The First Years of Syrian Refugees in Sweden in the 2010s

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the voices of refugees who came to Sweden as a result of the Syrian conflict throughout the 2010s. The presentation of immigrant voices reflecting on the integration process in this chapter is structured around major themes that migrants face. This includes reflections on life before arrival in Sweden, the language learning process, and experiences associated with attempting to develop a foothold on the Swedish labor market. Attention then shifts to the importance of professional and social networks for integration, the sense of exclusion voiced by many respondents, and encounters with the bureaucracy more generally. The chapter concludes by highlighting the resilience (sticktoitiveness) of refugees when exercising agency, and the assessments that they have of the integration experience as a whole.