On Refugees and Migration

The other day, I got a question from Laurie from Dog Hair in my Coffee because she wanted to know something about the what’s and why’s of our system with a Migration board, Court and Migration Court of Appeal.

I’ll try and explain it all without this becoming a dissertation that not a single person will be able to muddle through.

Some background:

Sweden has been known as a country with fairly benevolent regulations concerning people seeking refugee status or asylum here. Previously, this was definitely true – as evidenced by the number of persons from various countries who has obtained permanent status here during the last 50 years or so. In the 50’s Sweden welcomed a number of persons from Hungary, after 1968 they came from Czechoslovakia, in the 70’s from Chile, during the next decade or so from Turkey and during the 90’s from the former Yugoslavia and other Eastern bloc countries. The process was fairly straight forward, people came here and were allowed to start a new life. I might add that in those days, Sweden needed young and strong people, willing to work for low wages…

During the last decade, there has been a significant change in attitude, though. This is however something that people in countries torn asunder by war, buckling under inhuman dictatorships or those living under other horrendous circumstances, have not been aware of. On the contrary, at the beginning of numerous “underground railways” the word has been that once you arrive in Sweden, you’d be practically home-free. Unfortunately, there has been some nasty changes in policy – at least if you ask me.

Iraqi citizens are (almost summarily) denied visas because Swedish authorities have decided that there is “no armed conflict” in the country.

Persons hailing from countries like Libya had better be able to show evidence of torture if they hope to stay here…

The Migration Board will deem someone “stateless” and yet try and deport them to the country they were in before arriving here.

Some decisions handed down by the Migration Board defies logic – such as the one given  my youth, -W-. Such as all other children they have denied asylum or refugee status. Such as deporting families who have lived in the country for years and years while their case has gone through the mill… (However, we no longer need workers from other countries…)

In recent years there has been quite a few children (mostly boys) between roughly 13 and 16 who have arrived here on their own. Sometimes they are called “anchor children” as they are believed to have been sent here for a reason. If they obtain permanent status in the country, they can apply for their families to be granted visas. I’m sure some of them came here for that reason – but I think the majority left their native country for other reasons. Like so many of the boys here have said “Do you think I’d leave my home country and my family, if I had a future there?”.

When they arrive in Sweden, they are processed in one of the bigger cities in the south and then placed in a county that has agreed to welcome “unattended minors” while their case is tried. The Migration Board will then interview the child two or three times with a lawyer and an interpreter in attendance. The questions may seem fairly straightforward but some of them are definitely posed in an effort to make the person contradict themselves. If the result is that the person is not granted a visa, an appeal is made to the Migration Court and the whole process sort of starts all over. Most of the time, the Court will make a decision without hearing the person “personally” – but about 20% are actually called to the proceedings and allowed to present their case. Another negative answer leaves a final option  – appealing to the Migration Appeal Court – where a limited number of cases are tried.

I’m sure I haven’t been able to explain all of this properly so if anyone reading this feels even more confused now – keep on asking questions and I’ll do my best to answer them!

Fox Point

Late yesterday evening I headed out to my friends cabin, where Loki has been since Thursday. I got there way after dark, so the only thing we did was actually just eat and then collapse on the beds while digesting a good dinner.

We also talked at great length about what is happening in the county – jobwise – and by the end of it I was feeling a whole lot better about the situation. My friend -E- also works with Special Needs students and we both think we’d make a good team – so maybe this staff-cut will prove itself to be a blessing in disguise…

The weather is still socked in, so no great pictures from today.

Bad Friday

… or maybe I should call it a bad week.

Yesterday I was given the official word that my job in administration is no longer. The county is going through a major re-organisation of the entire administration and my 50% is one of the positions that will be cut. I’ve sort of expected it for some time – but it still hurts, and I really question the wisdom in making it effective as of year-end. You’d think we’d be given the chance to at least finish the fiscal year before this change in staffing is made, but no.

This doesn’t mean that I’m out of a job as I still am employed by the county – just that I’ll be moved to something else. I have already talked to the principal and there is a possibility that I’ll be working with special needs students – at least during the coming semester.

Can’t quite decide if I should be happy or not…

Some Background…

When I went to school during the 60’s, the term ”bully” was hardly invented – at least not in our school system. If someone treated you badly or beat you up, grown-ups would say one of two things – “Just do the same thing to her/him” or “Come on, toughen up – don’t be a sissy.”

Admittedly, I do think the incidents of serious bullying may have been fewer, but children were still cruel to each other in different ways.

From about Grade 3 until the end of Grade 9, I was the victim of bullying in various forms. In Middle School it was because of my Northern dialect (we lived in central Sweden at the time) and my dark coloring. With my Sami heritage comes brown hair and brown eyes, which was not common further south in the country at the time. I never even thought to go to an adult for help – instead I defended myself and a classmate who was called “Hitler-chick” because of her heritage. I wore out at least three school bags every year, using it to wrap around the arms or legs on our Number 1 enemy. Finally in Grade 6 I caught up with him on the soccer field, tripped him and sat on his chest, jumping up and down, until he promised to never again bother me or my friend. A few months later we moved, so I didn’t get to enjoy much of that peace and quiet.

When we moved back to this area, I was again odd because now I spoke with a dialect different from the one people around here used. Not only that – in 1965 it was not the “in thing” to be Sami – and I made the fatal mistake of admitting to this major flaw in my character. 3 years in Junior High under these circumstances made me promise that I would never again set foot in this school…

(Yes folks, that’s the school where I’ve been teaching for the last 11 years, but that’s another story!)

It took me a number of years to get over some of those experiences. I felt inferior to most of the people around me until I was in my late 20’s. It took another few years before I could shake the conviction that if a chat between others died when I entered the room it was because they had just talked about me… I am still very sensitive to ‘eyes raised to the heavens in despair’ and other ways of dissing people without having to say a single word… My own skin is quite thick by now –but I turn into a FURY when I see young girls use all those silent ways of belittling someone else. The bullying perpetrated by guys is usually so much easier to deal with – they become physical or call each other names – but it is all just as unacceptable in my eyes, and I will call them on it.

Every. Time. I. Recognise. Their. Behaviour. As. Bullying.

I know things happen that I don’t recognise for what it is – but I do my best.

Common decency must be the basis of all interaction – be it children or adults. As an adult, I have an added responsibility to ensure that communication between children, teenagers and adults is performed in such a way that everyone walks away feeling that they have been respected as human beings.

 

So what about the protocol we follow? Does it work? Do we reach the ones it is intended for?

 

Yes it does work – but everyone on staff must be trained. The other day a former pre-school teacher was close to ruining what others tried to accomplish – simply by following pre-school protocol of “making up and asking for forgiveness”.  That is hardly the route to follow when you’re dealing with Junior High students and their conflicts.

The work continues with all of the involved students – especially C who still feels that he has done nothing wrong, we just don’t understand him…  We’re also planning a half-day special for all students around ethics and moral questions, about bullying and other things of the same nature.

Serenity

…has many faces and this is one of my favourites.The first ice under the setting sun and as an added extra – a dog checking out what will soon be a wide expanse to run over. Raikko is fearless on ice and I have to admit that this is not a sign of superior intelligence in a dog. They can actually rip out their claws if they get caught in a tiny crack on that shiny surface.

This week is also shaping up to become “one of those” where the surprises are more  rule than exception. We’re beginning to see the contours of the new administrative organisation, but since we don’t know much more than that, it feels very much like the old saying about “waiting for the other shoe to drop.” The work must be done so during the day it’s easy to keep busy – but I’ve started waking up way too early in the morning. I’ve actually thought of taking Loki for a late-night walk in an effort to stay up longer… The trouble is though, that I zonk out before 10PM almost no matter what I do!

Back to the title – walking in surroundings like this goes a long way towards keeping – or even restoring – sanity!

Slow News Day

… and at the same time not!

Today there was a first meeting between county officials and union representatives regarding the new organisation. Management claims to have thought it all out very thoroughly, that their time plan is going to hold and also that this will be sooooo beneficial to us all. I’m not so sure about that…

Just a shot from this summer. I’ve always wondered who lived in this house with a kitchen and a small room at the back. Was it the “retirement home” for an older couple who had deeded the farm to their son and his family?

Frosty

Another meeting today where the county presented a first organization chart over how the slimmed down administration will look. According to their plans everything will be negotiated and lay-off notices should be delivered about a month before Christmas…

…which I find hard to believe. Of course, they could surprise us all by being efficient for once!

Dwarf Cornel

These berries have a very mundane name in Swedish…

… it’s called Hen Berries, for some reason. Hopefully someone out there can also tell me if the name honeysuckle would be correct for this plant – I’ve always thought that was a totally different one.

Looking at the little calendar on the right, I realise that my posts have been very irregular this month. Could be a result of the situation at work and otherwise – there has been one thing after the other this whole month. We know there are going to be further cuts – both among teachers, administrative and support staff.

On top of that, one of my boys decided to take off about 10 days ago. We knew there was a chance he would try since he’s known for some time that he wouldn’t be allowed to stay in the country. The decisions are taken – but no under-age refugees have been deported since last January. Meanwhile these guys learn the language, build up a network of contact all over the country and have ample opportunity to disappear into the underground world of illegal immigrants/

For Merinz…

… and anyone else who is wondering what on earth is going on at my place of employment.

The county has been cutting down on staff every year over the past 5-6 years. Admittedly, at first there was reason to do so because there was definitely a few people too many in places – Grades 1-5 didn’t even need to hire substitute teachers when two teachers went on extended sick leave….  There were 2 or 3 Building Inspectors knocking about… The General Office Staff almost had to make up work to kill time… Those were the days!

Fast forward to 2009. All departments have been slashed and they are all beginning to approach a critical state, one way or another. The Tech Dept. have “only” lost one on staff since 2004 – but instead the systems have not been updated at the rate they should have been. New programs need a lot of “space” on the main frame, outdated PC’s can’t handle as much and need to be upgraded – not to mention and a lot of other technical mumbo-jumbo I really don’t understand.

In short – in some cases antedeluvian terminals,  a partways outdated system, staff shortages and space-hogging programs create a situation that drives us all mad!

This is not a good shot – but I just had to share the fantastic colours in the sky as I drove into my parking lot.

I really should have driven down to the lakeside to get some better pictures, but after 660 km in one day I just didn’t have it in me!

Oh, and the interview at Migration went fine! Or, at least both the lawyer and I think so but we’ll know more in about ten days.

Loki spent the day at the stables getting to know the horses and The Cat. He has crashed on the floor by my feet and is already snoring…. Give me 10 minutes and I’ll do the same!

Can Someone Stop This Carousel?

It feels as if I’m constantly slipping further and further behind with everything… We’re into our 3rd or 4th week of systems trouble at work – logins fail, catalogues “go missing” or the terminal is just sitting there chewing. It’s been called systems failure, communications problems and even ” a glitch” – but the fact s of the matter is that everything takes at least twise as long to accomplish.  Problems like this is merely annoying when it comes to my teaching. I have any number of tried and tested lesson plans (naturally under my user name on the main frame…) which would be handy to just check over and then print. Now I’ve had to re-create some from memory – that is when I haven’t been able to access my catalogue!

Far worse is the effect all this has on my duties when working in administration. We’re in the middle of preparing financial statements for the last 8 months…

there are budget changes for the next three years that has to be entered…

I desperately need to read through whatever manuals there are for the various software programs I’m supposed to work with…

I take heart in the fact that I haven’t lost the ability to notice the fantastic show Nature is putting on every day this time of year!

Tomorrow I’m off on another trek towards the coast. This time with a teenager for his initial interview with the Migration people. Wish us luck!