WADAU MLIO SWEDEN SHERIA MPYA HIYO

On 1 July a change in the law will come into force to make it possible for more people to be granted a residence permit on grounds of family ties without having to leave Sweden. The new rule has been designed with the child's own good in mind and aims to prevent parents and children from having to be separated unnecessarily.

" The Migration Board has for years emphasized to the Government the need for this type of change and we welcome this amendment to the Aliens' Act", says the Director-General of the Swedish Migration Board, Dan Eliasson.

This will make it easier to keep families together. The change increases the possibility to grant a residence permit to a person who has family ties to a child in Sweden without the need for this person to leave the country. The rules also apply if a child applies for a residence permit on grounds of family ties to his or her own parent.

"The change is in line with the Migration Board's vision, according to which we want to work for openness and take advantage of the possibilities of global migration in the best possible way. The change creates a more flexible and humane set of rules and regulations for our work", says Dan Eliasson.

An application for a residence permit can be made at any given time when the applicant is in Sweden, regardless of what stage the process has reached.

The main rule governing the need for a granted residence permit before entry to Sweden is still valid and all those who apply according to the new rules will not be granted a permit. For exampel you need to prove your identity.