The Long-Distance Relationship  : The Issue of Family Separation and Its Effects on Somali Integration in Sweden

Statistics regarding Somalis’ integration in Sweden, indicates that this group have a hard time to become integrated, currently being characterized by high levels of unemployment, low levels of education and as being residentially segregated. Today, many Somalis reside in Sweden separated from their family. This due to the contemporary asylum framework, which does not recognize Somali identification documents as valid evidence for proving ones identity, when applying for asylum based on family ties. The decision from the Swedish Board of Migration, and its rejection of Somali identification documents as evidence for proving ones identity, can arguably be seen to illuminate the fact that Somalia is not seen as a legitimate nation-state. This view can therefore have effects on the concerned Somalis sense of national identity and citizenship. This study investigates what consequences these two factors, stemming from the contemporary asylum framework, have on the affected Somalis ability and willingness to integrate, and if it can be seen as resulting in a state of anomie among the concerned group. This has been done by interviewing Somalis that have been subject to the contemporary asylum framework and the outcome of family separation. The findings from these interviews have then been analyzed in relation to a conceptual framework and theoretical figure, which illustrates an interrelation between the concepts of citizenship, identity and integration, furthering integration in terms of a symmetric relationship between the three concepts, while possibly resulting in a state of anomie, in case of an asymmetric relationship between the three concepts. The findings from this study indicate that the contemporary asylum frameworks denial of Somali identification documents can not be seen to have affected their sense of national identity and citizenship substantially. However, the issue of family separation can be seen to hamper the ability to integrate among affected Somalis, and can instead be seen to result in a sense of exclusion and un-representation among them, creating a state of anomie among this group