A new way to serve decisions in asylum cases from 1 March
Nytt sätt att delge beslut i asylärenden från 1 mars – engelska
Until now, the Swedish Migration Agency has notified (served) decisions in asylum cases during a meeting at the authority’s offices. Now that procedure is changing. As of 1 March, people who have applied for protection in Sweden can instead receive a decision in their case in an official letter sent via post.
– The reason for this change is that the Swedish Migration Agency currently makes decisions that do not always gain the force of law, i.e., take effect. This is because, in some cases, we cannot reach the applicant to inform them of the decision. By changing the procedure, we will be able to reach more applicants with our decision notifications, and this will allow more decisions to take effect, explains Process Manager Magnus Bengtsson.
From 1 March, it will be possible to issue decisions in asylum cases through a process known as “simplified service”. This means that the decision is sent by post to the applicant. On the next business day, a new letter containing a verification message will be sent. The applicant is considered to have been notified of the decision (have been served) two weeks after it was sent out by post.
Once these two weeks have passed, the applicant has three weeks to appeal the decision. If the decision is not appealed, it takes effect (gains the force of law) and can be implemented (enforced). This means that when the Swedish Migration Agency uses simplified service, the decision takes effect five weeks after it was sent.
If the decision is a rejection and the applicant has been given a deadline by which to leave Sweden voluntarily, the time limit begins to run from the date on which the decision takes effect. If the applicant has not been given a deadline, they lose their right to accommodation and financial support under the Act on Reception of Asylum Seekers (LMA) on that same day.
Applicants will still be called to a meeting
Just like today, the Swedish Migration Agency will summon each applicant to a meeting at the agency’s offices, to receive information about the decision in a language that they understand. The difference compared to before is that the applicant is considered to have received the decision, regardless of whether they attend this meeting.
The Swedish Migration Agency already uses simplified service, for example in decisions regarding the Act on Reception of Asylum Seekers (LMA) and in extension cases.