The trial against six municipal politicians in Staffanstorp began on Tuesday, charged with gross dereliction of duty following a quota refugee ban decision. A Syrian quota refugee family was left alone at Malmö Airport in 2022, and the prosecutor believes the politicians abused their positions. The family now seeks vindication in court.
On May 12, 2022, a Syrian quota refugee family landed at Malmö Airport, but no one from Staffanstorp municipality was there to meet them. The family, consisting of Hasan Al-Hariri, Yasmine Al-Fadel, and their sons Ali and Mohamad, sat alone on a bench in the arrivals hall. The municipality had recently decided on a quota refugee ban, leading the Migration Agency to cancel the assignment. The family was instead received by Vellinge municipality.
The decision followed a chairman's proposal written by municipal executive chair Christian Sonesson (M), and was later reported to the police. The preliminary investigation dragged on for years, but now the trial against Sonesson and five other politicians has begun in Malmö District Court. Prosecutor Magdalena Petersson argues that the decision violates the settlement law and that the politicians seriously abused their positions, with consequences for both individuals and society.
The defense counters that refugee reception is not the municipal executive's responsibility, but the labor market committee's, and that the Migration Agency canceled the assignment before the family arrived in Staffanstorp. During the first day of hearings, Al-Hariri's parents testified about the events.
Eldest son Ali Al-Hariri, who was not present, expresses pride in being among the first to stand against the politicians. “We are the first to dare stand against the politicians in such a situation,” he tells Sydsvenskan. The family now lives in Malmö: Ali is studying Swedish and aims to become a biomedical analyst, father Hasan is training in HVAC, mother Yasmine is taking SFI classes, and little brother Mohamad is in ninth grade.
Ali emphasizes the importance of vindication: “Even though the politicians made the decision and hurt me, the state has stood up for my rights.” The trial's outcome is uncertain, but morally, several politicians have evidently abused their positions, according to an editorial in Dagens Nyheter.
