ASYLUM

Applying for Asylum

You have to be in Sweden or on the Swedish border in order to apply for asylum. It’s not possible to apply for asylum before you arrive, or at a Swedish embassy in another country.

WHO CAN APPLY FOR ASYLUM?

Your application will be examined individually. You will be granted a residence permit if you come under the conditions of a refugee. A person can be considered a refugee if:

According the UN Refugee Convention and Swedish law, you are a refugee if you face oppression because of the following

• Race
• Nationality (Language or Ethnic Group)
• Religion
• Political belief
• Gender
• Sexual orientation
• Membership of a particular social group

Sometime a group of people can be threatening to you as well, but this cannot be a sole reason for you to be granted a positive decision. You will be asked what can happen if you return to your country.

If you are considered as a refugee, you get a residence permit for three years or 13 months.

Family reunification for Refugees

The possibilities for your family to live with you in Sweden if you have a temporary residence as a refugee or as a person needing subsidiary protection is governed by different things. Some of the important points regarding residence permits are listed below:

• Valid Residence Permit: You need to have a valid residence permit for the country at the time you apply for family reunification. This means, if your residence permit has expired and you have applied for its extension, then the Swedish Migration Agency will first decide that whether you have the right to continue the residence permit or not It isn’t enough for you to have the title of a temporary resident or having a previous valid residence permit.
• Family’s Application: Once the Migration Agency has decided that whether your residence permit will be extended or not, the application of your family will be reviewed. The credentials of your family will be reviewed and checked by the authorities that all the information and documents provided are original or not.
• Permanent Residence Permit: If you have a temporary residence permit as a refugee or have asked for the subsidiary protection and there are fair chances for you to get the permanent residence permit in the future, then you will have the right to family reunification. As a starting point, the protection status granted to you depicts that you will get the permanent residence permit. But if the authorities have some doubt that you will not be able to keep your protection status, then the chances for you to get the permanent residence permit are rare.