Medborgarkontoret in Växjö guides people

By: Assad Hicheri, Leonora Kryeziu, Salman Ibrahim, Alba Istrefi

Who are you?

– My name is Carina Ek and I work as a coordinator here together with two colleagues from Somalia, a colleague from Iraq, one from Lebanon and one from Afghanistan. Everyone speaks Swedish but it is good that we have more language skills such as Somali, Arabic, Dari and English. We call ourselves social counselors, guides through our society.

What do you do?

– We guide people through our society and help those who need to know more about how the society works. For example, what rights and obligations you have and who to turn to with different issues.

Who comes to you?

– Since the office is in Araby, it is mostly immigrants living in Araby who come here. But we have also had visits from Karlskrona, Alvesta, Lenhovda and Nybro just for an example.

What can you help out with?

– To apply for support when it comes to housing, studies and so on. Help finding the right connections to different earrends. To explain important information in letters, decisions, what rights and obligations citizens have.

What is the purpose with the citizen office?

– The purpose is that anyone can come here and get help with almost anything. We have “drop in” and are trying to help with as much as we can.

How does anyone get a hold of you?

– You get in touch with us by emailing or coming here.

Can anyone come to you?

– Yes, anyone can come. But it is best if young children come with an adult.

Which are the most common questions you get?

– The most common questions we get are how to get in touch with their publisher at the employment office, how to seek different support and grants or how to apply for a job. Many also want to know how to become a Swedish citizen and then want to know which rules apply.

What is the hardest thing to help out with?

– The most difficult is when families has received a refusal decision to stay or to have their family come here. We at the citizen's office can help with the application and contacts about how to do it, but we do not make the decisions, it is the migration agency that does that. And it is very difficult when you need to explain that.