The legislative consultation system

In the policy field of immigration, for the period before 2015, we have selected a legislative draft concerning the introduction of financial and material requirements for family reunification (Regeringens proposition 2009/10: 77). Its basic premise is that the applicant is required to show the ability to financially and materially support the family members entering Sweden (through ‘proper’ accommodation). As one of the last EU countries, Sweden introduced its first pre-entry admission policy targeting family members in April 2010. The government’s rationale with the policy was declared as ‘improved integration,’ both for the person already in Sweden as well as for the new family members. From a proponent’s point of view, the policy proposition is seen as an incentive for employment and self-sufficiency. The policy’s target group was a small group of people receiving subsidiary protection (Suter & Qvist 2012).

For the period after 2015, the legislative draft concerning a temporary reduction of ways to get a residence permit in Sweden was selected. The proposal suggested a number of restrictions to obtain a residence permit in Sweden for a period of three years Qune 2016-June 2019). The proposal contained suggestions to issue temporary residence permits to applicants in all categories of protection statuses as well as to severely limit family reunification, among others, by extending the financial and material requirements to more protection groups (except for resettled refugees). This policy measure effectively reduced Sweden’s asylum policy to the EU minimum standard, and was seen as a very drastic measure (see also Bevelander &. Hellstrom 2019).

For the policy field of integration, for the period before 2015, we have studied normative expressions in the legislative consultation process on a major shift in integration policy, the so-called Establishment Reform [etableringsrefor-men]. The policy proposal constituted a major administrative reform that shifted the responsibility for the integration of newly arrived immigrants from municipalities to the state. Furthermore, it expressed very clearly the responsibility for integration (which is understood as becoming employable) to lie with the individual immigrant rather than with the receiving society.

For the period after 2015, we have selected a legislative draft containing a number of suggestions to reform the regulations of the establishment system (not the system itself), aiming at facilitating and quickening the integration process of newly arrived immigrants (i.e. those who received a residence permit) with regards to participation in the labor market and society. The main reason behind the legislation named was to simplify the administration of the system. However, the document also contains several references to the Employment Services’ increased possibility for financial sanctions against individuals as well as an increased mandate to decide on an individual’s activities (less so for newly arrived immigrants). It is noteworthy that no reference is made to the events of autumn 2015, nor to the high number of asylum seekers in the reception system.

The two most recent pieces of legislation (the legislative draft prop. 2015/ 16: 174 and Ds 2016: 35) can be seen the government’s reaction to the increasing number of people seeking refuge in Sweden during 2015.

Table 11.1 Selected legislative drafts in the policy fields of migration and integration, before and after 2015

The two consultation processes in 2009 took place during the early years of the liberal-conservative coalition government in Sweden (2006-2014), and were initiated by the government (consisting of the Liberal, the Centre Party, the Moderate, and the Christian Democratic Party). The consultation processes in 2015/16, on the other hand, were initiated by the ‘red-green’ government, a coalition between the Social Democratic and the Green Party, with external support from the Left party (2014-2018). This coalition government remained in power after the 2018 election but with the support of the Liberal and Center Party. As stated above, all four legislative and administrative changes have starkly shaped the policy fields of migration and integration in the last decade. They are, therefore, highly suitable to explore Swedish CSOs values on these two matters and to answer questions of potential value transformations before and after the high number of refugee arrivals in 2015.