Save the Children has voiced serious concerns about the safety of children at a return center in Märsta after an incident occurred in a public area, which reportedly prompted medical staff to alert the police. Although the exact nature of the crime and the involvement of children remains unclear, Josefine Paulsen, a child psychologist at Save the Children, emphasized that their worries have heightened as they view the issue as part of a broader ongoing problem rather than an isolated event.

In response to the incident, the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) stated that it does not represent a larger security issue at the Märsta center. However, Save the Children disagrees with this assessment, insisting that there have been ongoing problems that require urgent attention. Paulsen indicated that this is not a new situation and that the welfare of the children at the center should be prioritized, hinting at a pattern of neglect in addressing their safety concerns.

To address the situation, Migrationsverket has implemented several measures aimed at enhancing safety at the facility, including increasing security presence and deploying more guards on-site. Joakim Jansson, the assistant regional director at Migrationsverket, indicated that these efforts are part of their approach to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future as they take the concerns raised seriously and are committed to ensuring a safe environment for the children at the center.