Short refugee respite to calm anxious municipalities – Sydsvenskan

The municipalities can exhale. The State assumes full responsibility for their refugee costs. The announcement tried three responsible ministers to convey to the troubled councilor around the country. But local politicians were not particularly reassured.

– Our assessment is that the flat rate is well balanced, said Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson (S), which may be criticized by councilors across the country the State refugee costs passed on to the municipalities. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg / TT

the government claims it has won for himself the massive criticism that has come against the plans sharply reduced benefits for municipalities as orderly expensive HVB homes for unaccompanied refugee children.

– We have listened to municipalities, said Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson (S) at a press conference.

But when she and Labour Minister Ylva Johansson (S) and municipal Affairs Per WINK (MP) outlined the adjustments that the government wants to do in the proposed compensation the changes were very small in comparison to what the Swedish municipalities required.

• the government postpones the controversial realignment of the compensation of six months – not two years as municipalities required.

• the government creates a fund of 80 million over two years to be used for municipalities lose revenue on the new system – a small comfort for a wide range of rural municipalities. In Scania expects Kävlinge and Staffanstorp with the 30-40 million in annual revenue when a new compensation system is introduced.

• The government allows the reduced fixed allowances previously proposed to be established – something that causes anxiety in municipalities with many unaccompanied refugee children.

– Our assessment is that the flat rate is well balanced. It covers local costs for the unaccompanied children. This is a good replacement, said Magdalena Andersson.

According to the government proposal, each municipality receives unaccompanied children under 18, the state compensation per child lowered 1900-1350 per day. Municipalities had hoped for 1700 crowns.

For unaccompanied aged 18 or over reduced the compensation to 750 kronor per day. Municipalities were hoping at 1 000.

At the same time the government wants to unaccompanied children who had reached the age of 18 must be treated as adults – and that municipal social services should not be dependent on them for 18 anniversary.

the rulings do not teach allay fears in all the municipalities in the letters to the government raised concerns that they not only forced to borrow money to make ends meet, but they may also have to raise municipal taxes by one or two crowns.

– this will be tough. It feels a little like municipalities left in the lurch, says Christian Sonesson, M-mayor of Stafford.

Ylva Johansson tried yesterday to give reassurance in the form of promises to the Migration Board’s asylum process now speeded up, the agency payments payments go faster and that the government will not allow the municipalities to pay for the Swedish refugee reception.

– this does not mean passing capitalization of costs from the state to the municipality, said Per Bolund.

Despite the government now go in to more unaccompanied children should stay at cheap stödboenden- not expensive HVB homes – is expected to cost municipalities refugees to increase over the next few years.

in 2017 increasing government expenditure for the reception of unaccompanied children 4.4 billion for the first in 2018 to turn down.