Information for children who have been granted permission to live in Sweden
This information is for children who have a residence permit to live in Sweden or have become Swedish citizens.
Children who live in Sweden with a residence permit have the same rights as all other children in Sweden. For example, all children have the right to go to school, to receive care when they need it, to live in safety, and to say what they think. Here you can read about the rights and special rules that exist to protect children.
Your rights
In Sweden, you are considered to be a child until you turn 18. All children living in Sweden have the same rights. That means, for example, that you have the right to live in safety, to go to school, and to have leisure time. You are entitled to any healthcare and dental care you might need. You get to make decisions about your own body, and no one can force you to have sex or get married. No one is allowed to hit you or threaten you.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Children are particularly vulnerable and need extra protection. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the law in Sweden. It states what rights all children should have. There are also other laws in Sweden that exist to protect children.
Some of the most important rules in the Convention on the Rights of the Child are:
- All children have the right to live and develop.
- The best interests of the child should always be important.
- Children have the right to speak their minds.
- All children have the same rights.
When adults who are responsible for you make a decision that affects you, they need to listen to what you want and think about what is best for you. You have the right to say what you think and to be heard, but that doesn’t mean that things will always turn out the way you want.
Health
You have the same right to healthcare and dental care as all children in Sweden. Healthcare and dental care are free for all children.
Dental care
You have the right to receive both preventive dental care and the treatment that the dentist decides you need. Dental care is free for all children in Sweden.
Violence and sexual abuse
Many asylum seekers have been subjected to violence or sexual abuse in their home country or while fleeing to Sweden. Such experiences can make you feel bad both physically and mentally, but help is available. For example, you can talk to the healthcare staff during your health exam, to staff at your youth guidance centre, or to the school nurse or counsellor at your school. They can help you get the right care.
All forms of violence and sexual assault are illegal in Sweden. It is always the person who has harmed you who is responsible, and you can never be punished for being subjected to violence or sexual abuse. This applies regardless of what relationship you have with each other. It also applies, for example, to rape within a marriage and when parents beat their own children. When an adult has sex with a child under the age of 15, it counts as rape. In Sweden, it is also illegal to force or trick someone into getting married, and children under the age of 18 are not allowed to marry.
Contact the police at telephone number 114 14 if you are being subjected to violence or sexual assault or if you are afraid of being married off. If you are in acute danger, call the police at 112.
Genital mutilation
Genital mutilation (or ‘female circumcision’, as some people call it) is when you cut or stitch up a girl’s vulva or damage it in some other way.
Genital mutilation is completely prohibited in Sweden and is seen as a serious crime. A person who has been subjected to genital mutilation can have both physical and mental problems. If someone has done this to you and you have problems because of it, you can get help from the healthcare service. Talk to your school nurse, the staff at your youth guidance centre, or your health centre.
Sexually transmitted diseases
You have the right to knowledge about how to protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases and how to avoid infecting others. Examples of sexually transmitted diseases include chlamydia, hepatitis, gonorrhoea and HIV. If you know that you have such a disease, you must inform the healthcare staff during your health exam, so that you can receive care and avoid infecting someone else. If you are unsure whether you are infected, the healthcare staff can take samples.
Contraception and maternity care
In Sweden, maternity care and obstetric care is free for asylum seekers. You also have the right to free contraceptive advice, so that you can choose whether you want to become a parent. Both girls and boys have the right to information on how to protect themselves and others from pregnancy. Girls who have become pregnant and do not want to have the child have the right to terminate the pregnancy through an abortion.
Mental illness
Sometimes you may feel worried or uncertain about the future, or about things happening here and now. Some people may also feel bad because they have experienced frightening things. Examples of symptoms of poor mental health include anxiety, difficulty sleeping or feeling sad and depressed.
You can get help and support from the healthcare service where you live. You can also talk to the counsellor or school nurse at your school.
Disability
A disability is when you have an injury or an illness that makes it difficult, for example, to move, hear, speak or understand things. If you have a disability, you have the right to receive practical support in your everyday life, at school or when you talk to the Swedish Migration Agency. Having a disability does not affect your application for asylum in Sweden. If you have (or if you think you have) a disability, you can tell the healthcare staff during your health exam.
More information about health
On www.1177.se/other-languages
External link. there is information in several languages about various diseases and how the healthcare system in Sweden works. You can also call the healthcare information services at telephone number 1177. Then you can talk to a nurse who can answer questions and give advice on where to turn to get the right care.
The website www.youmo.se External link. provides information for young people about health, relationships, sex and much more, in several languages.
At www.mybody.rfsu.se External link. you will find short informational videos for those who want to know more about their body, sexuality and health. The films are available in many different languages. Here you can find, among other things, informational videos about contraception, childbirth and pregnancy.
Call the police at 114 14 if you want to report a crime, such as someone hitting you or sexually assaulting you. You can also call the police if you are afraid of being married off or circumcised. If the situation is urgent, call 112.
School
In Sweden, school is free and all children must go to school. You have the right to go to school just like all other children who live in Sweden.
Compulsory school
Compulsory school consists of primary and lower secondary school. It lasts ten years, and you usually start the year you turn six. The first year of school is called preschool. It involves a lot of play and creative activities to prepare young children for their future schooling. In compulsory school, all students study approximately the same subjects.
Upper secondary school
Upper secondary school is a voluntary education where students have the opportunity to choose a specialisation to prepare for professional life or continued studies at a university or college. In order to study at an upper secondary school, you must have completed your compulsory school studies.
You have the right to be free from violence
All children have the right to be free from violence. No adult is allowed to strike, kick, push, pull your hair, or threaten you.
Contact the police by calling 114 14 if you are being subjected to violence. If you are in acute danger, call the police at the number 112.
Child marriage is prohibited
Different countries have different age limits for when you are considered an adult and when you are considered a child. The rules for getting married also differ from country to country.
A child cannot marry
In Sweden, you are a child until the day you turn 18, and before that you cannot get married.
This is because it is believed that children should not bear the responsibility of a marriage. Early marriages can make children feel bad both physically and psychologically, because a child can be prevented from developing into their own, independent person and living the life to which they have a right.
Once you have reached the age of 18, you decide for yourself whether you want to get married and, if so, to whom. No one is allowed to force or trick someone into marriage. It is illegal to try to force or trick a child into travelling to another country to get married. This is a crime that can lead to imprisonment. It is also illegal to force a child to live in a relationship similar to a marriage. When an adult has sex with a child under the age of 15, it counts as rape.
If someone is under the age of 18 and married
If either of the people in a marriage were under the age of 18 when they married, the marriage will not be valid in Sweden.
If you are under the age of 18 and apply for asylum together with the person that you are married to instead of with your parents, you are considered an unaccompanied minor. You will then be appointed a guardian who will help you in your contact with the authorities.
Where to turn
If you have questions or need help, you can talk to a teacher, counsellor or healthcare professional. You can also contact the Swedish Migration Agency or social services. If you have a guardian, you can also turn to them.
If you are afraid that you or someone you know will be married off, you can call the police at 114 14.
You have the right to freedom from honour related violence and oppression
In some families and extended families, it is important that the family maintain a good reputation. There may be rules about what clothes you can wear, who you can hang out with, that you cannot be together with and marry whomever you want, study what you want, or pursue the profession you want.
Both girls and boys are affected
These rules tend to be the strictest for girls, but there are also rules that apply to boys. If the rules cause you to be poorly treated or punished, this is known as “honour-related violence and oppression”. The poor treatment or punishment may include beatings, threats, or being called mean names. Exposing a child to honour-related violence and oppression is a violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Swedish law.
Sometimes children are forced to control their siblings because the family is worried that rumours about them will spread. But all people have the right to live their own life, the way they want to live it. This applies regardless of your religion or cultural background, what country you come from, or who your family is. All children have the right to live their own lives, and should not have to control anyone else.
Where to turn
If you or someone you know is being subjected to honour-related violence or oppression, you can turn to a teacher at your school, the social services in your municipality, or the Swedish Migration Agency for help. There are also various organisations that can provide support and information about honour-related violence and oppression.
GAPF – National Organisation against Honour-Related Violence (In Swedish): External link. Here you can get support if you or someone you know are being subjected to honour-related violence or oppression. You can call 08-711 60 32, send an email, or use the chat function.
Love is Free (In Swedish): External link. Here you can get support via chat and email if you have questions about honour-related violence or oppression, your rights, love, forced marriage or genital mutilation.
Tris – Girls’ Rights in Society (In Swedish): External link. Here you can get support if you feel limited by your family or relatives or are subjected to threats or violence when you try to make your own choices. Call 010-255 91 91.
Right to choose: External link. Here you can get support for individuals who live with rules and requirements to protect the family’s reputation or honour. Call 020-57 70 70.
The equal value of all people
In Sweden, there are many laws that state that all people are equal and have the same rights. We are entitled to have the same rights and opportunities in life no matter who we are, what we look like, where we come from, what we believe in, who we fall in love with, or how we function.
There are laws to prevent someone from being discriminated against or having their rights violated. As human beings, we are allowed to feel, think and believe as we please, but we are not allowed to do whatever we want. The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression states that all people have the right to express their thoughts, opinions and feelings, as long as they do not infringe on the rights of someone else. We must all respect the right of our fellow human beings to their own identity and their own life choices.
Gender equality
Gender equality means that boys and girls are equal and should have the same opportunities in life. It also means that adult men and women should have the same rights and obligations. They should have equal power to influence society and their own lives.
100 years ago, this was not the case in Sweden. Back then, women didn’t have much power to make decisions about their own lives. It was mostly men who got an education and worked while women stayed at home, taking care of the children, cleaning and doing laundry. A lot has changed since then.
In most families in Sweden today, both parents go to work or study and the children go to preschool, kindergarten, school and after-school care during the day. In the home, both parents often help each other to clean, do laundry, shop and cook, and they take care of the children together.
In order for society to be as fair as possible and give women and men equal power to influence society and their own lives, the Swedish Parliament has decided on various gender equality goals.
The goals state that
- men and women should have the same opportunity to be financially independent, so that no one is forced to be financially dependent on anyone else
- boys and girls should have equal access to education and the right to choose what educational path they wish to pursue
- men and women should have equal rights to make decisions about their bodies, and men’s violence against women must be eradicated
- household chores should be evenly distributed between men and women. This also means that sisters and brothers in the same family should have equal responsibility for helping with household chores.
Gender identity and sexual orientation
In Sweden, everyone has the right to their own gender identity and sexual orientation. Your gender identity is the gender(s) you feel you are, regardless of what others expect. Your sexual orientation describes the gender(s) of the people to whom you are attracted and fall in love. You have the right to love and be with whomever you want, regardless of whether the person is the same gender or a different gender than yourself.
You don’t have tell other people about your sexual orientation or gender identity unless you want to. There is no sexual orientation or gender identity that violates the law. On the contrary, it is illegal to treat someone unfairly or inferiorly, for example in school or in an organisation, because of the person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Where to turn
There are several different organisations and youth guidance centres to which you can turn if you want to know more or if you need support.
Through this organisation, you can connect with other LGBTQI+ people, participate in activities and get support. They also have a network for people who are new to Sweden, RFSL Newcomers External link..
UMO – about sex, health and relationships External link.
UMO is a website for everyone aged 13–25 years where you can read more about sexual orientation and gender identity.
More information and support
BRIS, Children’s Rights in Society, is an organisation that works for children’s rights. You can contact BRIS if you need an adult to talk to. Call the BRIS helpline for young people: 116 111
www.bris.se/for-barn-och-unga External link.
Save the Children is another organisation that works for children’s rights.
www.raddabarnen.se/rad-och-kunskap/barn-och-unga (In Swedish) External link.
The Swedish Red Cross is an organisation that works to protect and help people in need. The Swedish Red Cross can help you look for your relatives.
www.rodakorset.se/en/get-help/ External link.
The Ombudsman for Children is an authority that ensures that other Swedish authorities comply with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Here you can learn more about your rights.
Youmo is your online youth guidance centre online. Here you can read about sex, health and relationships in several different languages.
www.youmo.se/sprakvalsida External link.
RFSL works to promote the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people. RFSL Newcomers works with asylum seekers and new arrivals.
www.rfsl.se/newcomers/asyl/ External link.
Kärleken är fri (Love is Free) is a chat-based support service for young people subjected to honour related violence and oppression.
www.raddabarnen.se/rad-och-kunskap/karleken-ar-fri/ (In Swedish) External link.
Kollpåsoc.se is a website with information about your rights and opportunities for support from social services.
www.kollpasoc.se/en External link.
Informationsverige.se is a portal for new arrivals in Sweden. Here you can get information about how Swedish society works - for example, in terms of accommodation, education and healthcare.
www.informationsverige.se/en External link.
Lärasvenska is a page on informationsverige.se about how you can learn Swedish on your own.
www.informationsverige.se/sv/jag-ar-asylsokande/lara-svenska External link.
What do the words mean?
Children are all people under the age of 18.
A decision in a case is when the Swedish Migration Agency has decided whether or not an applicant can move to or stay in Sweden.
Judgement. Most of the Swedish Migration Agency’s decisions can be appealed in the courts. When a court makes a decision, this is called a judgement.
A guardian is a person who must look after the interests of children when their parents are unable to do so. It can be a man or a woman.
Identity means who a person is. When the Swedish Migration Agency asks about your identity, we mean your name, how old you are and where you come from.
Legal force means that the decision can no longer be appealed.
The Swedish Migration Agency is the authority in Sweden that examines applications from people seeking asylum. The Swedish Migration Agency also examines applications from people who want to visit or move to Sweden, or who want to become Swedish citizens.
Authorities ensure that society functions as it should according to the laws decided by the Parliament.
Public counsel is a person who knows Swedish laws. A public counsel is a lawyer or law graduate and does not work at the Swedish Migration Agency.
Social services are available in every municipality. They work according to a law called the Social Services Act. The Social Services Act deals with the right to health and social care that everyone in the municipality has. It contains rules for how society should assist people who need help but who cannot get it from anyone else.
Obligation of secrecy means that people who work at, for example, the Swedish Migration Agency are not allowed to tell share what you have said with anyone who does not have the right to know.
When someone lodges an appeal, this means that they write to an authority or court and inform them that he or she does not agree with what the authority or court has decided. The person says they want the authority or court to change the decision.