Stoppa utvisningarna till Afghanistan!: In English

Stop the deportations to Afghanistan!

Stoppa utvisningarna till Afghanistan!

Contact: Ingrid Eckerman, ingrid.eckerman@gmail.com, +46 70 557 31 93 or messenger (Facebook)

Hans Lindberg, hanshenriklindberg@gmail.com

Content

- History of the network
- Cooperation with other networks
- Read more - articles in English about Swedish migration policy

History

"Stop the deportations of Afghan youth!" was an appeal that was published October 12, 2016.

The website with the same name contains information for helpers and youth, texts written by them, facts, news and debate.

The facebookgroup was meant for information and policy making. After a few months, Afghan youth themselves asked for membership, and their share grew quickly. After two years, the group had 21,000 members, of whom we estimate one third are Afghans. It has been very important for distribution of support and information to the youngsters. Many suicides have been prevented.

The network has no board. Different and sometimes temporary groupings operate different activities. Several thousands of letters have been sent to politicians. Numerous articles, letters to editors etc. have been written. Members have participated in national and local manifestations.

During summer 2017, it was obvious that thousands of youngsters would stand without economic support and/or accommodation. To make it possible to collect money in a safe and transaparent way, the non-governmental organisation Stöttepelaren (the Supporting Pillar) was registered.

During a workshop in January 2019, these decisions were taken:

Our first priority is to stop deportation to Afghanistan, with children and youngsters in focus.
We want the temporary law to be amended so that "other protective and aggravating circumstances" are reintroduced.

In 2017, a similar appeal "Stop deportations to Afghanistan now" was launched, with 2,000 people signing. During 2019, it was obvious that another vulnerable group is the 2,000 children living in limbo together with their parents.

In March 2020, the two appeals were merged under the title "Stop deportations to Afghanistan!", which gives us better possibilities to cooperate with the networks around the families.

... and in 2025, we are still fighting for the now "young adults", often established and integrated tax payers, to be able to stay in Sweden. All the same, several hundreds have been forced to leave the country, mainly to Germany and France.

Contact
Ingrid Eckerman ingrid.eckerman@gmail.com +46 70 55 73 193
Karin Fridell Anter karinfa@explicator.se +46 707 694 017

Cooperation with other networks

In March 2017, we participated in the Röda tråden march (the Red Thread March), arranged by #Vi står inte ut (We cannot stand it).

From August to October, 2017, the youth network Ung i Sverige (Young in Sweden) went on sit strike, supported by helpers' networks.

In October, 2017, members of the network founded Stöttepelaren - the "Supporting Pillar" - to distribute support to youth who sought asylum in Sweden as unaccompanied minors.

On November 25, 2017, two years after the Prime Minister presented the new "temporary" asylum law, the network arranged the manifestation Flyktingarnas dag (the Refugees' Day), followed by a much appreciated party for youngsters and helpers.

On October 4, 2018, the network arranged the international conference How safe is Afghanistan? and four days later the nationwide manifestation Sweden against deportations.

During the spring 2019, the network participated in the actions 17 000 blommor - 17 000 liv (17,000 flowers - 17,000 lives). On and before June 18, we demonstrated inside and outside the House of Parliament, against the extension of the "temporary law".

In July 2019, Afghan families with children formed a network Liv utan gränser (Life without borders). They started a sit strike with support from Ung i Sverige as well as from helpers' networks. Several manifestations were arranged. The strike ended after the many manifestations around the opening of the Parliament in september.

On November 20, 2019, the network Liv utan gränser arranged manifestations in many places, commemorating the Declaration of Children's Rights. On November 24, there were protest against the "contemporary law" nationwide. Read more!

On May 1, 2020, a "digital demonstration" För en mänsklig flyktingpolitik (For a human refugee politics) was marching on Facebook. Around 70 groups and organisations participated with their own banners, and 2 500 people "walked". In July, the march started again, to walk until the government presents the proposal for the new refugee law that becomes valid in July, 2021 - or maybe to the election in September, 2022.

In March, 2021, the electronic book Den onödiga flyktingkrisen - rättssäkerheten, civilsamhället och flyktingarna 2015-2021 (The unnecessary refugee crisis - the legal certainty, the civils society and the refugees 2015-2012) was launched by six editors from different networks. The printed copy was launched in October 2021. Some of the chapters and other articles are available in English and farsi.

The network is one of the member groups of FARR, the Refugee Groups' National Council. In November 2022, we signed the protest against the Tidö agreement.

In October 2024, we arranged a seminar about a state report on the legal certainty of the asylum investigations of the Migration Agency, together with the Green party and FARR.

See also some articles and reports at Many reports about the asylum politics

Articles in the blog labelled English.

2025

'We didn't do anything wrong': Foreign workers blindsided by Sweden's 'spårbyte' repeal The Local 21.3.2025
Track change abolished and rules on statuary limitation period changed Migration Agency 13.3.2025

2024

Swedish Migration Agency warns of fast-tracked abolition of 'spårbyte' without transitional rules The Local 20.3.2025

Rejection motivations in SOGIESC asylum cases in Sweden Updated report, RFSL 17.9.2024

From 'open hearts' to closed borders: behind Sweden's negativ net immigration figures The Guardian 19.8.2024

Sweden’s ‘snitch law’ immigration plan prompts alarm across society The Guardian 11.8.2024

Right of asylum recedes in EU-based legal limbo Sofia Rönnow Pessah, Artikel 14 2024;2

Supreme Court of Immigration: Confidence in jury member's neutrality has shaken, Hanif

Jafari's case should be reexamined Stockholmian 29.7.2024

New report 2024: The legal unsecurity at the Swedish Migration Agency remains Stoppa utvisningarna till Afghanistan! 25.3.2024

2023

View of fragmentation of hope through tiny acts of bureaucratic cruelty - another kind of war on Afghan people seeking asylum in Sweden Torun Elsrud, Refuge 2023;39 (nr 2):1-17

What "angiverilagen" (The Reporting Act) means FARR, October 23, 2023

New report: The Swedish Migration Agency underestimate the risks for returnees to Afghanistan Stoppa utvisningarna till Afghanistan! June 11, 2023

How do Swedish authorities judge the risks for returnees from Sweden to Taliban's Afghanistan? Twenty refusal decisions on asylum applications from Afghan citizens scrutinized Stoppa utvisningarna till Afghanistan! June 9, 2023

Sweden's new migration policy The Government 2023

Online briefing: Access to asylum for Afghans in Europe Webinar, ECRE April 24, 2023. Michael Williams, FARR, at 1,35 hours.

200 Children deported already this year Global bar magazine April 4, 2023

The difficulties of moving to Sweden as a non-EU spouse - even if you marry a Swedish princess The Local 16.3.2023

2022

Protest against the Tidö agreement and a xenophobic refugee policy  FARR, Nov 26, 2022

Marit Törnqvist: Refugee's stories and the big loss Podcast Dec 2022

Protest march in Sweden and Germany with the slogan: Release detained girls  Nimrokh media Febr 8, 2022

2021

Non a l'expulsion du journaliste afghan Elyaas Ehsas  A French appeal about a "Swedish Afghan"

The Unnecessary Refugee Crisis  (Den onödiga flyktingkrisen) Texts and links in English  

Those who were sent back: Return and rejection of rejected asylum seekers to Afghanistan and Iraq  Delmi  report 2021:10

What happens when rejected asylum seekers are sent back  Forbes, June 14, 2021

Life after deportation to Afghanistan  Ellinor Friström May, 2021

Situation of Afghan refugees in Europe & “Afghans who have been forcibly returned  Webinar, AMASO May 2, 2021
Karin Fridell Anter, PhD, providing information about #Afghan #refugees in #Sweden  AMASO, May 2, 2021

Suède: migrants, retours à la case départ  Arte TV April 23, 2021 (In French)

Children in Sweden deported despite UN convention  Radio Sweden April 8, 2021 

Afghanistan in 2021 and the situation facing returning asylum seekers  Farr.se  Febr 22, 2021

2020

Find a job before Friday or get a one-way ticket to Afghanistan  Ellinor Friström Dec, 2020

Country report: Sweden. Update 2020. AIDA - Asylum Information Database

'I want to be safe again': The Afghan migrants sent home to a conflict zone  The Telegraph Dec 9, 2020

Asylum investigations of Afghan citizens in Sweden 2015-2020  Stoppa utvisningarna till Afghanistan! Dec 6, 2020

Wasted children's lives: the victims of Swedish development aid to Afghanistan Kabul News Nov 22, 2020

Migrants detained during the corona crisis Sofia Häyhtiö et al, Linköping University and FARR, Oct 30, 2020

Joint submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review of SWEDEN. 35th Session of the UPR Working Group of the Human Rights CouncilJanuary 2020 Presented by: Civil Rights Defenders, Sweden 2020

Sweden's compliance with the convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CAT). Joint NGO submission for the UN Committee Against Torture review of Sweden during its 70th session Civil Rights Defenders 23.9.2020

How did a rich trip to Brussels challenge life of thousands Afghan refugee children in Sweden? Stoppa utvisningarna till Afghanistan Oct 22, 2020

Afghan migrants escaped war; Doomed to hopeless future in Europe  Khaama Press Oct 12, 2020 

Swedes complain to UN over government's "brutal" treatment of unaccompanied young migrants. Novena News Oct 5, 2020

Wasted dreams - how did a rich trip to Brussels challenge the lives of thousands of Afghan refugee children in Sweden  etaatrooz Oct, 2020 (in Dari)   English translation 

Sweden's compliance with the conventions against torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment (CAT)  Civil Rights Defenders Sept 23, 2020 

Why Sweden's centre-left decided to tighten migration laws  SR (radio)  Sept 7, 2020

Sweden: The situation of refugees of Afghan origin July 11, 2020

Detained and disregarded: How Covid-19 has affected detained and deportable migrants in Sweden University of London, Faculty of Law 13.7.2020

Sweden has a problem sending asylum seekers back  Forbes Feb. 11, 2020

2019

Demonstration against deportation of Afghan asylum seekers in Stockholm  Afghan Human Rights Sept 12, 2019

Age assessments  July 6, 2019

Asztalos Morell I. (2019) Contestations of the Swedish Deportation Regime: Civil Mobilisation for and with Afghan Youth. In: Feischmidt M., Pries L., Cantat C. (eds) Refugee Protection and Civil Society in Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham  Abstrakt Google books 

How many years does it take to clear out the unaccompanied youngsters from Sweden? June 25, 2019

Inquiry into the asylum processes of religious converts in Sweden Pingst, March 20, 2019

Söderman, Emma. Resistance through acting - Ambivalent practices of the No Border Musical Thesis, Lunds universitet 2019

Östman, Caroline. Unaccompanied minors and political responses in Sweden: Challenges for social work. Dissertation, Mittuniversitetet 2019. ISBN: 978-91-88947-01-7

Barker, Vanessa. Nordic Nationalism and Penal Order. Walling the Welfare State Routledge 2019, 1st Edition. 168 s.

Hemmaty, Mona. On the margins. Migrants, status mobility and recent turns in Swedish asylum polictics Dissertation, Lunds universitet 2019