Someone dares to say it, but it will of course all soon be forgotten...
In an exclusive article in yesterday's Dagens Nyheter newspaper, the Swedish branch of the organisation Lawyers Without Borders informed the Swedish public that the Swedish Migration Board had taken to preventing the best lawyers in the country from representing asylum seekers. Not a word of this was mentioned in the day's television newscasts, since most television stations appeared to be obsessed with the medical condition of Ariel Sharon. Nevertheless, one assumes that the article will receive at least some measure of attention in the coming week.
The Migration Board was naturally very quick to refute the criticism, but it is perhaps only the most ignorant who has never wondered at the true state of affairs after certain news reports concerning asylum seekers and the Migration Board. Over the years, we have seen how some asylum seekers' legal representatives have appeared to be extremely unfamiliar with their clients' cases and almost indifferent to their plight during their participation in television interviews. We have heard numerous reports of the exorbitant fees that they have subsequently claimed, despite the fact that their clients had only met them sporadically, if at all, as well as the difficulty that many clients have had in contacting said lawyers when it was necessary. Similarly, there are many who have long felt a deep sense of frustration over the fact that their lawyers - appointed by the Migration Board - do not do enough, fail to follow up evidence which could help their cases or even to adequately represent them, as they are in fact paid to do.
After each such report, I have wondered: do we have such worthless lawyers in Sweden, or is it that they only care about getting paid? And if they only care about getting paid, is there no honour among these people? Have they no shame? Because this is deplorable behaviour of the highest order.
Over the past years, I have come to believe that for some of the publicly-appointed lawyers the Swedish Migration Board is clearly one of the biggest cash cows in this country. And there are already far too many of these, and all financed by taxes. One rather gets the impression that these appointed lawyers do not need to do anything to get paid. It is enough to simply be appointed. If they care a bit then they can show their faces on one or two occasions, send a few pre-prepared documents to the Migration Board so as to fill out the hours (if they even bother to do that) and then collect their money. How did things get to this state? This concerns helpless people and tax dollars. Our tax dollars.
But this is Sweden. And such occurrences have become increasingly commonplace, without anyone reacting, without anyone listening. Because we all know that these things don't happen in Sweden. We don't have bias, we don't have corruption, we don't have any of those awful problems that exist in other countries. You know, those countries in which the people don't look like "us", who are incapable of feeling pain the way we do, who don't count and can therefore be considered as being equivalent to nothing. We are kind, decent people. We help each other. We always follow the law. We don't lie. And we don't subject people to psychological torture (because that is precisely what it is). Swedish people are professionals in the art of sticking their heads in the sand. How much longer will we suffer from this strange, collective illness?
The interpreters and other apparently decent lawyers have known about these injustices for some time. Why have they been quiet until now? Let us hope that this case does not turn out as the long line of other injustices that are regularly publicised in Sweden: that we first hear about it, then an official investigation is launched (or not), then we hear that the injustice arose due to a fault in the system, or in the procedures, or that there was no problem, no injustice at all, before it all dies down. Until two years or so later, when someone else presents a fresh new report on exactly the same injustice. And then, just like before, we shall either shrug our shoulders, or be horrified at the news. We shall loudly exclaim that it is absolutely terrible IF the situation is indeed as described. Or we shall simply fall back on the old line which has been tried and tested so many times: these things don't happen in Sweden.
Similar rumours have long circulated even in the circles surrounding children which have been taken into care, rumours to the effect that capable, resourceful lawyers end up on a blacklist and thereafter find it difficult to receive assignments as publicly-appointed lawyers. There are also rumours that the families involved are refused the right to choose their own legal aid lawyers, even if these are known to be competent and stand ready to assist. And everyone sits in silence and looks the other way. Where are we headed?
In an exclusive article in yesterday's Dagens Nyheter newspaper, the Swedish branch of the organisation Lawyers Without Borders informed the Swedish public that the Swedish Migration Board had taken to preventing the best lawyers in the country from representing asylum seekers. Not a word of this was mentioned in the day's television newscasts, since most television stations appeared to be obsessed with the medical condition of Ariel Sharon. Nevertheless, one assumes that the article will receive at least some measure of attention in the coming week.
The Migration Board was naturally very quick to refute the criticism, but it is perhaps only the most ignorant who has never wondered at the true state of affairs after certain news reports concerning asylum seekers and the Migration Board. Over the years, we have seen how some asylum seekers' legal representatives have appeared to be extremely unfamiliar with their clients' cases and almost indifferent to their plight during their participation in television interviews. We have heard numerous reports of the exorbitant fees that they have subsequently claimed, despite the fact that their clients had only met them sporadically, if at all, as well as the difficulty that many clients have had in contacting said lawyers when it was necessary. Similarly, there are many who have long felt a deep sense of frustration over the fact that their lawyers - appointed by the Migration Board - do not do enough, fail to follow up evidence which could help their cases or even to adequately represent them, as they are in fact paid to do.
After each such report, I have wondered: do we have such worthless lawyers in Sweden, or is it that they only care about getting paid? And if they only care about getting paid, is there no honour among these people? Have they no shame? Because this is deplorable behaviour of the highest order.
Over the past years, I have come to believe that for some of the publicly-appointed lawyers the Swedish Migration Board is clearly one of the biggest cash cows in this country. And there are already far too many of these, and all financed by taxes. One rather gets the impression that these appointed lawyers do not need to do anything to get paid. It is enough to simply be appointed. If they care a bit then they can show their faces on one or two occasions, send a few pre-prepared documents to the Migration Board so as to fill out the hours (if they even bother to do that) and then collect their money. How did things get to this state? This concerns helpless people and tax dollars. Our tax dollars.
But this is Sweden. And such occurrences have become increasingly commonplace, without anyone reacting, without anyone listening. Because we all know that these things don't happen in Sweden. We don't have bias, we don't have corruption, we don't have any of those awful problems that exist in other countries. You know, those countries in which the people don't look like "us", who are incapable of feeling pain the way we do, who don't count and can therefore be considered as being equivalent to nothing. We are kind, decent people. We help each other. We always follow the law. We don't lie. And we don't subject people to psychological torture (because that is precisely what it is). Swedish people are professionals in the art of sticking their heads in the sand. How much longer will we suffer from this strange, collective illness?
The interpreters and other apparently decent lawyers have known about these injustices for some time. Why have they been quiet until now? Let us hope that this case does not turn out as the long line of other injustices that are regularly publicised in Sweden: that we first hear about it, then an official investigation is launched (or not), then we hear that the injustice arose due to a fault in the system, or in the procedures, or that there was no problem, no injustice at all, before it all dies down. Until two years or so later, when someone else presents a fresh new report on exactly the same injustice. And then, just like before, we shall either shrug our shoulders, or be horrified at the news. We shall loudly exclaim that it is absolutely terrible IF the situation is indeed as described. Or we shall simply fall back on the old line which has been tried and tested so many times: these things don't happen in Sweden.
Similar rumours have long circulated even in the circles surrounding children which have been taken into care, rumours to the effect that capable, resourceful lawyers end up on a blacklist and thereafter find it difficult to receive assignments as publicly-appointed lawyers. There are also rumours that the families involved are refused the right to choose their own legal aid lawyers, even if these are known to be competent and stand ready to assist. And everyone sits in silence and looks the other way. Where are we headed?
posted by Adolf R | 02:30
2 Comments:
I am an asylum seeker and I am surprised you exactly talking about my lawyer. Are there many like mine? A lawyer who meets his client once a year to remind him that he should not continue eating Swedish tax-payers money? I seriously have a confusion between Migrations-verket and my lawyer; I see no difference.
According to a couple of lawyer friends of mine, there really is no difference in many cases. Many of the appointed lawyers do exactly what Migrationsverket wants them to do instead of giving their clients fair representation. That way, they are always guaranteed new clients and a steady income from the taxpayers. It is corruption, plain and simple. But of course, "corruption" does not exist in Sweden.
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