Trump-Effekten: Sweden's Integration of Iranian Migrants as a Case Study for The United States

Abstract

The far-right Sweden Democrats are gaining traction ahead of the September 2018 elections in Sweden, as an increase in hate crimes has paralleled an increase in xenophobic rhetoric and politics. Sweden has accepted refugees and immigrants for several decades – a trajectory similar to what the United States is experiencing. This paper uses Iranian migrants, the second largest non-European migrant community in Sweden, as a case study of immigration and integration policies for the United States. As both liberal, multicultural countries with histories of immigration and similar political climates, I offer that the United States can learn from Sweden’s best practices so that xenophobia does not trump a humanitarian commitment. I contend that integration is a reciprocal process by both the migrant population and host society. Using a normative framework, I also evaluate the morality of Swedish immigration policy. I lay out a set of five markers of integration by which to evaluate migrants’ degree of integration: education, labor market, housing, culture and political life, and gender, to examine the role gender plays in migration and integration, particularly in the Iranian culture. Twenty-nine semi-structured interviews, coupled with quantitative data, news media, and academic literature, were used to inform an evaluation of integration and the policies and practices in place. Sweden shows the greatest success in terms of cultural integration, as opposed to economic through employment and housing, largely as a result of structural racism. Ultimately, policy recommendations for the United States in this paper center on fostering reciprocity in the integration process and more effectively addressing the needs of immigrants and refugees, namely economically and culturally, in a way that does not make integration compulsory, but also encourages a multilateral society. The United States has the avenues and resources necessary to make immigrants feel more welcome and supported, while attaining our own interests as well. This research presents an opportunity for the United States to learn from other societies facing similar challenges but utilizing different approaches.