THE SWEDISH COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES FROM FORMER YUGOSLAVIA was founded in 1995 and its goal is to assist and support persons from former Yugoslavia who are in need of protection in Sweden and in Europe. Besides working with questions concerning asylum seekers from these areas of former Yugoslavia the Committee works with questions concerning general refugee policy. The Committee is independent and has no religious or dogmatic profile. The Committee does not take sides in the ongoing ethnic, national, religious, social or other conflicts in former Yugoslavia even if we are not indifferent when confronted by them.
ABOUT US
The Swedish Committee has been working with refugees from the former republics of Yugoslavia since 1995. Due to the commitment of the organization we have travelled quite a lot in former Yugoslavia and met refugees and IDP’s in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia - inclusive Kosovo. We know how they live. The Swedish Committee’s goal is that the people from former Yugoslavia who are in need of protection shall get these needs fulfilled. As it is they don’t today.
The second largest group of asylum seekers in Sweden at the moment is that from Serbia. Because of this the Swedish Committee is foremost working to illuminate the actual situation for refugees and IDP’s in Serbia, inclusive Kosovo.
During the period 2000-2002 the work was foremost oriented towards illuminating the situation in Bosnia and Hercegovina and 1998 our work was orientated towards the Bosnian croats who was on the verge to be rejected to Croatia. The majority of the Bosnian croats got residence permit in Sweden. Until 2000 the Swedish Committee worked a lot with the situation for asylum seeking kosovoalbanians. Today the situation is different for them and the amount of kosovoalbanians seeking asylum in Sweden have rapidly been decreasing. But the situation in Kosovo still is very instable and violence is steadily present. Those afflict both the minorities – romas, serbs, ashkali, gorani etc. – and the kosovoalbanian majority.
INFORMATION WORK
It is the opinion of the Swedish Committee that only powerful and solid information may lead to a positive change of the asylumpolicy both in Sweden and in the rest of Europe. Without massive work with general information we will be seeing an increasing inhumane treatment of asylumseekers and still more humans will be rejected even though there is a need of protection. The same thing goes for persons whom are very ill. Because of this opinion we run an office for information in Sweden where asylum seeking persons from the former republics of Yugoslavia may turn – or others who are interested in the situation in these countries may turn to get answers to different questions about the current situation in former Yugoslavia, the Swedish asylum process or to get juridical counselling regarding the asylum process. The Swedish Committee supply both individuals, authorities, politicians, organisations, healthcare, media etc. with information.
OFFICE IN SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
The Swedish Committee got an office in Cacak in central Serbia. The main task of the office employees is to gather information about the refugees and IDP’ s in Serbia and Montenegro and to follow up on what happens the people who are rejected from Sweden and other European countries to the countries of former Yugoslavia. We have also opened up an internet project for children and teenagers in the office in cooperations with the Civic Parliament, Care Highway and the local Red Cross in Cacak. We extend our contact with different organisations constantly - the local Red Cross and the local UNHCR not to forget - regarding the situation for refugees and IDP’ s. Click here if you wish to know more about the office and the internetproject.
ROMA PROJECT
We know that the etnical cleansed romas from Kosovo are invisible for most of us. Romas in general are hardly never the subject in any discussions about human rights, even though they often are the victims for abuse against this rights. This is why it's important for us to have direct contact with romas who live in this situation. It's only through them we can learn about their problems and what it is they themeselves consider as prioritized issues.Our goal for the romaproject is to help the romas to be seen and heard in order to make way to change their situation. Would you like to help us in this work? Get in touch with our office in Sweden or our office in Serbia.
Do you want to know more? Click here.
DO YOU WANT TO VISIT THE OFFICE OR A SETTLEMENT?
Everyone who is interested may visit our office in Serbia and get an understanding for what we are doing there. You may also get a tour amongst the IDP’ s and refugees who are living in Cacak municipality and/or visit an unofficial romasettlement. Contact us if you yourself want to experience how the situation really is. To experience how the IDP’ s and the refugees really are living is entirely different from reading about it or hearing other people talk about it. If you are interested or just want some more information before you decide send us a mail or ring us at: 0515-510 70.
INDIVIDUAL ASYLUMCASES
The Swedish Committee is also working with individual asylumcases. All counselling is free. To make an appeal or a new application – if there’s new reasons – we charge 1000 swedish kronor since there is always a cost for us when working with this. We charge once only.
LECTURES
If there’s an interest we hold lectures about the situation for refugees and IDP’s in former Yugoslavia. Are you, your organisation, parish etc. interested in knowing more about this then call us at 0515-510 70 or simply mail us. The lectures are free for organisations who don’t have any funding from the state or simular but travel costs and hotel is paid by you. Others who are interested pay due to their ability. |
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