Criticism when the Swedish Migration Agency puts Ukrainian asylum applications on high

Should the asylum ban for Ukrainians be lifted?

Hear the Asylum Law Center and the Swedish Migration Board in the clip.

Most Ukrainian refugees who come to Sweden are covered by the Mass Refugee Directive and can relatively quickly obtain a temporary residence permit, but just over 1,600 Ukrainians have instead sought asylum.

This is because in most cases they are not covered by the Directive.

The Swedish Migration Agency has introduced a decision stop for Ukrainian asylum applications, which means that all cases are piled up.

- The longer time passes without having your protection reasons tried as a refugee, the more problematic it can be, says Mårten Löfberg, who has a past as active in the Social Democrats, but who is now general secretary of the Asylum Law Center, a politically independent organization such as provides advice and training regarding asylum law.

Asylum or mass flight

The differences between seeking protection under the Mass Refugee Directive and seeking asylum are, among other things, that the Mass Escape Directive provides a faster residence permit with the right to stay until 4 March 2023 with the possibility of extension.

The ordinary asylum process requires more investigation and is the beginning of a settlement process.

Those who have refugee status normally receive a residence permit for three years.

"The most legally secure"

On 24 February, the Swedish Migration Agency introduced both a moratorium on decisions regarding asylum applications and a so-called enforcement moratorium, ie deportations may not be carried out to Ukraine.

According to the Swedish Migration Agency, the current situation in Ukraine means that there is no sufficiently secure basis for making decisions.

- We are constantly working to update the information to lift the decision stop, it is not something we want, but we believe that this is the way that is currently the most legally secure, says Magnus Önnestig, head of department Migration Agency.

SVT has sought Minister of Migration Anders Ygeman (S) who in a written comment refers to the fact that it is basically an EU decision and that Sweden has already expanded who should be covered, to include those who have been in Sweden for a period before the war broke out out.