Sweden to change law so Ukrainians can get personal numbers
Sweden's government hopes to change the law so that Ukrainian refugees can finally register as resident in Sweden and so obtain personal numbers and access to the BankID digital identification system.
"This means that you get a completely different level of access to Swedish healthcare, the possibility of getting BankID, and even a higher daily allowance than today," Sweden's Migration Minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, said at a press conference at the Swedish parliament.
Ukrainians who fled to Sweden under the European Union's Temporary Protection Directive are not currently eligible for the same level of protection as others granted asylum.
Many of them have complained that because they are not eligible to be registered as resident, they cannot get a personal number or BankID, and are as a result barred from a large number of essential services.
Once they can be registered, Ukrainians will also be eligible for a daily allowance of 308 kronor, up from the 71 kronor a day they are given to live on today.
At the press conference, Malmer Stenergard said that the law would be sent out for consultation in a few weeks, after which she said she hoped that it would be rapidly processed and submitted for a vote in parliament so that Ukrainians can receive personal numbers by the end of the year.
The law will apply to Ukrainians who have been living in Sweden for a year or more and who are expected to stay longer.
Martin Ådahl, the finance policy spokesperson for the Centre Party, told the TT newswire that he was relieved that the government had finally "got its ass in gear" and dealt with this longstanding problem.
But, he said, the government should also arrange an interim measure to increase the inadequate financial support Ukrainians receive so that they can survive until the law is passed. "This is an emergency situation," he said.
The Temporary Protection Directive is due to expire in March 2025, after which point the European Union is expected to extend it.
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"This means that you get a completely different level of access to Swedish healthcare, the possibility of getting BankID, and even a higher daily allowance than today," Sweden's Migration Minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, said at a press conference at the Swedish parliament.
Ukrainians who fled to Sweden under the European Union's Temporary Protection Directive are not currently eligible for the same level of protection as others granted asylum.
Many of them have complained that because they are not eligible to be registered as resident, they cannot get a personal number or BankID, and are as a result barred from a large number of essential services.
Once they can be registered, Ukrainians will also be eligible for a daily allowance of 308 kronor, up from the 71 kronor a day they are given to live on today.
At the press conference, Malmer Stenergard said that the law would be sent out for consultation in a few weeks, after which she said she hoped that it would be rapidly processed and submitted for a vote in parliament so that Ukrainians can receive personal numbers by the end of the year.
The law will apply to Ukrainians who have been living in Sweden for a year or more and who are expected to stay longer.
Martin Ådahl, the finance policy spokesperson for the Centre Party, told the TT newswire that he was relieved that the government had finally "got its ass in gear" and dealt with this longstanding problem.
But, he said, the government should also arrange an interim measure to increase the inadequate financial support Ukrainians receive so that they can survive until the law is passed. "This is an emergency situation," he said.
The Temporary Protection Directive is due to expire in March 2025, after which point the European Union is expected to extend it.
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