Integration Policies, Practices and Experiences : Sweden Country Report

This report explores the Swedish integration policies and practices as well as their implementation as experienced by newcomers. Integration refers to the permanent settlement period that sets in after the acquisition of a permanent residence permit, or when one starts mentally adapting to the host society. Through a multilevel governance approach, it highlights how legal, political, and institutional integration frameworks in Sweden affect integration outcomes. The latter refers specifically to the way newcomers establish themselves in the new society and negotiate their new social positions. The report compiles data from different sources (academic literature, research reports, official texts, policies and other relevant texts, interviews conducted both at micro and meso level) in order to provide comprehensive insights into regulations, policies, practices and experiences of integration in Sweden. Thus, the report aims to paint an integrated picture of how different components interact and affect migrant populations. The results are also relevant for future research that will specifically include host populations. The report specifically highlights the effects of a post-migration context on mental health and psychosocial integration, while emphasizing that all areas of daily functioning, namely housing, access to education and the labour market, as well as access to citizenship and a general feeling of belonging, are interconnected and combine in a comprehensive view