Sweden pays millions of kronor for services in Somalia's government office, but the money goes to so-called ghost services with unknown whereabouts. Migration Minister Johan Forssell sees good results, while the Social Democrats demand that UN agency IOM be called to parliament. Criticism targets the minister as standing with his pants down, according to Morgan Johansson (S).
According to a Dagens Nyheter editorial, Sweden pays millions of kronor for services in Somalia's government office, but no one knows where the money actually goes. This is referred to as ghost workers or ghost services, involving payments for non-existent or unaccounted roles. Migration Minister Johan Forssell (M) has stated that he sees "good results" from the support, despite the lack of transparency.
DN has revealed that the government's aid money to Somalia is channeled through the UN agency IOM, which acts as an intermediary. The Social Democrats now demand that IOM be called to the Riksdag to account for the use of funds. "It is clear that Johan Forssell stands with his pants down," says Morgan Johansson (S), criticizing the government for lacking control.
The controversy highlights challenges with Swedish aid to unstable countries like Somalia, where corruption and poor accountability are common issues. No exact figures on the amount are mentioned in the sources, but it involves significant sums. The government has not responded to the criticism in the reviewed articles, but the debate is expected to continue in parliament.