Every year, the Migration Agency makes trips to a number of different countries to take out Sweden's quota refugees. They are among the most vulnerable refugees who have been selected by the UN refugee agency UNHCR to move to another country.
During this term, the government has had a budget for 900 quota refugees annually. But how many have actually been allowed to come to Sweden has varied.
This year, quota refugees from Turkey, Uganda and Rwanda were to come to Sweden. But the Swedish Migration Agency has not been able to carry out a single trip with the aim of removing quota refugees. Only 25 quota refugees, selected already last year, have arrived in 2026.
- We have not made selections in the host countries where the refugees are this year. There are still plans to be able to do that, but there are some obstacles in the way, says Migration Agency expert Velibor Ljepoja to DN.
The Swedish Migration Agency has moved forward its planned trips four times during the year. If the government does not give the green light, the timetable for meeting the target of 900 quota refugees will be broken.
- If we don't get an answer by the end of next week, we won't be able to fix 900. However, we still have an opportunity to fulfill a smaller part of the mission if an answer comes a few weeks later, says Velibor Ljepoja.
The authority is tasked with consulting with the government office about the distribution of the places - i.e. which countries are up for taking the refugees from.
The Migration Agency has sent its documentation, which consists of proposals for countries and groups of refugees that Sweden should accept, to the government office - and the matter has stopped there, according to Velibor Ljepoja.
- We submitted a request for consultation on 16 December last year and we are still waiting for a response from the government, he says and continues:
- Until we have received an answer, our director general cannot make a decision about how the distribution of the places should look. This means that we do not have a mandate to go to any country and take out refugees.
Do you know why there was no response from the government?
- We don't know the reason. We have been told for nine months now that it is underway, says Velibor Ljepoja.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell (M) writes in a comment: "During the mandate period, women and children have been prioritized and the consultation responses have been given at different times of the year. For this year's withdrawal, preparation is still ongoing within the government office, and a decision must be made as soon as possible."
This year's trips have been canceled at short notice, says Velibor Ljepoja.
- Three weeks before departure for our staff, we have had to cancel and notify our partners UNHCR and IOM that they need to find new dates that suit us. It is quite a large device, both from our side and for our partners who are preparing this.
Nine employees from the Swedish Migration Agency travel to the countries to select individuals, while around 20 people work at the unit with different parts of the process, according to Velibor Ljepoja.
- There will of course be a lot of duplication on our part. You prepare, set up, find new dates and then you go and wait for an announcement, he says.
