Sweden's new "snitch law" compels public-sector workers to report undocumented migrants to police. Healthcare staff are formally exempt, but doctors fear they may still give patients away
Two new laws aimed at cracking down on undocumented migrants are raising serious concerns among healthcare workers in Sweden, who fear they could be required to report patients without legal status to the authorities, either directly or indirectly.
On 15 June, the “snitch law” was approved by the Swedish parliament. Coming into force on 16 July, the legislation forces public sector workers at six government agencies to report undocumented individuals they encounter to the police.
Although healthcare providers are not required to report under the new law, there now seem to be cases when healthcare workers in their profession could give away undocumented people involuntarily
“This is very unfortunate. We are afraid that people won’t show up for their treatment, or will wait until their conditions have worsened,” Christofer Lindholm, chair of the Swedish Medical Association’s Ethics and Accountability Council, told Euractiv.
