Retreat in Multiculturalism Policies? A Case Study of Sweden's Integration Policy in the Aftermath of the Migrant Crisis of 2015

Abstract

In the last few decades, the multiculturalism backlash has manifested in Europe. Too often, the discourse on multiculturalism has been deemed a result of misguided policies. In the autumn of 2015, the entry of asylum seekers reached an unprecedented level with approximately 100,000 individuals requesting asylum in a span of just three months. As a result of the extraordinary flow of asylum seekers and insufficient domestic preparedness, Sweden implemented temporary legislation on providing permanent residence and family reunification. This change in legislation was met with vast criticism as a retreat from multiculturalism towards an assimilationist model of integration. At the same time, the far- right anti-immigration political party, the Sweden Democrats were gaining a stronger support base and changing the political landscape of the country often commended for its reception of refugees, openness and officially declared multicultural policies. Was there really a retreat in multiculturalism in Sweden as an aftermath of the Migrant Crisis? Was this retreat rhetorical and/or at a policy level as well? This research examines Sweden's integration policies post-2015 based on Stephen Castles' theoretical underpinning regarding policy reactions to immigration and an eight-part framework designed by Will...