Integration challenges of migrants to Sweden: A lived in experience perspective

Mitra, Amit; Evansluong, Quang

Abstract

At a time when migration to different countries in the world is growing rapidly, research on how migrants integrate into host countries is becoming critically important. Integration of migrants into a host country is a complex construct involving many different dimensions of engagement. Perspectives on integration differ between the migrants, the government of the host country, as well as the nationals of the host country. Sweden is no exception to this. There is a gap between the state’s and migrants’ conceptualisation of what integration actually is. While integration can make migrants feel as if they are being made part of the host country, at the same time there are many experiences which can also make the migrants feel undervalued, desolate and without a genuine perception of identity. This paper by adopting Erdal’s (2013) classifications of structural and socio-cultural integration as a lens, examines the lived in experiences of migrants to Sweden. While there is no single yard stick to measure integration, we have focused on identity, belongingness, and transnationalism as dimensions through which we assessed interview data. Evidence for the paper was collected through interviews of migrants of different ethnic groups, background and demographics in Sweden. The research for the paper points to integration as something that is nuanced, partial, fluid, and complex. Of how being ‘integrated’ is never final – things can happen to make you ‘unintegrated’ once more. Integration is an ongoing – and often only ever a partial process.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Organising migration and integration in contemporary societies conference
• Start Date: Nov 22, 2023
• End Date: Nov 24, 2023
• Deposit Date: Dec 6, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 6, 2023
• Keywords: integration, migrants, identity, belongingness, transnationalism
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11490583