Siyabend and Roni Cavdarci are both obsessed with chess.
Norran has previously reported on Sara Ghorbani, Farhood Masoudi, and their son Parham, who are facing deportation. This is due to the Swedish government’s decision to abolish the so-called track change policy. With its removal, even those who previously received a temporary work permit through track change must be deported. In total, around 5,000 people in Sweden will be affected.
And the family in Norsjö is not alone in the inland region. In Jörn, under the new law, the Kurdish Cavdarci family will also have to leave the country in October.
– This came as a shock to us and feels devastating. We had prepared ourselves to live and contribute here in Jörn and to be part of the community, says Silan Cavdarci, struggling to hold back tears.
She is comforted by Emma Prieto, site manager for the game village in Jörn, who has come to the family’s apartment together with Anna-Karin Bohman from Storträsk, chair of the Jess – Jörn’s Events and Community Services association, and Kjell Erik Andersson.
– If you’ve been granted a work permit and invested in a life in Sweden, you shouldn’t be treated like this, says Anna-Karin.
She, Emma, and Kjell Erik – like many others in Jörn – are upset about the new law.
Anna-Karin Bohman, Silan and Siyabend Cavdarci, Emma Prieto and Kjell Erik Andersson
– This seems completely insane, says Kjell Erik.
In September 2019, the Cavdarci family came to Sweden from Turkey and applied for political asylum. It was Silan and her two sons, Siyabend and Roni, who were then 12 and 9 years old. After spending short periods in Köping and Junsele, they arrived in Jörn in January 2020.
Silan had her asylum application rejected and instead applied for a temporary work permit. She had been offered a job at the Tjärdalen grill, which the owner wanted her to take over and run.
Silan Cavdarci and her cats.
– It was a fantastic offer, and I said 'yes' right away. Cooking is a passion of mine, says Silan, who previously worked mainly as an administrator in Turkey.
Today, the grill is the only place in Jörn that serves food every day.
– It’s been a boost for local residents, businesses, and visitors alike, says Anna-Karin Bohman.
"This came as a shock to us and feels devastating," says Silan Cavdarci.
The menu at Tjärdalen features both Kurdish and Turkish dishes.
– I also serve traditional Swedish food such as Pitepalt and meatballs, says Silan.
Emma Prieto and those working with game development in the area are frequent visitors to the grill.
– Silan is like a mother to all of Jörn, and losing the grill with its wide range of dishes would be a huge loss for the community, says Emma.
Both Siyabend and Roni help out at the grill after school, and the family has integrated very well into the community. Siyabend, now 18, is in his second year of the technology programme at Baldergymnasiet in Skellefteå, while 15-year-old Roni is in ninth grade in Boliden. In addition to helping his mother at the grill, Siyabend also works in elderly care almost every weekend.
– I thought Sweden needed more workers, but with this new law, the country will lose thousands of hardworking people. If the law remains in place, our lives will be destroyed when they throw us out of the country like a garbage bag, says Siyabend, who hopes to become an architect or structural engineer.
Silan is most worried about what will happen to her sons if they can’t finish their education in Sweden.
– They’ve grown up in and are completely immersed in Swedish culture. This pulls the rug out from their path into working life. They want to complete their education and become useful individuals for Sweden, she says.
The inland municipalities in Region 10 – including Norsjö, Malå, Arvidsjaur, and Arjeplog – have strongly opposed the new law. In a letter to minister for employment and integration Mats Persson (L), they stated that the decision is a heavy blow to municipalities, businesses, and associations in sparsely populated areas where population development is a matter of survival.
Their message is that it’s crucial to protect established workers and families, and that applications submitted before April 1 should therefore be processed under the previous rules.
Silan Cavdarci has worked at the Tjärdalen grill for the past four years.
One thing the inland municipalities are reacting strongly against is the short time between the decision and its implementation, along with the lack of transitional rules.
– We simply cannot accept this law in its current form, concludes Anna-Karin Bohman.