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

PrefaceDear asylum seeker,This handbook aims at giving you basic informationrelated to your stay as an asylum seeker in Sweden.The need for such a handbook arises from the factthat when you come to a country as an asylum seekeryou face a new reality. The availability of correct informationrelevant to your asylum request, includingrules and regulations, cultural behaviour, traditions,mannerisms and many other things you needto know to get by day to day is a key to making yourstay as pleasant and productive as possible.• What happens in the asylum seeking process?• How can I find work?• Can my children go to school?• What if I need health care?You probably ask yourself these and other questions during your asylum period.In the following pages of this handbook, I would like to share with you informationthat I think is important from an asylum seeker’s point of view. I share withyou what I have learned from my own experiences as a former asylum seeker aswell as those of others I have come in contact with.Some of the information might not entirely reflect what the Swedish authoritieswill tell you. Nevertheless, I think it is important to speak frankly and openly.The people who assigned me to write this handbook wanted me not to repeat theofficial picture but instead to teach you useful things that will guide you and helpyou in managing your situation as an asylum seeker in Sweden.I also provide you with useful addresses and contact details.Stockholm, September 2007Ginbot AbrahaEmail: gahiyabu@yahoo.co.ukA Handbook for Asylum Seekers in Sweden | 7