A study on the potential for introducing a Community Sponsorship Program for Refugees in Sweden

The purpose of this report is to inform Swedish civil society actors and policymakers on the potential of community sponsorship.

The report aims to:
• Provide an overview of existing international (particularly European) practice of community sponsorship, including the range of models in place;

• Outline challenges and opportunities relating to community sponsorship in the Swedish context, based on interviews with key actors in the field; and

• Highlight opportunities for the development of a Swedish community sponsorship model, including design principles, the role of key actors and a suggested road map for future work.

Opportunities for community sponsorship and need for improved

The report identifies a number of opportunities for community sponsorship in Sweden, including the need for improved integration among resettled refugees; momentum for more concerted community involvement in refugee integration since the 2015 influx; the possibility of developing a community sponsorship scheme within the existing legal framework; and strong interest among some municipalities in improving integration outcomes.

There are also a number of challenges identified, notably the relatively under-developed role of civil society in integration; concerns that community sponsorship does not accord with Swedish values of non-discrimination and access to the welfare state; and the current political climate, including the risk that expanded resettlement will come at the expense of the right to seek asylum in Sweden.

Authour: Dr Nikolas Feith Tan