The Swedish Migration Agency is tasked with determining, in consultation with the Government Offices, which countries Sweden will accept quota refugees from.
Ahead of 2026, the agency submitted a request for information on December 16 last year. But it was not until Monday that the Ministry of Justice provided its response.
This allows the Swedish Migration Agency to implement the government's policy and begin carrying out trips to bring in quota refugees.
“We have waited and waited”
Because the announcement took so long, the agency had to cancel two of four planned travel delegations, including one to Uganda. And just as the last two were about to be canceled, the government's response arrived.
We have waited and waited. Then, when we were going to cancel the other two, the answer from the government came at the last second, says Johan H Norman, head of the resettlement unit.
No explanation for the delay has been given.
This means that the Swedish Migration Agency will not be able to meet this year's target of 900 quota refugees, with the number set to reach 350.
The trips will go to Uganda's capital, Kampala, and Istanbul.
In the latter case, we are bringing out Afghan women and girls, a hundred of them. And it's only women and girls. And in Kampala, we are mainly bringing out Congolese, but there are also some Sudanese and South Sudanese, says Johan H Norman.
Quota refugees are described as the world's most vulnerable refugees, identified by the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
It is UNHCR that selects the refugees, so we know that those who really need protection receive it.
Wants a new assignment
The trips to bring in refugees take place on scheduled flights, and the Swedish Migration Agency also brings some biometric equipment for registration and issuing passports.
In each of the previous years that the Tidö parties have been in power, the agency has received a quota of 900 refugees.
The hope now is that a new government will amend next year's appropriations letter to allow those who could not be brought in to be accepted.
We hope that we can be tasked with catching up on what we have missed in 2026, says Norman.
