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HKCS
SHEET NO..
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The general impression is that the Swedish Government - having
accepted refugees - is doing everything possible to facilitate a
smooth process of integration into the Swedish society.
Refugees
are not looked upon as a nuisance or a burden but as a responsibi-
lity of Government.
Stockholm
Thursday, 22.5.80
11 a.m.:
Meeting with the Department of Labour:
Mr. Anders Wenstroem, Dept. Secretary
Mr. Bengt Lindal
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Mr. Sigvard Tarenius, LWF/SNC.
Mr. Wenstroem first outlined how the Swedish Government functions in
contrast to other European Governments. The various departments
(Justice, Labour, Social Affairs, Education, etc.) are not headed
by a Minister. They are instead directly responsible to the Parlia-
ment.
The principal responsibility for the selection and transfer of refugees
has been vested in the National Labour Market Board (AMS). In practice,
however, responsibility for refugee selection has developed upon the
National Immigration and Naturalization Board (SIV).
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Mr. Wenstroem thinks
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Since 1950 Sweden has admitted about 50,000 refugees. By authority
of the Riksdag, Sweden has established a quota of 1250 persons annually
but the actual number has been much greater. Negotiations are now
underway for the fiscal year 1980/81 which starts at July 1. It is
expected that the basic quota will again be 1250 plus
as in the
past of an unknown extra of
thousand. When the selection of Vietnamese Boat Refugees was made,
the UNHCR advised Sweden to take them from Malaysia and Indonesia.
This happened on three occasions at which Hong Kong was omitted.
quite definitely stated that Sweden is very willing to accept refugees
from Hong Kong but will continue to follow the present pattern of
accepting the recommendations of the UNHCR. He strongly suggested
that we should take action now as the new quota will soon be known.
He
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