Moving public services to fight social marginalisation

On 10 June the government asked the Swedish Equality Ombudsman, DO, to spend until 31 October to prepare a move from Stockholm city centre to the vulnerable suburbs of Tensta/Rinkeby. The plan is for the authority to be in place by the end of 2014. Two weeks ago Tensta/Rinkeby was shaken by riots, along with many other suburbs. The government views the move as part of its integration policy and wants to use it to break a negative trend of businesses moving out of the suburbs, while also using the authority’s presence to create hope for the future.

The Swedish Equality Ombudsman, DO, fights discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief systems, physical handicaps, sexuality and age. DO employs around 100 people.