Swedish Embassy Suspends 2 Over Visa Processing

Two employees at Sweden’s Embassy in Tehran have been suspended over suspicions of improper visa processing. Sweden's Foreign Ministry has been investigating irregularities at the embassy since the summer, Thelocal.se reported. "It's to do with migration questions and involves the handling of visas," the ministry's press head, Sofia Karlberg, said. Runar Hellstrom, manager at Sweden's Migration Agency Migrationsverket, explained that improper visa processing could mean, for example, that visas have been granted despite requirements not being met, or evidently incorrect documents are accepted in processing. He did not want to comment on specific cases in Iran, but said improper visa management is always a serious issue. "It means we end up in a situation where we don't know which foreign citizens are on Swedish soil. It's also an issue for Sweden's credibility within the Schengen area, so it's of course serious," Hellstrom explained.