At least 145 immigration lawyers are refusing to take on cases following the government’s stricter asylum rules. The protest against the new immigration policy has now created problems for the Swedish Migration Agency—which acknowledges that asylum seekers do not always receive legal assistance in a timely manner.
The government and the Sweden Democrats’ new rules regarding legal counsel in asylum cases have been met with a widespread boycott by lawyers. According to Swedish Radio At least 145 immigration attorneys have refused to take on cases since the law was amended on July 12.
The rules are based on the EU Migration and Asylum Pact and limit the amount of time for which legal counsel can be compensated. The Swedish Bar Association opposes the changes and has urged lawyers to decline such assignments, citing concerns about due process and legal ethics.
Three out of four lawyers say no
According to the Swedish Bar Association’s report 75.3 percent of the lawyers who responded say they would decline assignments under the new rules. A total of 201 lawyers participated in the survey, which was conducted in September.
Lawyers Johanna Eriksson Ahlén is one of the people taking part in the protest. She tells Sveriges Radio that she has repeatedly turned down requests to help the same asylum seeker.
– In fact, I've been asked three times about a certain matter and have had to say no three times.
The Swedish Migration Agency will have to deal with the consequences
The lawyers' refusal has now made it more difficult for the Migration Agency to find legal counsel. Veronica Lindstrand-Kant, who is in charge of the new process, says the agency was surprised by the scale of the protest.
– It really came as a surprise that so many people turned it down.
When asked whether all asylum seekers had been assigned a lawyer in a timely manner, she replied:
– No, maybe not on time, but we'll figure this out.
The Swedish Bar Association is demanding that the rules be changed so that more taxpayer money can go toward migrants’ legal fees. At the same time, the boycott means that the lawyers’ opposition to the government’s immigration policy has direct consequences for the asylum seekers they claim to want to protect.
Absolutely disgusting. These lawyers are lining their pockets off the system and getting rich off the asylum circus; they should be brought to justice if they refuse. Or fired! Gangster lawyers! Ugh!!
But surely the asylum seekers have to pay for their own legal representation if they want one, don't they?
Standard practice worldwide.
The Migration Agency IS TO BE DISBANDED and replaced by the Repatriation Agency.
THANK YOU!
Lawyers are a breed that manages to steal money without being punished for it, so it's just as well if they don't take on these cases—it'll be cheaper for us, the ones who pay.
I agree with WhiteWolf 100%; these so-called lawyers should be prosecuted for treason, and they should be lined up against a wall and shot, just as traitors have always been punished.
👍👍
I suppose it's the activist Anne Ramberg who's behind this. Lawyers are a bunch of scoundrels who only care about their own wallets.
I agree with everyone here.