The Ethics Council

The Swedish Migration Agency has an Ethics Council appointed by the government. The council plays an advisory role and the Director-General can request statements from the council concerning ethical matters.

The ordinance (2019:502) with the statute for the Migration Agency addresses the Ethics Council as a special body of the authority. Section 16 of the regulation states:

It is the Director-General who requests the Ethics Council to give its opinion. The Ethical Council then gives a written answer. Questions and answers are published on the Migration Agency's website.

The role and mission of the Ethics Council

• To provide management and staff with support for making ethical assessments regarding practical issues.
• To assist management and employees in communicating aspects of the agency's activities that have ethical dimensions to the government and other decision-makers.
• To contribute to transparency in public administration.

Read more about the role and mission of the Ethics Council in Swedish here

Chairman

Anna-Sara Lind, born 1977, is Professor of Public Law at the Department of Law at Uppsala University. Her research focuses on public law in a broad sense, how EU law affects legislative development within medical and social law and how freedoms and rights can be secured within a complex constitutional reality. She is leading and is involved in several national and international multidisciplinary research projects. Lind is Scientific leader at the Centre for Multidisciplinary Research on Religion and Society (CRS), Uppsala University.

Anna-Sara Lind's mandate reaches from 6 June 2024 until 6 June 2027.

Members

Alexandra Segenstedt, born 1980, is a lawyer, migration expert and senior policy adviser at the Red Cross and works with migration issues at both global, European and national levels. Alexandra has also been appointed by the government as an expert in two government investigations; "Legal ways to seek asylum in the EU" and "Residence permit due to practical impediments to enforcement" and has been the author of a number of publications. With her broad experience, Alexandra is often hired as a spokesperson and expert in panels, seminars and the media.

Alexandra Segenstedt's mandate reaches from 6 June 2024 until 6 June 2027.

Cecilia Tengroth, born 1973, holds a position as special adviser at the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. She was previously the Secretary General of the United Nations Association of Sweden. She is a trained lawyer with a focus on international law. She has previously worked at, among others, the Swedish Red Cross, the Swedish Defense University, the Ministry of Defense and Civil Rights Defender. Cecilia Tengroth has published a number of publications in the field of international law and has also held a number of assignments as a board member in both independent and governmental organisations and councils.

Cecilia Tengroth's mandate reaches from 6 June 2024 until 6 June 2027.

Jonas Ivarsson, born 1976, is a professor of informatics. He began studying cognitive science and communication studies before defending his dissertation in the field of educational science in 2004. In 2013, he became a professor of education with research focusing on the role of various technologies in developing knowledge and competence. In 2019, he moved to informatics at the Department of Applied Information Technology at Gothenburg University. There, his role is to lead the emerging research on Artificial Intelligence. He has previously worked as deputy head of department and as deputy dean for research at the Faculty of Education. He has also been a member of the Gothenburg University Board and part of the university's coordination group for artificial intelligence and digitalisation. Jonas is an experienced research leader who is currently responsible for the project "Professional Trust and Autonomous Systems" with funding from the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation.

Jonas Ivarsson's mandate reaches from 6 June 2024 until 6 June 2027.

Ludvig Beckman, born in 1970, is a professor at the Department of Political Science at Stockholm University. He defended his dissertation, The Liberal State and the Politics of Virtue, at Uppsala University in 2000. His research is focused on
fundamental problems in the relationship between public power and individual
rights. Professor Beckman has published several articles and books, e.g. Frontiers of Democracy. The Right to Vote and its Limits.

Ludvig Beckman’s mandate reaches from 6 June 2024 until 6 June 2027.

Patricia Mindus, born 1976, is a lawyer and professor at the Department of Philosophy at Uppsala University. She has an interest in legal realism, democratic theory and migration. She leads research on citizenship and migration policy in the EU, with a political and legal theoretical perspective. She has developed the functionalist citizenship theory and is currently a Wallenberg Academy Fellow. As a president of Swedish IVR she leads Uppsala's higher seminar in jurisprudence and is section editor for IVR Encyclopaedia of Philosophy of Law. She has written an award-winning book about the founders of Scandinavian realism. Her latest book is about European citizenship after Brexit.

Patricia Mindus's mandate reaches from 6 June 2024 until 6 June 2027.

Jonas Eek, born 1970, is a priest in the Church of Sweden, writer and associate professor of practical theology. He is the dean of the Diocese of Stockholm and the cathedral congregation, and has previously worked as head of opinion at Kyrkans Tidning, head of publishing at Verbum and diocesan theologian at the Diocese of Gothenburg. Jonas Eek has also written books on church communication and teaching.

Jonas Eek's mandate reaches from 6 June 2024 until 6 June 2027.

Questions regarding the ethics council can be directed to Margareta Bergman, email migrationsverket@migrationsverket.se.

Questions that the Ethics Council has answered (in Swedish)