Living in Limbo: Human Rights in Reception and Return Centres

Through interviews with residents of various reception and return centres in Sweden, as well as observations conducted at two of these centres, the Swedish Institute for Human Rights has examined the extent to which the human rights of people living in these facilities are being upheld. Most interviewees were parents living with their children.

The findings presented in this report point to serious shortcomings in residents’ access to and enjoyment of their human rights. The interviews depict daily life marked by insecurity, lack of privacy, and limited opportunities to attain an adequate standard of living.

• Children are particularly vulnerable, and their rights to safety, play, rest, and development are not adequately safeguarded in this type of accommodation.

• Insufficient accessibility and inadequate housing conditions create barriers for persons with disabilities in exercising their rights to independence, participation, and an adequate standard of living.

• Access to education and healthcare is not consistently ensured for residents of the centres, meaning that key economic, social, and cultural rights are not fully realised in practice.

• Accessible and transparent complaints mechanisms are lacking. Several residents described uncertainty about their rights and a fear of negative consequences if they were to submit complaints. Taken together, these factors significantly hinder their ability to claim and fulfil their rights effectively.

Furthermore, significant reforms are underway in the field of migration policy. Among other things, the changes will result in more people living in reception and return centres. This reinforces the need to ensure that the centres comply with international human rights standards.

The report concludes that the current organization and operation of reception and return centres do not adequately ensure the enjoyment of human rights. At the same time, we have identified a number of concrete measures that could strengthen human rights protection and improve living conditions for residents.

The Swedish Institute for Human Rights makes the following four recommendations to the Parliament and the Government:

1. Introduce independent external oversight of the Swedish Migration Agency’s operations at reception and return centres.
2. Refrain from placing families with children and persons with disabilities in such centres.
3. Replace the requirement of “exceptional grounds” (synnerliga skäl) with a requirement of “special grounds” (särskilda skäl) for exemptions from the obligation to reside in a centre.

1. Increase the daily allowance for residents.

The Swedish Institute for Human Rights makes the following five recommendations to the Swedish Migration Agency:

1. Design the centres to enable residents to prepare their own meals.

1. As a matter of urgency, ensure that children have access to safe and appropriate environments for play, rest, and study until alternative accommodation arrangements are in place.