The money to Somalia is not a bribe. This is what the Minister of Migration claims after DN’s disclosure.
– Baseless. We see no indications of corruption, says Johan Forssell (M).
– The big scandal is that so many criminals have escaped being deported from Sweden.
Dagens Nyheter revealed that three people connected to the Somali president should have received the money that Sweden sent via the UN agency IOM, which works with migration issues. The newspaper describes it as “ghost services where the people only get paid, without doing any actual work, and none of the Swedish authorities DN spoke with know who they are, or have had contact with them.
Do these people exist that DN writes about?
– We have been very transparent all along. We finance three services, via IOM. It’s not three people. The positions are recruited by IOM, a well-established and well-respected UN agency. We have full confidence in them, says Migration Minister Johan Forssell (M).
The money for Somalia
The Swedish government has paid five million kroner to Somalia. The money has been paid out via UN agencies and finances three positions at the Somali government office, according to DN.
The purpose has been to make it possible to deport convicted criminals to Somalia.
Those who criticize the arrangement believe that there is a risk of corruption, but the government has dismissed that criticism.
Not worried
Forssell is not worried about the money being used in the wrong way. The cooperation gives good results, he believes.
– We feel very confident (safe, ed. note) about this. We see no indications of irregularities or corruption. Those who claim that, what has been talked about as bribery, it is baseless. In that case, we would naturally act, he says.
Have you received actual reports?
– Yes.
Somalia is one of the world’s most corrupt countries. How do you feel so sure that this money is funding actual civil servants?
– When it comes to aid in general, you operate in difficult environments. Otherwise there would have been no need for aid. In recent years, Sweden has given over ten billion kroner in aid to Somalia. This is about five million kroner. We get very elaborate reports from these services. Around these very things I say. We have tightened the controls against corruption.
So many have been expelled
The Migration Minister is very pleased to have started “a quintuple” of deportations compared to the previous government – and hopes to send more criminals to East Africa.
He would like to see similar collaborations in the future.
– In the past, people who have committed very serious crimes in Sweden have not been deported. They have remained in the country, committed new crimes, made life hell for their victims. With us, they will be deported.
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“Is a quintuple”
In 2023, six people were deported. After the new agreement, 29 people were deported in 2024. He does not want to give any figures for 2025 because the year has not ended yet. But the collaboration has continued during the year, “according to plan”.
– They have committed very serious crimes. It is rape against children, aiding and abetting murder, robbery, assault and other things, says Forssell.
– All social democrats, environmentalists and leftists who say that this doesn’t work – here we have black and white, it’s a fivefold increase.
DN has asked a lot of authorities, SIDA, the border police, NOA and others, haven’t had contact or don’t even know these officials?
– If this had not worked, how is it that we see a fivefold increase in the number of criminal deportations? That is my counter question.
