The Fear of Losing One’s Children Due to Misunderstanding of the Swedish Law
The spread of misinformation about Swedish authorities targeting children with a Muslim background and the subsequent fear of losing their children among families in Malmö City has led to the launch of a new project called “Dialogue with Social Services”.
The project involves twenty social workers who have been assigned ten percent of their working time to meet Malmö residents and talk about social services. The aim is to address the concerns and have a dialogue with the community about the work of social services.
The campaign, according to several authorities, has had immediate consequences as families left the country out of fear of losing their children. There are also reports of children being kept home from preschool or not being taken to the doctor due to the fear of social services.
The project is part of an effort to close the knowledge gap about the Swedish law and the role of social services. The health promoter project, initiated by Malmö University, is also joining in the effort to spread knowledge about the work of social services.
Hoda Abbas, a health promoter in the Lindängen district, received calls from frightened mothers who feared losing their children due to the misinformation. Consequently, she organized large meetings with worried residents, to which social services and the police were invited.
The purpose of this new project is to increase awareness and alleviate concerns among the residents of Malmö. The project is also aimed at improving the understanding of how people interpret receiving a report of concern, and to assure the community that the social services are there to help and support families.
The spread of misinformation has led to a lack of trust in the authorities among the residents, which has affected their willingness to seek help. The new project aims to bridge this gap and build a stronger relationship between the community and social services.
It is important for the community to understand that reports of concern do not necessarily mean an investigation will be started, and that in many cases a visit is enough and the matter would be closed. The city of Malmö’s new project aims to provide clarity and build understanding between the social services and the residents.