The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of the uniform way of interpretation from the Swedish asylum officers at the Swedish Migration Board, of asylum investigations for asylum seekers who claim sexual orientation as reason of refuge. The interviews with the officers were analyzed in relation to the policy document with investigation- guidelines and methodology. The results of the study showed that there was a uniform way to conduct asylum investigations and interpret the policy document, this despite that the document was found to be ambiguous in certain aspects. The uniform interpretation of the asylum officers was explained by the knowledge and understanding that exists within institutional organizations. This because the asylum officers at the Swedish Migration Board might have similar experience, knowledge and also the demands related to asylum investigations. The uniform interpretation demonstrated a strong similar common understanding of investigative work within the agency. This suggests a certainty that the investigations are carried out in a similar way regardless of which asylum officer within the institution conducting the investigation which indicates a well-functioning “rule of law” for the asylum seekers. / Syftet med studien var att analysera graden av samstämmighet av Svenska Migrationsverkets asylhandläggares tolkning utav asylutredningar för de som åberopat flyktingstatus för deras sexuella läggning. Intervjuerna med handläggarna analyserades i relation till Migrationsverkets styrdokument med riktlinjer och metodpunkter till utförandet av utredningen. Resultatet i studien visade att det fanns ett enhetligt sätt att utföra asylutredningar och tolka styrdokumentet trots att styrdokumentet visats vara tvetydigt i vissa punkter. Den samstämmiga tolkningen förklarades genom den kunskap och förståelse som finns inom institutionella organisationer. Detta eftersom asylhandläggarna på Migrationsverket kan ha likartad erfarenhet, kunskap och även krav kopplade till asylutredningar. Studienss resultat visar på en likartad gemensam uppfattning om utredningsarbetet inom myndigheten. Detta visar på att utredningar utförs på ett likartat sätt oberoende av vilken person på institutionen som utför utredningen vilket indikerar på en rättssäkerhet för de asylsökande.

The purpose of this thesis is to understand how the Swedish Migration Board and the Social Services interpret the principle of "the best interests ofthe child" based on the specific conditions and tasks of the authorities. The essay strives to deepen the understanding of the street-level bureaucrats'room for action when they interpret and apply the principle of the child'sbest interests, as well as the impact these interpretations can have on thechildren. Scientific research shows that street-level bureaucrats may havelimited room for action when they have to investigate “the best interests of the child”, due to the existing legal framework, which leads to physical orpsychological consequences for the children. This paper will focus on howstreet-level bureaucrats interpret the principle of “the best interests of thechild” and how various legal frameworks of the authorities affect the scopeof action for the social workers. This study is based on nine interviews (fivefrom the Social Services and four from the Swedish Migration Board). It shows the experiences of how these street-level bureaucrats can accommodate the child's best interests in their daily work.

Under 2015 migrerade ett stort antal flyktingar från Syrien som sedan kom att stanna i Sverige. Resan mot att känna sig inkluderad i samhället ser olika ut med olika faktorer som spelar in för hur migranterna uppfattar att de blivit mottagna i det nya landet. Till följd av den nutida flyktingkris som uppkommit då ukrainska medborgare flyr Ukraina, har bemötandet sett olika ut i denna flyktingkris mot hur syriska flyktingar porträtterats och mottagits. Därmed syftade studien att genom semistrukturerade intervjuer, utforska hur mottagandet i Sverige kan uppfattas av syriska migranter som levt här sedan 2015. Studien utforskade upplevelsen av respondenternas uppfattning om Migrationsverket. Vidare undersöktes även respondenternas intryck om medias skildringar. Slutligen undersökte om de känner sig inkluderade eller exkluderade i samhället till följd av deras upplevelse med migrationsverket samt medias porträtteringar och skildringar av syrier. Resultatet har analyserats med hjälp av tidigare forskning samt utifrån teorierna ”vi och dom”, ”social identitet” och ”avhumanisering” och visade på att det finns uppdelningar i samhället och känsla av ”vi och dom”, osäkerheter i social identitet samt kopplingar till känsla av avhumanisering. Slutsatser som dras i studien är att respondenterna visade vardagliga upplevelser och bidrog till en bredare bild av Sveriges mottagande och positiva och negativa upplevelser av migrationsverket och media. De visade även på blandade åsikter och angav tydliga bidragande faktorer som påverkat deras känsla av exkludering och inkludering som även varierade beroende på tidpunkt och sammanhang för respondenterna.

There are five detention centers in Sweden (in swedish ”förvaret”), were asylum seekers and migrants are held in custody until the Migration Agency has completed their investigation and concluded who are allowed to remain in Sweden and who should return/sent back to their home countries. The detainees are taken into detention centers because the state and authorities are afraid that they will ”go under ground”. This study has been based on the primary empirical data provided by semi-structured interviews. These have then been analysed with a narrative methodology, and in interaction with relevant literature as secondary data. Seven staff members at the detention center in Flen have been interviewed. Erving Goffman´s theory about ”total institutions” and Michael Foucault´s theory about power and its exercise have been used as theoretical basis for the analysis. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the staff members in the detention center in Flen works, how the staff experience their duties and what opportunities there are available for the detainees. The following questions should be answered: (1) How does the staff work in the detention center and how does the interaction between the detainees and the staff look like? (2) How the detention center affects detainees health and what kind of care is available for detainees? (3) What do the staff consider of the criticisms against the detention centers? In summary, the empirical base shows that (1) the staff at the detention center (in Flen) have two different roles, first to help detainees who feel bad or are sick and also to persuade the detainees to cooperate and leave the country voluntarily. The interviewers stated that some of the detainees do not want any contact with the staff, while others are more open to it. (2) The main aim of the staff is to treat the detainees within the walls of the detention center, however, when the resources are insufficient. When more serious problems arise the detainees are offered care outside the detention center. (3) The interviewed staff members held the opinion that the criticism of the detention centers is wrong and unfair. Their conviction was that the lawmakers have decided that these detention centeras are needed and that they trust their decisions, detention centers are part of the asylum process, that the staff only trying fulfill their duties, detention centers are the result of the policy that people voted for in general elections.

I denna uppsats analyseras två informationsbroschyrer för ensamkommande flyktingbarn, en svensk och en tysk. Syftet är att ta reda på hur sändarna beskriver de asylsökande, och om det finns skillnader i hur de olika länderna tilltalar flyktingbarnen. I studien utgår jag ifrån att broschyrerna konstruerar hypotetiska ensamkommande flyktingbarn som modelläsare. Dessa står i ständig kontakt med mottagarländernas statliga företrädare. Sålunda skapas även en relation mellan dessa parter, vilket påverkar hur flyktingbarnen tilltalas. Studien grundar sig på den antropologiskt inriktade språk- och kontextteorin systemisk-funktionell grammatik (SFG) som möjliggör att studera texter som realiseringar av sociala betydelser. Broschyrerna tolkas utifrån att kontext, text och grammatik hänger tätt samman och är beroende av en socialt skriven diskurs. Broschyrerna återspeglar viktiga situationskontextuella aspekter i ideationella erfarenhetsmässiga och interpersonella metafunktioner. Dessa metafunktioner tolkas sedan utifrån SFG:s satsgrammatiska redskap. I studiens ideationella analys diskuteras processer och de deltagare som ingår i dessa. Materiella processer med flyktingbarn eller statliga företrädare som aktörer visar att barnens första tid i respektive mottagarland är föränderlig och dynamisk. Sändarna betonar flyktingbarnens handlingskraft och utnyttjar den för att integrera barnen i samhället. Genom plats och- och tidsomständigheter avgränsas ursprungslandet från mottagarländerna. Analysen visar även på att sändarna förmedlar en osäkerhet hos barnen genom många villkor som uttrycks genom adverbiella konditionala bisatser. Här omtalas vilka krav som barnen måste uppfylla. I den interpersonella analysen behandlas modus och modulering. Denna del av analysen beskriver kvantitativa och kvalitativa skillnader mellan broschyrerna. T.ex. ingår svenska statliga företrädare oftare i moduselementet och tilldelas därigenom även semantiskt en inflytelserik ställning för barnen. Flyktingbarnen hänvisas till statliga myndigheter. Vidare de svenska statliga företrädarnas förpliktelser inskränker barnens rättigheter. I den tyska broschyren är förhållandena omvända. Tyska statliga företrädare får ett mindre utrymme än barnen i subjektspositionen, och i modulerade handlingar lyfts barnens rättigheter fram och blir till företrädarnas skyldigheter.  Analysens huvudresultat är sålunda att de utgivande institutionerna upprättar skiftande relationer till ensamkommande flyktingbarn fastän de har liknande erfarenheter. Migrationsverket identifierar sig inte ovillkorligt med barnen, utan visar auktoritet och konstruerar maktförhållanden. Däremot, den tyska sändaren BumF är en icke-statlig organisation som kämpar för ensamkommande flyktingbarns rättigheter. BumF tar därför parti för barnen och tonar ner hierarkier. Då båda sändarnas syfte är att vägleda nyanlända barn pekar resultaten av denna studie på att sannolikheten är större att den tyska broschyren lyckas med detta. / In diesem Aufsatz werden zwei Informationsbroschüren für unbegleitete minderjährige Flüchtlinge analysiert, eine schwedische und eine deutsche. Ziel ist es herauszufinden, wie die Sender Asylsuchende beschreiben, ob Unterschiede im Hinblick darauf bestehen, wie die unterschiedlichen Länder Flüchtlingskinder anreden. In der Studie gehe ich davon aus, dass die Broschüren hypothetische unbegleitete minderjährige Flüchtlinge als Modelleser konstruieren. Diese stehen in ständigem Kontakt mit den staatlichen Vertretern der Empfängerländer. Folglich wird auch zwischen diesen beiden Parteien eine Beziehung geschaffen, was Einfluss auf die Anrede der Flüchtlingskinder nimmt. Die Studie gründet sich auf der anthropologisch ausgerichteten Sprach- und Kontexttheorie systemisch-funktionale Grammatik (SFG), die es ermöglicht, Texte als Realisierungen sozialer Kontexte zu studieren. Die Broschüren werden ausgehend davon analysiert, dass Kontext, Text und Grammatik eng miteinander verbunden und abhängig von einem sozial geschriebenen Diskurs sind. Die Broschüren spiegeln wichtige situationskontextuelle Aspekte in den ideationellen, erfahrungsgemäßen und interpersonellen Metafunktionen wider. Diese Metafunktionen werden dann ausgehend von SFG:s satzgrammatischen Werkzeugen interpretiert. In der ideationellen Analyse der Studie werden Prozesse und Teilnehmer, die in diese eingehen, diskutiert. Materielle Prozesse mit Flüchtlingskindern oder staatlichen Vertretern als Akteure zeigen, dass die erste Zeit der Kinder im jeweiligen Empfängerland veränderlich und dynamisch ist. Die Sender betonen die Handlungskraft der Kinder und nutzen diese, um die Kinder in die Gesellschaft zu integrieren. Durch Platz- und Zeitumstände wird das Ursprungsland von den Empfängerländern abgegrenzt. Die Analyse zeigt auch, dass die Sender durch zahlreiche Bedingungen, die durch adverbiale konditionale Nebensätze ausgedrückt werden, eine Unsicherheit bei den Kindern vermitteln. Hier wird beschrieben, welchen Anforderungen die Kinder entsprechen müssen. In der interpersonellen Analyse werden Modus und Modulierung behandelt. Dieser Teil der Analyse beschreibt quantitative und qualitative Unterscheide zwischen den Broschüren. Beispielsweise gehen schwedische staatliche Vertreter häufiger in das Moduselement ein und dadurch wird ihnen auch semantisch eine einflussreiche Stellung für die Kinder zuteil. Die Flüchtlingskinder werden auf staatliche Behörden verwiesen. Weiterhin schränken Verpflichtungen der schwedischen staatlichen Vertreter die Rechte der Kinder ein. In der deutschen Broschüre sind die Verhältnisse umgekehrt. Deutsche staatliche Vertreter bekommen weniger Raum als die Kinder in Subjektposition und in modulierten Handlungen werden die Rechte der Kinder hervorgehoben und zu Verpflichtungen der Vertreter. Die Hauptergebnisse der Analyse sind folglich, dass die herausgebenden Institutionen unterschiedliche Beziehungen zu unbegleiteten minderjährigen Flüchtlingen errichten, obwohl sie ähnliche Erfahrungen haben. Das Migrationsverket identifiziert sich nicht bedingungslos mit den Kindern, sondern zeigt Autorität und konstruiert Machtverhältnisse. Hingegen ist der deutsche Sender BumF eine nicht-staatliche Organisation, die für die Rechte unbegleiteter minderjähriger Flüchtlinge kämpft. BumF ergreift deshalb Partei für die Kinder und spielt Hierarchien herunter. Da es das Ziel beider Sender ist, neuangekommenen Kindern den Weg zu weisen, deuten die Ergebnisse dieser Studie darauf hin, dass die Wahrscheinlichkeit größer ist, dass dies der deutschen Broschüre gelingt.

Because of numerous armed conflicts there are a vast number of refugees around the world. Many of them are unaccompanied minors (UM), looking to seek asylum in Europe. However, the reception of these minors, as well as the decisions regarding asylum, differ between countries. This study seeks to understand the reception of unaccompanied minors in France and Sweden, by analysing the procedures of reception of UM and the asylum processes. The main research question is What are the procedures and problems posed by the reception of unaccompanied minors (UMs) in France and Sweden? Is another solution possible? This study is drawn upon the methods of comparative qualitative analyses and a case study of an Afghan refugee, as well as theories on political justice and UN’s Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC). By comparing the results of France and Sweden and putting them in context with a testimony of an Afghan refugee, the findings show that both countries’ procedures to receive UM are quite similar and that they in general comply with the CRC. However, the study also shows that the procedures to determine the age of the UM are subject to criticism and can complicate the asylum process for the minors. Hence there are some areas where the CRC is not completely fulfilled. In conclusion the study draws upon theories of political justice and discusses the possibility of supranational institutions to better meet the needs of UM in compliance with the CRC.

This thesis aims to study both French and Swedish return migration policies with a practical perspective. The paper constitutes an attempt to understand how governmental institutions (such as migration authorities) deal with return migration and to clarify significant issues related to migrants’ needs for determining a successful return. Through analyzing competent literature and secondary material as starting point,the conducted study gives an interesting approach on the problematic gap between voluntary return policies in theory and in practice.

Based on the Migration Board's statistics report, the number of children that has gone missing within a time interval of 4 years (2010-2014) comprises 1331 children in total, of whom 146 are girls and 1185 are boys. A rising interest about what has happened to those children created a fundamental platform for this thesis. By reading Åkerman’s report from 2012, and the book De förlorade barnen: en rapport by Mikkelsen and Wagner (2013) the curiosity grew deeper. The research questions that were established were divided into three parts. Their aim is to examine which organization or public authority has the main responsibility for asylum seeking children that arrives to Sweden by themselves, if the quality of the reception has changed since the municipalities took over the responsibility, and what is/has been publicly done to strengthen the protection concerning the individual child. The aim of this study is to authentically answer the research questions, using a qualitative text analysis and an implement model. The qualitative textual analysis is primarily based on reports from Gunnarsson (2008), the Cabinet Office (2011), and a report from the National Swedish Board of Health and Welfare published in 2012. Further reports and books are used in order to authenticate the legitimacy of the arguments and facts that is accounted for in this thesis. The implementation model that is used is an implement problem shaped by Pressman and Willdawsky. The model is used in order to force the problems that solemnly appear in this thesis. The conclusion establishes that within the distinctive reports it exists different views, but also similarities. The various texts establish that despite a set of rules and regulations there has been a considerable ambiguity among the involved parties, in who holds the greatest responsibility for the asylum-seeking children. Åkerman claims that when the children arrive in Sweden they stand without any form of social safety net, whereas Gunnarsson (2008), the Cabinet Office report (2011) and the National Swedish Board report (2012) refer to the laws (LMA, SoL).

Some expulsion decisions cannot be executed due to the existence of deportation impediments, which in this case means that foreigners are in a legal limbo in such a way that they have neither the right to stay nor the opportunity to leave Sweden. The regulation of deportation impediments is found in Aliens Act (2005:716), but it is the application of these regulations that determine how specific cases are assessed, why it is highly relevant to study said cases.  The essay deals with political, practical and medical impediments, found in Chapter 12 of the Aliens Act, in order to establish the applicable law, and by analyzing ten court cases from the Migration Court of Appeal, study how the court assesses the Swedish Migration Agency's application of these legal barriers. The provisions being studied are chapter 12 1-3 §§ Aliens Act, concerning political impediments, chapter 12 18 § Aliens Act, concerning practical and medical impediments, and also chapter 12 19 § Aliens act which establishes the possibility of a new trial in a case. The applicable law is established through a legal dogmatic method, and the legal cases from the Migration Court of Appeal are analyzed using a legal sociological method.  The study concludes that political impediments are weighed heaviest in comparison to medical and practical impediments, due to the latter two not being derived from international conventions or instruments as opposed to political impediments. Furthermore, it is easier to present evidence when invoking political impediments, as evidentiary requirements are set lower than those for practical and medical impediments. At the same time the individual has an opportunity to be granted a new trial if he or she invokes a new condition that concerns political impediments, while a new trial cannot be granted if the individual invokes medical or practical impediments. The provisions concerning practical and medical impediments should therefore be developed or amended in such a way that they are adapted to the circumstances that may arise in these cases. It is also concluded that the Swedish Migration Agency's investigation and interpretation of these impediments must be more comprehensive. It must be adapted to the conditions referred to in the case, due to the application of these provisions being complex and requiring the Swedish Migration Agency's staff to be well trained and accurate in each individual case.

No description available.