Witnesses to be rewarded with residency
People who testify against human traffickers may be given permanent residency permits in Sweden. The new incentive is intended to help police and other authorities destroy trafficking networks.
“We are creating a co-operative scenario. We help them and they help us,” migration minister Tobias Billström told Sydsvenskan.
According to the minister, the government wishes to introduce the necessary legislation next year.
“People will not need to take the risk of being sent back to the country, region, or even village from which they were abducted, often by people in that same village.
“In such situations the possibility of getting permanent residency in Sweden will be absolutely decisive if they are to dare stand up and testify,” said Billström.
The minister added that he did not intend to introduce a general amnesty for refugees.
Billström is also concerned about the increased flow of refugees from Iraq. He believes that last spring’s temporary asylum law may have created the impression that it is easier than before to get asylum in Sweden.
“For this reason I want to send a clear signal that we have exactly the same laws that we had before,” said Billström.
Tobias Billström is also open to the idea of introducing compulsory DNA testing to establish whether migrants claiming to be family members really are related to one another.
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“We are creating a co-operative scenario. We help them and they help us,” migration minister Tobias Billström told Sydsvenskan.
According to the minister, the government wishes to introduce the necessary legislation next year.
“People will not need to take the risk of being sent back to the country, region, or even village from which they were abducted, often by people in that same village.
“In such situations the possibility of getting permanent residency in Sweden will be absolutely decisive if they are to dare stand up and testify,” said Billström.
The minister added that he did not intend to introduce a general amnesty for refugees.
Billström is also concerned about the increased flow of refugees from Iraq. He believes that last spring’s temporary asylum law may have created the impression that it is easier than before to get asylum in Sweden.
“For this reason I want to send a clear signal that we have exactly the same laws that we had before,” said Billström.
Tobias Billström is also open to the idea of introducing compulsory DNA testing to establish whether migrants claiming to be family members really are related to one another.
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