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Asylum seekers receive information with regard to the reception system for asylum seekers in Sweden, including with regard to housing and allowances at the initial interview at the Swedish Migration Agency when they lodge their asylum application. Such information is provided by the reception officer of the Swedish Migration Agency. The following information is provided:
“Housing offered by the Swedish Migration Agency (accommodation centre) is either in an apartment in a normal housing area or at a centre. If you choose to live at a centre, you will need to move to a town where we can offer you a place. If you have money of your own you pay for the accommodation yourself. If you do not have any money the centre accommodation is free. Single persons will need to share a room. A family can have its own room but must expect to share an apartment with other people. It could be that you need to move around within the centre or to another centre during the processing period. If you are granted a residence permit, and are entitled to an introduction plan, the Public Employment Service can in connection with your introduction interview, help you to get housing in a municipality. If you are granted a residence permit on the basis of employment, you must arrange your own housing. If you choose to arrange somewhere to live yourself, you will as a rule be personally responsible for the cost of the accommodation. If for any reason you cannot remain living in accommodation you have arranged yourself, you can move to one of the Migration Board´s centres where there is room for you. Contact the reception unit where you are registered for further information.
Apart from food, the daily allowance should be sufficient to pay for: clothes and shoes, medical care and medicine, dental care, toiletries, other consumables and leisure activities. If you are granted a daily allowance by the Swedish Migration Agency you will receive a bank card where the money is deposited.”
This information is provided both orally and in writing. In general, other asylum seekers inform each other of more detailed aspects. Each asylum seeker also has access to a reception officer of the Swedish Migration Agency who can provide more detailed information. The number of languages documents are available in can vary from 8 up to 21 (information on the bank card). The information on housing is available in Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bosnian, Croatian, Dari, French, Serbian, Persian, Romani, Russian, Somali, Spanish and Tigrinya on the website of the Migration Agency.