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Police retrieved mother and child for deportation from RFSL meeting, sparking criticism
🇸🇪 Sweden /Crime & Justice

Police retrieved mother and child for deportation from RFSL meeting, sparking criticism

From Dagens Nyheter · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • RFSL and Caritas accuse police of violating safe spaces for vulnerable individuals after officers retrieved a mother and child for deportation from an RFSL meeting.
  • The incident in Västerås led to RFSL Stockholm awarding the border police the "Rosa tisteln" award for negatively impacting the LGBTQI+ community.
  • Organizers express concern that vulnerable individuals may fear seeking help at safe spaces like RFSL meetings due to the perceived breach of security.

The Swedish Federation for LGBTQ Rights (RFSL) and Caritas are criticizing the police for what they describe as a violation of safe spaces for vulnerable individuals. The accusation stems from an incident in April where plainclothes police officers entered an RFSL meeting for refugees in Västerås to apprehend a mother and her child for deportation.

Everyone became scared.

— Gunilla AlbertDescribing the reaction of attendees at the RFSL meeting when police intervened.

"Everyone became scared," said Gunilla Albert, operations manager for RFSL Newcomers. The incident has prompted RFSL Stockholm to award the border police in region Mitt the "Rosa tisteln" award. This award is given to organizations or operations that have negatively impacted the lives and daily lives of LGBTQI+ individuals or opposed the community's rights over the past year.

Albert expressed concern that this event risks deterring vulnerable individuals from seeking assistance at safe havens. RFSL meetings, particularly the Monday gatherings for asylum seekers in Västerås, are intended to be secure environments for LGBTQI+ individuals who have often experienced violence and abuse in their home countries. "The majority of our participants have PTSD. This is one reason why it is so important that we can offer safe spaces where one also dares to ask about everything," Albert stated.

The majority of our participants have PTSD. This is one reason why it is so important that we can offer safe spaces where one also dares to ask about everything.

— Gunilla AlbertExplaining the importance of safe spaces for asylum seekers attending RFSL meetings.

According to RFSL, the meetings are supported by the Migration Agency and the EU, aiming to provide participants with access to psychological and legal counseling. The mother and child were residing at a Migration Agency asylum accommodation and were not hiding. "I don't understand why the police did this. It caused psychological distress in the room that affected everyone. RFSL is also put in a very strange situation because we cannot guarantee the safety of the space," Albert added. The police, responding via email, confirmed that they executed a decision from the Migration Agency on the day in question but provided no further details on the specific case.

I don't understand why the police did this. It caused psychological distress in the room that affected everyone. RFSL is also put in a very strange situation because we cannot guarantee the safety of the space.

— Gunilla AlbertExpressing confusion and concern over the police action during the RFSL meeting.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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