West
European Politics
Sweden: Multiculturalism and Its Discontents
Geddes
Model is multi-culturalism
Sweden
– through corporatist welfare state
since 1970s, but with tensions with the model in recent years
Immigration Policy
Post 1960s
Swift recognition of permanence of immigrant population
Immigration policy as ‘pragmatic and reactive’
Not a large-scale recruiter of migrant workers
until the 1960s
Main sources of recruitment were Greece, Turkey, and
Yugoslavia.
In 1965, the unexpected arrival of workers from Yugoslavia
Aliens Decree, which was issued *without reference
to the Risksdag
Migrants needed to apply for a work permit.
Swedish Immigration Board
Regulating migration and the integration of immigrants
System of controls
External controls (visas) with internal controls (residence and work permits).
Labour migration reached its peak in 1969-70.
Short
economic recession in 1972.
Again a major decision on
immigration was made without reference to Parliament.
Swedish trade unions’ Landorganisation vetoed
continued labour
migration
After
1972, four migration routes remained
1. Free
movement from Nordic council states
2. Limited
labour migration with work permits/welfare state benefits
regulated by perceptions of
Sweden’s capacity to provide employment,
housing and social support for
migrants on the same terms as Swedes
Housing was a key concern
3. Family
migration/reunification
4.
Asylum-seeking migration
BBC
Story 2001
a. ‘quota
refugees’
agreed with the UNHCR and claims under the Geneva Convention
managed by the Swedish Migration Board, Geneva Convention
b. since 1997,
Sweden also recognizes three grounds:
a well-founded fear of capital or
corporal punishment;
protection from non-state persecution (civil war, external
conflict o environmental disaster)
a well-founded fear of persecution
because of gender or sexual orientation.
Visas
have a role in the regulation of asylum
visas were required for al new arrivals from Bosnia (afer initial wave)
1997 legislation abolished the categories of de facto
refuges, war refusers and the granting of residence permits on
humanitarian
grounds
Thus, even asylum seeking became politicized since the
late 1980s
As result of "economic internationalism", i.e., globalization and
European integration
increased travel;not as remotes as it once had been
Market deregulation
Weakening forms of social control that had tightly
**Changes
affected the perception of migrations with some
development of welfare state chauvinism
Early 1980s
asylum seekers had been low
but by late 1980s reached 5000 each year
Greater
range and diversity of migrant-origin groups in Sweden
Repeats a
familiar mantra: large numbers of immigrants- or
at least the perception of large numbers given that relative size of
the
population numbers are quite small- threaten social peace
Sweden
developed dispersal policy
pre1980
Asylum seekers were accommodated in 60 of Sweden’s 284
municipalities
deemed to have suitable characteristics for reception
By 1989
277 of the 284 were involved
Concern was
mainly with the availability
of accommodation
Political
response
*Broadening
of the reception scheme exposed corporatist and
relatively insulated decision-making to a populist backlash
*Sjobo in
southern Sweden the local council refused to
participate in the refugee resettlement programme and was strongly
supported by
a local referendum in which 65 per cent
*anti-immigration
New Democracy Party played to this
anti-immigration sentiment
received 8
per cent of the votes in the 1991 national elections
Racist
attacks
1993 two Somalis were badly beaten
Local Mosque
was burnt
Government
response
Reduce ability of asylum seekers to enter Sweden while also
introducing measures to tackle racism and xenophobia, particularly
among young
people
Tried to
return those without documentation to home country
Linguistic
experts in a bid to return rejected applicants to
their countries of origin. This approach was dismissed by academic
linguistics
as flawed and unreliable
Sanctuary
movement to protect asylum seekers in response to
what was seen as draconian approach
Illegal Immigration
Small numbers because overall the Swedish State is tightly
regulated
‘spaces’ for
irregular status are small as a result
Swedish ID
system
Issued with
personal ID numbers
Date if
birth and a personal code that connects them to the
population register and tax-system
A bank
account cannot be opened or health
care accessed without this code.
Also
Due to Corporatist Structures
Trade unions and employers’ organizations
Regulated
working conditions
More
international cooperation
Regulation
of migration, or ‘burdensharing’
Immigrant Policies in Sweden
History of Immigrant Policy
1. Ethnic Homogeneity, Racism
little non-Nordic immigration pre-1945
eugenics movement as a policy of "reform"
social Darwinism
1921 Institute for Racial Hygiene created by the Riksdag
sterilizatoin for those deemed unsuitable parents continued
til the 1970s
~600,000 sterilized
2. 1945-1964 Assimilation
3. 1964-1975 Mutual Adaptation
including social and political participation for newcomers
"remarkably inclusive" compared to other countries where viewed as
temporary
corporatist arenas
bureacratized (i.e., shielded from public debate, depoliticized)
Relatively easy naturalization
High rates of naturalization
4. 1975-1985 Multi-Culturalism
full welfare state membership
local voting rights after 36 months
subsidized immigrant associations
Naturalization after 5 year
residency
mother-tongue instruction for children
Sweden: 4 Aspects of Immigrant Policy
1) swift recognition of immigrants as permanent (rather than
temporary as assumed in other European cases, e.g., Germany)
Why?
What political cultural or institutional tendencies predisposed Sweden
to this recognition and subsequent policy responses? (see 2-4 below)
2) Social democratic welfare state
founded on strongly egalitarian principles
as ethos for including immigrants into welfare state
3) corporatist policy style
stresses dialogue
drawing in immigrant communities as partners in social dialogue
4) international solidarity, commitment to
responsiblity of wealthier countries to the developing world
1985-onward: The shift away from
multi-culturalism
more emphasis on assimilation and individual responsibility
Caused by:
relative economic decline
welfare state pressures
weakening of corporatist structures
corp. structures problematic for class interests
difficult to
adapt to gender and ethnic identities
economic change
weakening of class identities
rising individualization in Swedish society/politics
Europeanization
Swedish commitment to humanitarian role
in international affairs
now tempered by its place "in Europe"
shift
in emphasis to "ethnic minorities"
(Saami,
Tornedal Finns, Swedish Finns, Roma, Jews)
deemed "national minorities" since June 1999
Council of
Europe's Framework Convention for the
Protection of
National Minorities
how are these different from immigrant populations?
Evidence of social
exclusion among immigrant pops
1994, only 40% of eligible voted (compared to
80% of Swedes)
1998, unemployment for Swedes 5.3%, 27% for
immigrants
Multiculturalism
and Its Challenges Today
EU
Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia
Swedes among most optimistic in Europe toward
minorities
2001
75% agreed that immigrants were enriching Swedish
cultural life
Story
on Fadime Sahindral's murder