Lawyer boycott leaves Sweden struggling to arrange asylum legal help
Sweden’s Migration Agency is struggling to arrange legal assistance for asylum seekers as at least 145 migration lawyers refuse appointments in protest against new rules.
The count comes from a new mapping reported by Sveriges Radio. Lawyer Johanna Eriksson Ahlén told the broadcaster she had turned down the same case three times.
The dispute concerns the amount of legal advice the state pays for. The Swedish Bar Association says limits of one or two hours, depending on the procedure, make it difficult for lawyers to fulfil their professional obligations. That does not mean every asylum applicant has lost access to legal help.
The association had already warned of the problem in an October report, based on a September survey. Some 75.3% of respondents said they were not accepting appointments under the new rules. Those findings predate the latest reporting.
The association says the rules took effect on 12 July as part of Sweden’s adaptation to the EU migration and asylum pact. It has asked the Justice Ministry for changes.
The new report identifies difficulty finding lawyers, but gives neither a nationwide count of affected applicants nor an average waiting time.
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