Migration policy has become the focus of debate again after the media highlighted several cases where young children and older teenagers were ordered deported, even though their families have residence permits in Sweden.
Many people are probably wondering what the rules are. Will children as young as an eight-month-old be deported alone?
If a child receives a deportation order and the guardians are involved, the child should, of course, primarily travel with them, says Susanna Fonsell, head of unit at the Swedish Migration Board's migration law unit.
If the parents do not want to accompany the child and would rather let their child travel alone, the Swedish Migration Board must ensure there is an organized reception in the home country.
But if there is no arranged reception, no deportation will be carried out.
“Limited group”
Regarding the teenage deportations, the Swedish Migration Board believes that this is a "limited group".
It is not about all children of foreign parents with residence permits in Sweden, says Susanna Fonsell.
She emphasizes that foreign children who grow up in Sweden with a residence permit often have time to obtain either permanent residence or citizenship before they turn 18.
Those people are not deported.
According to the Swedish Migration Board, those who are at risk of being deported when they turn 18 are young people who came to Sweden in their late teens and received a temporary permit.
In many cases, they have not had a residence permit in Sweden for more than about three to four years.
At the same time, cases have been noted where young people are said to have lived in Sweden since they were as young as four or nine years old, and yet received a deportation order at 18 despite their families being allowed to stay. Susanna Fonsell cannot answer how this happens, as there may be many individual reasons. But she says this is unusual.
Expected to follow
The Swedish Migration Board cannot say how many people are affected by the teenage deportations, not even if it is tens or hundreds. It says only that it is a limited group.
Fonsell emphasizes that deportation decisions can be appealed. However, young adults who have received a final decision are expected to comply with it and return.
There are also examples of people who have done this and later had the opportunity to return to Sweden, for example by obtaining a student visa.
