Refugees Policy in Sweden

 The migration crisis is a term described as including all displaced and trapped persons who need immediate relocation in the context of a humanitarian crisis. Men, women and children who are citizens of a crisis-affected country are included in the description, so they must move to a more secure country. Likewise with refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, tourists, students, diplomats and migrant workers, whether in a country with legal status or not, the situation may be regarded as a migration crisis (Martin, 2014: 12). The influx of immigrants especially refugees forced Sweden to impose tightening of rules, because it was no longer able to accomadate them. Not only for Sweden, but regionally Europe is facing the problem of refugees, the wave of refugees from outside the European region is very large. Even a number of EU member states were forced to suspend the Schengen deal due to the urgent refugee crisis. The goal is that they can enforce border tightening. Sweden is a country in which the policy aims to reduce the influx of refugees into Europe.

The Swedish government began to impose identity control on refugees as an effort to limit the number of refugees entering the country. After 2015, Sweden made the decision to restrictive refugees entering the countries, which is the condition has impact on inadequate accomodation supplies. There is a city in Sweden who have many immigrant live there, Gothenburg, and Gothenburg is famous whre an extremist stayed. The city became the choice of refugees as they did not get cheap housing rents in the city center, there are about 160.000 immigrants living in the city (www.bbc.com). As for the factors shifting Sweden’s attitude towards the influx of refugees are:

1.     Economic Factors

In 1970’s, Sweden’s open refugee policies were formulated, and in this period the unemployment rates was almost zero. The value of equality and solidarity in that moment was easy to be generous. In 21^st century, the waves of migrants have also stirred a public sentiment, one that challenges the country's image and core values of tolerance and openness. The problem came to economic growth in the 2008 when it was faced financial crisis, even more worryingly, jobs have become diffucult. Unemployment is now stubbornly stuck above eight percent. Among foreign born Sweden, the rate is twice as large (www.foreignaffairs.com). Although, Sweden has good integrating system for refugees. But, the fact when the large wave of asylum seekers in 2015 directly gave several challenges in the current system of receiving and establishing integration on Sweden society. The main issue is about employment. According to The Economist about 5% Swedish people are jobless, and the immigrant are three time as likely to unemployment. The Migration Policy Institute explained that the problem in employment has increased over time. One of them is lack of available low skilled jobs for immigrant who having low skill. It was causing the high number of jobless immigrant in Sweden (www.migrationpolicy.org).

2.     Security Factors

We can not deny that refugees may create social tensions. The tensions commonly impact on religion, ethnic, social, culture, and political aspect. Sweden who have homogeneous nation facing that tensions, the case is happened when anti-immigrant was torching of refugee shelters. Social tensions in Sweden have increasing when the terrorist attack show up. The head of terrorism research at the Swedish Defense University, Magnus Ranstorp, found out that roughly 12.000 rejected asylum seekers have gone underground, and not returned to their home countries, including 3.000 in the Stockholm region, where terrorist attack occured (www.usnews.com). It will be correlated with the main issue of concerning migration is the admission of refugees, which is Sweden has changed its asylum laws. Refugees who apply asylum seekers can only claim temporary residency rights. Because the anti-refugees was heating up, Social Democrats Sweden make restrictive law. But, the official reason from government is regarding about the high cost on facilitating refugees food and housing (www.theguardian.com). Near the end of 2015, Deputy Prime Minister Asa Romson announced stricter rules allowing the entry of refugees.

3.     Sweden Society’s React to Refugees

Sweden society’s react to refugees might be seen through their choosen on political party. The far-right Sweden Democrats (anti-immigrant party) became more popular in Sweden people which is about 12,9 percent support (www.independent.co.uk). The far-right Sweden Democrats became the ways of Sweden people who not accepting refugees through political approach. But, Morgan Johansson as justice and migration minister said that government not just see the refugees as burdens, but assets for Sweden, the fact that he can not deny is the limits of what government can handle and may have no choice but to tighten its policies in the face of an influx of asylum seekers. The right-wing populist Sweden Democrats is remaining largely political influence. The number of xenophobic demonstrations and extreme right-wing attacks on refugees and refugee centres is heat up entering 2015 (www.boell.de). The effect might be Sweden people will more concerned about violence and xenophobia issues, in this condition government will harder to convince them that social problem will not occuring along the entry of refugees in Sweden. The far-right Swedish Democrat party has called for the country to end its generosity.