Letter to the editor. Let Sweden become a second home for us Ukrainian refugees

Today, according to the Migration Board, approximately 45,000 Ukrainians live in Sweden, which has moved from Russia’s full -scale invasion. They have created new lives here – they work, pay taxes, learn Swedish, integrate and contribute to society.

But despite all this, they live in uncertainty. The EU Mass Escape Directive, which was introduced as an emergency measure in 2022, originally valid for three years and has now been extended to March 4, 2026. What happens after that date is still unclear.

The Swedish government has not yet presented any plan. For thousands of Ukrainian families, many with children in school and parents in working life, this is a source of great concern.

It’s not just shopping About law – it is about human dignity, security and the right to a future. Many Ukrainian children today speak better Swedish than Ukrainian, their friends are Swedish and their parents build their careers in Sweden. Having to leave all this again would be to lose their home a second time.

We – thousands of Ukrainians and Swedes – have therefore signed a petition that requires a clear, human and long -term regulations for what will apply after 2026. Over 10,000 people have already signed.

We demand following:

1. Opportunity for permanent or long -term residence permits without the requirement to leave Sweden.

Similar changes to the EU directive are already being made in countries such as Germany and the Czech Republic.

2. That the entire period under the Mass Escape Directive is counted as a legal stay when applying for a permanent residence permit.

3. Ability to change the status to work, student or family connection without leaving Sweden.

At the same time, income requirements and other obstacles need to be adjusted to reflect Ukrainians’ real life situation.

4. Family reunification without the requirement to leave Sweden, especially for families who started the process before the war, for new families formed during these three years in Sweden, for children born here or who came here with a parent.

5. Abolition of discriminatory differences in the allocation of social security numbers. It is not acceptable that people who arrived early in the war have more rights than those who came later – despite the same legal status.

Ukrainians in Sweden Shows that they are not just refugees – they are active community actors. According to the UN agency Iom’s data from 2024 66 percent of the Ukrainian refugees have work or participate in labor market programs and 46 percent speak Swedish – even before they have full access to establishment programs and social security numbers. These figures have probably increased further.

This is a mutual opportunity. Ukraine needs EU solidarity. Sweden needs labor – especially in the shortcomings such as care, education and technology. We Ukrainians not only ask for protection, but offer our commitment, our knowledge and our work in return.

Sweden has become our second home. We now pray Swedish politicians: Let’s not lose that home again.

More about submitter: How do you write on submitter and answer

More submissions: dn.se/insandare