Logistics is a strategic matter. We help you create business value with innovative, sustainable logistics solutions you can rely on completely. We’ll take care of it!
A permanent job within six months, or you risk deportation. This is the reality for many of the unaccompanied young refugees who arrived in Sweden in 2015 and later completed high school here. At Speed, we have decided to try to help some of them continue their lives in Sweden.
In 2015, many unaccompanied refugee children arrived in Sweden. Long processing times meant that many of these children and young people reached adulthood while waiting, which reduced their chances of being granted a residence permit. In July 2018, a temporary law came into effect, the so-called “New Upper Secondary School Law,” which allows the Swedish Migration Agency to grant a temporary residence permit during the time these young people study in high school.
It is when high school ends that the race against time begins. The young people, who have worked hard to learn Swedish and complete school, have six months to secure a job with a permanent contract. If they are not successful, they risk deportation.
At Speed, we have decided to try to help and thereby change the lives of some of these young people. The project started in the fall of 2020, when we realized that our newly hired employee Mohsen risked deportation if he did not receive a permanent position. This became the starting point for helping young refugees, and it also initiated our collaboration with the aid organization Agape Borås, which, together with Save the Children and the Labor Administration in Borås City, provides support for employment, skills development, and psychosocial assistance through various ESF-funded projects.
Mohsen came to Sweden alone from Afghanistan in 2015. After searching for a job for a long time, he got in touch with Speed through a friend. Today, Mohsen has a permanent position in our logistics operations in Borås. And the long-awaited message of permanent residency has finally arrived!
- The job at Speed means everything to me. It has given me opportunities I would not otherwise have had. Before, I had no plans for the future, but after getting a permanent job, I dared to start thinking ahead. I am truly grateful for all the help I’ve received, that I get to work at Speed. I appreciate everything about my job, but the very best part is driving the forklift, says Mohsen.
Through the collaboration with Agape Borås, we as an employer get in contact with skilled, driven individuals with the right mindset and competence, who are at risk of deportation. And for Agape Borås, the partnership increases the chances of achieving the goal of permanent residency for the young people they support.
- Our collaboration with Speed is incredibly valuable in giving the young people the opportunity to gain a foothold in the labor market. This gives them a chance to show what they can do and an opportunity to support themselves. And not least, it gives them hope for the future,” says Kathleen, a volunteer at Agape in Borås.
A job often means far more than an income and the possibility of being allowed to stay in Sweden permanently.
- Employment means everything – for boosting their self-esteem, helping them feel part of society, and reducing social exclusion, says Kathleen.
Securing a permanent position within just six months is often tough. Even more difficult for young refugees, who often lack an adult network. At Speed, these young people, just like other new employees, start with a fixed-term position. If everything goes well, we try to offer a permanent position as early as possible to shorten the period of uncertainty.
Charlotte Damberg works at Save the Children and is the operational leader for the project “Ung Kraft” in Borås. She has followed several young people since they arrived in Sweden in 2015 and can now happily see their development.
- It is incredibly rewarding to see that the teenagers we met then are now, five years later, grown up, have finished their education, and are ready to enter the labor market. But to succeed, they sometimes need a little extra support and dedicated employers who are willing to meet them halfway. I am incredibly impressed by the efforts Speed has made for these young people, says Charlotte,
At Speed, we are very proud of the help we have managed to provide.
- I’m proud that we at Speed dare to invest in these young people, who are often not given a chance in the labor market. For us, they become an asset; they come in with great motivation and drive, and many have experience in warehousing and logistics, says Martina Lundgren, responsible for the project at Speed.
- I think it’s important that we do what we can to help vulnerable people in society. We won’t be able to help everyone, but for some, the opportunity to get a job here at Speed can be the difference between a life in safety and a life of great uncertainty. I am also convinced that this approach gives us a group of very loyal employees, says Mats Johnson, CEO of Speed.
