The police can help you if you are afraid of somebody who is beating you or forcing you to have sex or to work without payment, for example, or who steals from you. But the police must also make sure that you leave Sweden if you don’t have permission to be here.

What happens if I go to the police?

Answer: You will have the opportunity to tell them what has happened. If there are adults who are dangerous for you, the police will try to protect you and arrest those who have harmed you. They will call the social welfare service, which exists to help children. But after that, the police will also try to make sure that you leave Sweden if you don’t have permission to be here. If you tell the police that you want to seek asylum, it is up to the Swedish Migration Board to decide if you can stay.

Read more about staying in Sweden.

What happens if I’m arrested by the police?

Answer: If the police believe that you have committed a crime, they will question you. If there is an adult who is responsible for you, the police will try to get in touch with him or her. If you are under the age of 15 and it is a question of a crime which can lead to a prison sentence, the police must ask someone from the social welfare service to be present when they question you.

Can I be deported from Sweden without my parents?

Answer: Neither the police nor the Swedish Migration Board can separate a child from its parents. If there are two parents, one of them can be sent out of the country without the family, but not both. If you have only one parent, you must not be separated. If your parents have already disappeared, it is possible that you might be sent alone to some other adult or to a children's home in your home country. But it is more likely that you will be able to stay with a family in Sweden for a while.

Can the police lock me up?

Answer: If you have applied for asylum and received a “negative”, the police may have the right to lock you up for a few days because you will be sent out of Sweden. If you have turned 15, you can be arrested if you are suspected of a crime. Even if you have not committed a crime, you can be detained for a few hours before the police can hand you over to an adult who is responsible for you. If you are under 15, the police cannot lock you up. But if the social welfare service believes that you are living in a way that is dangerous for you, you can be taken in by the young people’s welfare service and placed in a family or in a young people’s home.

Can the police put me in prison?

Answer: No. But if the police believe that you have committed a serious crime, there will be a trial in a court. In that case, you have the right to have a lawyer who will defend you. If the court finds that you are guilty, you can be fined or sentenced to social service or to care at the young people’s welfare service. A child who is older than fifteen can be sentenced to imprisonment, but this is unusual. It’s also possible for you to be sent to a children's home or a young people’s prison in your home country.