Threatened interpreters can be resettled refugees - Gothenburg Post

Either defenses can hire them, or they can come to Sweden as resettled refugees. It’s the solutions that may be relevant for the Swedish Afghanistan EUF threatened interpreters, when the stakes are settled in 2014.

It was last summer that 24 of interpreters who worked for the Swedish forces in Afghanistan, requested asylum in Sweden. They were afraid of retaliation from Taliban sympathizers end of the operation in 2014.

After it has been unclear how the matter would be handled, and a working group including the Armed Forces, the Swedish Migration Board, Defence Foreign and Justice Department was assembled to review the possibilities.

Now the group has finished its work and concluded that the interpreters are exposed to strong threat could come to Sweden as resettled refugees.

– Armed Forces’ main focus is to help those people on the ground in Afghanistan, but there may be people who, because of the security does not have an opportunity to avail themselves of the solutions. We from the Migration Board will try to resolve their situation in the context of our crew on the program, it is popularly known as quota refugees, says Fredrik Bengtsson, Head of the Migration Board.

He points out that this is not about any specific solution for the interpreters, but would be made within the framework of existing legislation.

A total of 30 interpreters who served with the Swedish forces, seven of them are directly employed by the Armed Forces and 23 are hired through a temporary agency. Armed Forces follow up their security, including interviews, and it is these that form the basis for the assessment of what action is needed.

– We have interviews with all local employees, a total of 140 pieces, including those employed through agencies, says Anders Silwer, Armed Forces mission commander, P3 News.

, according Silwer help with individual solutions to reduce threats to the interpreters. It can be about to be supported through a career change program – to get help finding another job or study abroad. These efforts, however, only those who are employed by the Armed Forces.

TT: Could you hire a person who has worked through the agency?

– We can hire whomever we want. Theoretically, we can employ anyone in Afghanistan.