All of Kristianstad municipality an exception to Ebo-law
The law on individual accomodation, the so-called Ebo-law, means that an asylum-seeker can himself choose to find somewhere to stay. But the number of asylum-seekers coming to Kristianstad must be limited. That is the opinion of some of the Alliance parties and of the Sverigedemokrater.
In March they managed to get the proposal through to request that the entire area of the municipality should be excepted from the Ebo-law (law on independent accomodation).
Now Kristianstad has been given the green light to go ahead. This means that asylum-seekers who have been placed in another municipality but move to Kristianstad lose their daily allowance. The new rule comes into force on 1st July.
– We wanted to send a very clear signal to the government that we think the law is ineffective. But also a signal to refugees that we are unable to welcome refugees from all the other municipalities to Kristianstad, says Pierre Månsson (L), municipal commissioner.
”My party thinks we should do as the governmment intended, that is, we should make an exception for areas that bear a heavier burden than others”Anders Tell (S), leader of the opposition
Malmö, Helsingborg, Landskrona, Perstorp and Åstorp have also been given permission to do likewise.
– For a long time we’ve had too many coming into the municipality. We are not alone in reaching this conclusion. A number of municipalities in Skåne have shouldered a great responsibility for a long time, says Pierre Månsson.
”We believe the number living in Migrationsverket’s accomodation will rise”Anna-Johanna Viking, Migrationsverket
At the turn of the year the government introduced new Ebo-rules, that asylum-seekeers who choose to settle in vulnerable areas lose their daily allowance.
– My party thinks we should do as the government intended, that is, we should make an exception for areas that bear a heavier burden than others, says Anders Tell, (S), leader of the opposition.
Today some 15,000 asylum-seekers live in accomodation administered by Migrationsverket. Around 21,000 live in independent accomodation.
– We believe the number living in Migrationsverket’s accomodation will rise, says Anna-Johanna Viking, process leader at Migrationsverket in a press announcement.
Law on independent accomodation
The Ebo- law enables asylum-seekers to find independent accomodation, instead of living in Migrationsverket’s accomodation.
Asylum-seekes can live with friends or relatives, for example. In that case they can keep their daily allowance.
In the January Agreement 2019 the government, along with Liberalerna and Centern, made a decision to change the law. This means that asylum-seekers who move to independent accomodation in a vulnerable area lose their daily allowance.
The Ebo- law was introduced in 1994 by the right-wing government of the time, in order to encourage integration, among other things.
The law has been criticised by several municipalities for leading to problems such as overcrowding and segregation.
