018-750 52 11
018-750 52 11

Trafficking Case – Madeleine and her son

MADELEINE* APPLIED FOR asylum in Sweden in 2009. Madeleine, an orphan, had previously been forced to prostitution since she was a child in her home country in western Africa and was imprisoned after having participated in a pornographic movie. When she was released she fled the country out of fear of being imprisoned or forced to prostitution again. She was furthermore afraid that she would be met by reprisals by civils because of the pornographic movie in which she had participated. She ended up in Sweden and applied for asylum. Her application was rejected, even after appeals. 

THE MIGRATION BOARD opened a new asylum case at a later stage and this time Scandinavian Human rights Lawyers were appointed as public counsels. The application was again denied and Madeleine and her son were expelled to Africa, even though the son had been born in Sweden to Madeleine and a man who was a European citizen. Madeleine appealed the decision to the Migration Court of Appeal on the grounds that she had been a victim of trafficking in her home country and was still in need of support and help in many regards. Through intense work the Scandinavian Human Rights Lawyers managed to establish evidence of citizenship in Europe for Madeleine’s son. Because of this and because of the special needs of the family and also the rights of the child, Madeleine and her son were granted permanent residence permits in Sweden.

THE MIGRATION BOARD has appealed the decision and asked for leave to appeal with the Migration Court of Appeal, a final decision is expected soon.

* Madeleine is really called something else.