Filipino nurses are not allowed to stay in Sweden

Gina Olasiman was hired five years ago by healthcare company Attendo in her native Philippines. Since then, she has learned Swedish, worked as an intern at an old people’s home, passed a series of exams and finally received a Swedish identity card in January. But now the Swedish Migration Agency is stopping his plans.

About 100 Filipino nurses or would-be nurses are now at risk of deportation. They are not granted an extended residence permit in Sweden to continue working in elderly care.

– It feels terrible, I’m so disappointed. Learning Swedish, settling down, working and studying here is hard work. Now that I’ve finally passed everything and gotten my nursing license, I’m getting rejected. I had intended to stay here forever, says nurse Gina Olasiman.

He works at the Attendo Fiskebäck nursing home outside Gothenburg. Vårdfokus was there and reported in 2018 about a colleague, Crispina Domanci, who is a nurse with Swedish citizenship.

Swedish healthcare company Atendo started its recruitment program in the Philippines in 2015, followed by the Finnish part of the company, which is already up and running. In Sweden, the company employs a total of 200 Filipino nurses.

They are employed in their home country where unemployment among nurses is high. They have a four-year university education and in the Philippines it’s common to know from the first day of school that you want to explore the world. Their skills have been in demand for years in English-speaking countries such as the United States, Great Britain and Australia.

One year of Swedish study

After a year of training in Swedish, Gina Olasiman came to a nursing home in Gothenburg three years ago as a nurse trainee and now works as a nurse.

– I had to study a lot of language and law. I like working here. Our residents usually say about us from the Philippines that we are very passionate people. I am needed here in Sweden, but it does not affect the results as we are nurses, he says.

All nurses in the program have a temporary residence permit to work within Attendo when they first arrive in Sweden.

In order to obtain a work permit, foreign nationals from outside the EU must work under conditions similar to Swedish collective agreements. This was initially checked with Vårdförbundet, and recruitment was negotiated separately.

Rejection after many years

Now, after many years, when the residence permit needs to be renewed, nurses or practitioners are denied.

Fredrik Bengtsson, regional director at the Swedish Migration Agency, explains why:

– We do not consider that EU citizens are not given an adequate opportunity to apply for these services. During the notification, it was requested that one should be educated in the Philippines to be eligible for employment. He says that we do not consider that the employer has followed the existing law and regulations.

Nevertheless, the Filipino nurses accepted their residence permit for the first time and now they have been here for several years. Now up to 100 are rejected because health workers from the EU are not given the same chance to apply.

Why didn’t you find out until now?

– Now we have drilled down further into the conditions. Initially we were not aware of this project. At first glance, it looks like the company sent an ad through an employment agency in a legitimate manner and is linked to several websites in the EU.

But Sweden has a shortage of nurses, is that included in the assessment?

– No, it has nothing to do with the matter. We examine the right to a residence permit based on the law. Here, they have chosen a recruitment method that revolves around what is intended in terms of regulations. The law should not be used in this way. But of course applicants have the right to appeal our decision and have it reviewed in court.

Gina Olasiman wants to do just that with the help of a lawyer hired by Attendo.

Attendo hires a lawyer

For the Atento administration, the rejected residence permits have come as a surprise.

– We do not share the image of the migration agency, we have engaged lawyers. I don’t want to go into details. This is an ad we did many years ago. Of course we want to do the right thing, says Linda Bengtson, press manager and spokeswoman for Atento.

He says the company wants to address the skills shortage across the entire healthcare sector in Sweden. Half of the 100 victims have had time to obtain Swedish nursing certificates.

– It is very difficult for individuals, but for colleagues and elderly people in our facilities, nurses have formed valuable relationships. They are incredibly appreciated.

Gina Olasiman feels dark and hopeless right now.

– We have worked very hard and built our lives here. I have made my future in Sweden and plan to live and work permanently in my profession, he says.