Well‑attended roundtable discussion on the Informer Act
Around sixty people came when PSO invited employees and students to discuss the consequences of the law.
The background to the conversation is the investigation that is now underway to be able to introduce the so-called Informer Act. If it is introduced, virtually all welfare professions will be obliged to report people who are in Sweden without permission, to the police or the Swedish Migration Agency.
Urgent to discuss the bill
A law like this would have major consequences both for those who are affected by being reported and for the professions covered, including psychologists and social workers. This is why the college thought it was important to gather together with the PSO's students to talk about this.
Sabine Gruber, professor at PSO, invited to the conversation and was also the one who acted as moderator.
"My hope with a roundtable discussion was that those who participated in the panel would be able to shed light on the issue of the Informer law from different perspectives and experiences, and that is what happened," says Sabine.
There was a conversation about how such a law, in addition to the consequences for individuals, will also affect our entire society. Both Elin Forghani from the organization No One Is Illegal and Macarena Cerda from Save the Children shared harrowing stories about what the reality is like for undocumented migrants.
"I think many of us who were there were touched by it. It is also encouraging that so many people came to the conversation, it testifies to how important this issue is and the importance of arranging opportunities to discuss it," says Sabine Gruber.
Social workers and psychologists find themselves in a difficult position
Ummis Johansson and Monique Pfalz explained, based on their professions, that it is not possible to carry out their work and at the same time report undocumented migrants to the police or the Migration Board. Both social workers and psychologists are dependent on the trust of people who come to them, if that trust is broken, they cannot do their job. Ummis also said that the trade union Akademikerförbundet has taken a clear stand against the bill and is active in trying to prevent it from passing.
The panelists were:
- Elin Forghani, involved in No One Is Illegal
- Macarena Cerda, Save the Children Jämtland/Härjedalen and Västernorrland
- Ummis Jonsson, teacher at the Social Work Programme
- Monique Pfalz, Professor, Department of Psychology