Authorities and people you will meet

The municipality

The municipality is responsible for making sure you can go to school and that young children can go to preschool while their parents work. There are many adults working at school to whom you can turn if you have questions about how something works in Sweden.

In the municipality, there is something called ‘social services’. Social services help children who do not feel safe at home or who do not have an adult who can take care of them.

Interpreter

In order for you, your family, and the staff at the Swedish Migration Agency to understand each other, an interpreter will translate what you say. The interpreter can speak both Swedish and the language that you and your family speak. Either the interpreter is in the same room as you, or they are on the phone or video. It is the interpreter’s job to translate everything that is said in the room and not say anything more.

It is important that you and the interpreter understand each other and that you dare to say everything you want to say while the interpreter is there. If you do not understand the interpreter, you need to tell them. Also tell us if you and the interpreter are related or know each other in some other way. If you prefer to have a man or a woman as an interpreter, you or your parents should say so in advance.

You and your family have the right to an interpreter when you go to important meetings. This could be when you meet with someone from the Swedish Migration Agency or someone who works at the municipality, when you visit the doctor, or when your parents have an appointment to talk with your teachers. Children often learn Swedish faster than adults, but you should never have to be an interpreter for your parents. It is not your responsibility to translate when adults are talking.

Public counsel

A public counsel is a person who knows Swedish laws and who helps you and your family with your application for asylum. It is the Swedish Migration Agency that decides who will be your public counsel, but they do not work for the Swedish Migration Agency. If the Swedish Migration Agency has decided that you should receive a public counsel, you do not have to pay for it. If your parents want a special person as a public counsel, they can tell the Swedish Migration Agency that.

Professional secrecy

Everyone who works at the Swedish Migration Agency is bound by an obligation of secrecy. This means that they are not allowed to tell anyone what they know about you and your family. Only your parents and those working on your application have the right to know what you have said.

The interpreter and the public counsel are also bound by professional secrecy, as well as staff at the municipality and staff in healthcare or school.

Anyone who is bound by professional secrecy may break their obligation of secrecy so that they can talk to another responsible adult if they think you are in any sort of danger.

Your parents are not bound by an obligation of secrecy, as it is their responsibility to talk to other adults about you.