a little more rare.

- I have only worked for four or five months at this particular institution and have not been on a hunger strike before.

I also can not remember hearing about it before.

It happens, but it is not very common.

How common is it that a prison sentence has been served, but that the persons continue to be detained because their deportations cannot be carried out?

- It happens all the time and it is relatively common that it can take a while. Then it is entirely up to each specific case, which country of deportation it is about and so on. But it is a case of constant, I would say.