Resisting the transformation of nurses into informants

October 2023

The Swedish government has proposed a law that would require public servants to report illegal immigrants to the authorities. The proposal is known as the informer law and is causing strong reactions among doctors, nurses, teachers, and other public employees who could face penalties if they fail to report suspicions of illegal residency.

The Nordic Nurses' Federation (NNF) supports aur Swedish colleagues who are pratestinga law that makes it unsafe for people in need to seek medical help. This could force nurses to report or risk penalties if they choose not to.

lf the authorities impose an informant responsibility on healthcare professionals, it will undermine fundamental values and practices within nursing. It is enshrined in the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child that anyone in need of medical care should be able to seek it without fear of consequences. International Council of Nurses' ethical guidelines have served as the standard for nurses worldwide since 1953.

Nurses are facing a difficult moral dilemma if they are compelled to deviate from the principle of providing care and medical treatment to those in need regardless of background. Our duty is to offer equitable health services based on medical needs, not immigration policy considerations.

We cannot accept people being deprived of the right to healthcare or aur colleagues being coerced into deviating from aur common ethical guidelines and the obligation to assist people in need.