Sweden to speed up deportation processes

The Swedish government has decided to ask the country's Migration Agency to implement new measures to help speed up asylum deportation processes.

Sweden saw a significant spike in asylum seekers in the autumn of 2015 and it is believed this will lead to a significant increase in deportations in the next few years, according to the Swedish cabinet office.

In a statement published on its website, the cabinet office said in order for Sweden's asylum and reception system to work properly, it is imperative migrants whose asylum applications have been unsuccessful return to their countries of origin.

The statement said this was "a precondition for a secure and credible asylum process. In that way, accommodation is freed up for other asylum seekers and the costs associated with migration decrease."

In order to make the returning process more efficient, the Swedish government proposed a number of measures, which it said the Migration Agency would be responsible for implementing.

They included speeding up migrants' asylum application processes, which can either result in a deportation order or a residence permit; adding an additional 100 accommodation places in Swedish refugee centers by October 2016; and assigning dedicated staff to help increase the number of executed refusal-of-entry orders and deportations.

Employees should also keep up-to-date with developments and conditions in migrants' home countries, according to the government. Endit