Five million kronor for parishes’ work with refugees

Almost all applications are focused on children: children in families or unaccompanied minors.Photo:Alex & Martin/IKON.

In 2014, the General Synod decided to rapidly arrange forms of financial assistance for parishes’ work with refugees and asylum seekers. 146 applications have been received from across Sweden and 35 parishes are now being granted a total of five million kronor between them.

“We can see from the applications that there are considerable needs, and many describe situations at asylum accommodation that are characterised by frustration, lack of occupation and ill-health. Several parishes also describe a hostile environment with negative attitudes towards taking in refugees. It’s encouraging to see how motivated the parishes are; people are happy about doing the work and there is a clear desire to make a difference,” says Helén Ottosson Lovén, Secretary-General of the Church of Sweden.

In line with the decision of the General Synod, rural parishes with large asylum-seeker housing facilities and parishes that want to initiate new projects have been prioritised. All the affected dioceses have been consulted.

“In many cases, parishes are applying for funding for a part-time position to lead and develop work with asylum seekers and sometimes even to enable them to take on interpreters by the hour. A large number of parishes have applied for grants to cover material costs, for example to obtain books for teaching Swedish,” says Helén Ottosson Lovén.

Transport and costs for outings are also common, particularly since the distance between towns and asylum accommodation can be isolating. Furthermore, many are applying for money for food and drink and to rent premises to function as meeting places or cafés.

Almost all applications are focused on children as a target group, either in families or unaccompanied minors.

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FACTS
In 2014, the General Synod commissioned the Central Board of the Church of Sweden “to rapidly arrange forms of financial assistance for parishes’ work with refugees and asylum seekers”. At its meeting on 11 February, the Central Board’s working committee decided to earmark SEK 5 million for this work.

The applications have been assessed using a specially designed assessment template. The emphasis has been on the needs of the local community, but also on the parish’s own motivation and description, as well as the sustainability of the project.

CONTACT
Regarding the applications and the Church of Sweden’s work with refugees and asylum seekers: Sofia Sjöberg, advisor on refugee and integration issues for the Church of Sweden, +46 (0)73 0233276.