About the Swedish Migration Agency Sustainability and human rights
The Swedish Migration Agency contributes to sustainable development in a number of ways: externally through the individuals, authorities, actors, and states we encounter, and internally in our day-to-day work. The rule of law and respect for human rights are linked to sustainability and are fundamental to our work.
We are committed to reducing our negative environmental impact, promoting social responsibility, and upholding high levels of legal security and ethics in our operations. Our internal sustainability goals encompass all three dimensions of sustainability: economic, social and environmental.
We have a sustainability policy and a sustainability plan that map out the strategic direction for the Swedish Migration Agency's sustainability work.
Our contribution to Agenda 2030
Agenda 2030 aims to eradicate poverty and hunger, reduce human impact on the climate, combat inequalities within and between countries, and build peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. All national actors (governments, national authorities, private companies, and other organisations) play a central role in the implementation of the agenda and are expected to contribute to the achievement of its objectives.
The Swedish Migration Agency is contributing to achieving several of these global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By linking our work to these goals, we can follow up on our efforts.
Our main focus is on these SDGs:
- Goal 10 – Reduced inequalities
- Goal 16 – Peace, justice and strong institutions.
Seven more SDGs are relevant to us:
- Goal 3 – Good health and well-being
- Goal 5 – Gender equality
- Goal 8 – Decent work and economic growth
- Goal 11 – Sustainable cities and communities
- Goal 12 – Responsible consumption and production
- Goal 13 – Climate action
- Goal 17 – Partnership for the goals.
Human rights
Human rights means that all human beings are born free and have the right to self-determination. These rights include freedom of expression, freedom of thought and religion, the right to education, the right to health, and the right to live a life free from discrimination. Children's rights, the specific rights of girls and women, the rights of persons with disabilities, and the rights of LGBTQI people are central to our work to ensure equal treatment.
We consider applications from people who, for various reasons, wish to settle or seek protection in Sweden. Each application shall be examined individually, in accordance with the rule of law and according to a systematic and transparent process. Everyone should be treated the same when interacting with our employees.
We are also responsible for ensuring that those who have received a refusal of entry or expulsion decision leave Sweden voluntarily and in a way that protects their dignity. The question of the rights and freedoms of individuals is even more relevant when we decide to deprive an individual of their liberty, by placing the person in detention or under supervision while awaiting deportation.
Taking steps to actively combat discrimination is part of ensuring human rights. The Swedish Discrimination Act defines what constitutes discrimination. The grounds specified in the law are
- gender, gender identity, and gender expression
- ethnic affiliation
- religion or other belief
- disability
- sexual orientation
- age.
Children's rights
Children's rights are an integral part of our work. We have a responsibility to ensure that children's rights are respected in all measures and decisions that affect them.
Our starting point should be that every child has the right and opportunity to be heard and treated according to their individual circumstances. In order to be able to express their views, children need information and need to be able to understand the context in which we encounter them. Children may come to us as unaccompanied minors or as children in families.
In our work, every child must be acknowledged, respected, and protected in a way that recognises their individual personality, needs and interests, and personal privacy. This requires the right approach, knowledge, and methods.
The Swedish Migration Agency's policy for children sets out the overall principles for our work on children's issues.
Persons with functional impairments
A functional impairment is the limitation that a disability imposes on an individual in relation to their environment. A disability is a reduction in physical, mental, sensory, or cognitive functioning.
The Swedish Migration Agency's policy on functional impairment states that we shall work to ensure that people with disabilities are able to fully participate in society under equal living conditions. The Swedish Migration Agency shall treat each individual based on their individual circumstances. We make a special effort to ensure that our premises, activities, and information are accessible to people with disabilities.
This approach shall permeate all matters concerning applicants, persons in detention, employees, visitors, and our partners.
Equal rights and opportunities for LGBTQI people
Everyone should have the same rights and opportunities regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics. The Swedish Migration Agency is one of Sweden’s LGBTQI strategic authorities. This means that we collaborate and exchange experiences with other authorities and with civil society on issues related to LGBTQI.
The Swedish Migration Agency handles many different types of cases, but it is in asylum cases in particular that LGBTQI-related information can be significant in determining whether a person has the right to stay in Sweden or not. If an individual has a well-founded fear of persecution because of their sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity or affiliation to a particular social group, they may have the right to receive protection in Sweden. How an asylum case should be handled is regulated in both the Refugee Convention, Swedish law and EU rules.
Gender equality
The Swedish Migration Agency shall contribute to Sweden's gender equality policy objective that women and men shall have the same power and opportunity to influence society and their own lives. Our work involves ensuring that women, men, girls, boys, and non-binary individuals are guaranteed an individual, legally secure examination of their case, while combatting gender-based violence and ensuring that everyone, regardless of gender, is treated with respect. We also adopt a gender equality perspective in all of our governance, planning, follow-up, and development practices. The Swedish Migration Agency's plan for gender mainstreaming contains more information about our approach to gender equality.
Together with other authorities, the Swedish Migration Agency is also working on a project to increase the number of foreign-born women entering the labour market. Read more (only in Swedish) at Inter-agency plan to promote labour-market participation among foreign-born women
External link. and The Swedish Migration Agency's appendix to the inter-agency plan to promote labour–market participation among foreign-born women External link..
Gender-based violence
“Gender-based violence” is an umbrella term that covers all aspects of oppression to which an individual is subjected on the basis of gender. It includes violence in close relationships, honour-related violence, forced and child marriage, and genital mutilation. It is a violation of human rights and a matter of legal security, as vulnerability to or risk of gender-based violence can influence the handling of a case.
Our work on gender-based violence includes detecting violence and taking into account the vulnerability of victims during the case handling process. This also means that we provide information through various channels about where a person who is subjected to violence, or who subjects someone else to violence, can turn for help.
Help for those who are living with domestic violence
Human trafficking
The Swedish Migration Agency actively works to combat human trafficking. You can read more about this on the page Our crime-fighting mission.
International conventions
Sweden has acceded to and is bound by a number of human rights conventions, both on the global and regional level. Some of the conventions are particularly important in the work that the Swedish Migration Agency does.
The UN Refugee Convention External link. defines who qualifies as a refugee and what rights a refugee has. It is considered one of the cornerstones of human rights protection.
The UN Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons External link. aims to protect and regulate the status of stateless persons, i.e. persons who do not have citizenship in any country.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child External link. contains provisions on human rights for children under the age of 18. The Convention establishes that children are individuals with their own rights.
The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women External link. aims to eliminate discrimination against women. Countries shall also combat prejudices and customs and practices that are based on stereotyped gender roles and combat all forms of female prostitution and trafficking in women.
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities External link.
The Istanbul Convention on violence against women and domestic violence External link. is the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.