Swedish region offers free public transport for asylum seekers

Asylum seekers living in the southeastern Swedish region of Kalmar will be offered free bus passes as part of a scheme aimed at improving integration.

It is the first initiative of its kind in Sweden and the idea is that access to free public transport will counteract isolation among refugees who live in asylum centers that are located far from town centers, Swedish Television reported.

"On the one hand, we hope to increase people's mobility and to help them establish contacts in society. On the other hand, it will improve people's well-being as they can avoid the feeling of isolation that is common among those living in refugee residences," said Lars Borgemo, department head of the Swedish Migration Agency in the town of Hogsby.

The Migration Agency already pays for asylum seekers' journeys to hospitals, healthcare centers and employment agencies. Some of those journeys are undertaken by taxi but under the new scheme more journeys will be undertaken by public transport -- at a lower cost for the Migration Agency, and for the tax payer.

The scheme will run for a one-year trial period, with a first evaluation scheduled for October.