A Handbook for Asylum seekers in sweden - Tema asyl & integration

to elect representatives for the European Union which Sweden joined in January1995 after holding a national referendum.Throughout the 20th century, Swedish foreign policy was based on the principleof non-alignment in peacetime, neutrality in wartime. Since 1995 Sweden hasbeen a member of the European Union, and as a consequence of a new worldsecurity situation the country’s foreign policy doctrine has been partly modified,with Sweden playing a more active role in European security cooperation as well.Rule of lawRights and duties of people in Sweden are stated and protected by laws and regulations.In Sweden no one is above the law and it is only the courts that have theauthority to punish people who break the law. To ensure legal security and ruleof law the Swedish legal system is autonomous and independent from the parliament,the government and other public agencies.Freedom of expressionSweden is an old democracy where openness and freedom of expression are honouredand often admired by many countries in the world. In Sweden the right ofexpression is guaranteed by the constitution. Everyone has the right to expressthemselves, their ideas and opinions about issues concerning the society. In Swedennobody can be persecuted because they spoke against the government.Equality and equal rightsIn Sweden, all people are equal and must be treated with dignity and respect. Itis not allowed to discriminate against people on the grounds of gender, race, religion,nationality, age, disability or sexual orientation. Sweden is by many regardedas a society in which there is a relatively high degree of equality between womenand men. Women and men are of equal status and must be accorded equal rightsin all areas of society. According to gender equality all men and women musthave the same opportunities, rights and obligations, at home, in the workplace, inpolitics and elsewhere in society.Welfare system – välfärdsystemetwww.randburg.com/sw/general/general_10.htmlHealth care and social welfare services are regarded as very important parts ofthe Swedish welfare system. Both are seen as public sector responsibilities, whichare supported by a national social insurance system. Responsibility for healthcare, both in-patient and out-patient, is the duty of 18 county councils and twoA Handbook for Asylum Seekers in Sweden | 37