Published 26 October 2022 at 14.16
Domestic. The system for so-called track changes in the migration process is lacking in terms of controls and follow-up. This shows an audit from the National Audit Office.
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So-called change of track means that those who have had their asylum application rejected can have the opportunity to apply for a residence permit for work without first having to leave the country. The requirement is that the applicant has started an establishment in the Swedish labor market.
The National Audit Office assesses in a new review that track changes can be used to circumvent the legislation for asylum and labor immigration, with the aim of entering the Swedish labor market.
The main reason, according to the National Audit Office, is the opportunity that the system provides to work both under the asylum process and then during the processing of the application for track change, without the checks that apply to other labor immigration.
There are several indications that track switching is being used incorrectly. The review shows, for example, that 7 percent of track changers had no, or very low, registered income during the four months prior to the track change application. These people thus did not meet the subsistence requirement for a work permit.
Furthermore, 6 percent of the track changers had no, or very low, income in the year after the track change. It also indicates that the conditions for the work permit were not met at the time of application, or that the employment that was the basis for the permit has ended prematurely.
According to the report, it can be difficult for the Swedish Migration Agency to detect abuse and bogus employment, for example if applicants and employers deliberately provide misleading information. The Swedish Migration Agency's checks are also made more difficult by the fact that the authority lacks a technical solution to obtain data from the Swedish Tax Agency for people who have a coordination number, which applies to most track changers. In recent years, the Migration Agency has also not carried out follow-up checks, due to a lack of resources.
– The shortcomings make it possible to enter the Swedish labor market on incorrect grounds. In addition, vulnerable people can be taken advantage of by employers who offer worse pay and working conditions than is customary in the Swedish labor market, says Tina Malmberg, project manager for the review
The National Audit Office further notes that the system of track changes has not been followed up, despite several reference bodies pointed to the risks of abuse and side effects.
– The government should have followed up if the system works as it was intended and is not used incorrectly, says Auditor General Helena Lindberg.