Empowering Ukrainians: New steps from Riksdag
On February 8th, another important meeting took place at the Riksdag, where Help in Change together with volunteer organizations supporting Ukrainians from all over Sweden had the opportunity to discuss the challenges of Ukrainians in Sweden directly with politicians. Special attention was given to the announcement from the Minister of Migration, Maria Malmer Stenergard, regarding the registration of Ukrainians in the population register.
The proposed new registration would grant Ukrainians access to healthcare, opportunities to participate in labor market programs, higher remuneration, and parental allowance benefits for those employed. Civil registration also streamlines communication with authorities and organizations, providing the added benefit of obtaining a BankID. Currently, this remains a legislative proposal, and according to government projections, implementation is not expected before the autumn — the end of 2024. We earnestly hope for a swift introduction of the finalized legislative proposal, sparing Ukrainians from another year of anticipation, particularly concerning vital financial support.
At the end of January, Help in Change, along with 21 volunteer organizations, once again raised the issue of increasing financial support for Ukrainians in the media (read the article here). On Thursday, the same concerns were directly addressed to the Minister of Migration, Maria Malmer Stenergard. Unfortunately, we did not receive more information, except for the acknowledgment that work on this matter has already begun. Help in Change will continue to support the efforts of all volunteer organizations aimed at increasing financial support as soon as possible.
The meeting at Riksdag marked another crucial step towards improving the situation for Ukrainians.
We are immensely grateful to all the politicians striving to enhance the circumstances.
Special thanks to Centerpartiet, and personally Martin Ådahl, for inviting us to the Riksdag and pushing these issues forward. We sincerely value the information we received from the leader of Centerpartiet, Muharrem Demirok, assuring us that this economic concern for Ukrainians is something they will actively work on.
For more information about the support we offer to people from Ukraine, please visit our website.
