Sweden to give residence permits to Syrian refugees

Syrian refugees who are granted asylum in Sweden will be given permanent residence permits, dpa cited migration officials as saying Tuesday. The Swedish Migration Board said about 8,000 Syrian nationals who earlier received three-year residency permits will be eligible to apply for permanent residence. "The assessment is that the conflict will continue for a long time," legal counsel Fredrik Beijer said. The agency estimated about 14,700 asylum seekers had arrived from Syria in 2012 and 2013. In August, it counted 1,201 cases. A permanent residence permit will also allow Syrians who have residence permits to apply for family reunification, mainly with spouses or children under the age of 18, the agency said. "For individuals, this is likely the main consequence - you can be reunited with your family," Migration Board chief Anders Danielsson told Swedish Radio.