"About 300 refugees, mostly Syrians, try walking across Denmark in order to get to Sweden, which since 2003 has an effective plan to host the Syrians fleeing the civil war. An estimated 15,000 refugees of that nationality came to Sweden in 2015 so far, "says RFI Spanish, a Spanish newspaper.

One reason to get into Swedish territory is the existence of a large Syrian colony in Sweden, so many of them have relatives or friends there.

The National Audit Office of Sweden between 2011 and 2014 examined government initiatives for the introduction of immigrants who want to settle in the country on business, as well as for those seeking asylum.

Despite the fact that Sweden is "highly qualified in terms of job opportunities for immigrants," the watchdog said the policies "are not effective enough" and "changes" are needed.

First, the report argues that "there are big differences in terms of employment between natives and foreigners", specifically in what refers to gender issues. It is men originating from another place "take between three and seven years in entering the labor market", while women in the same situation have trouble "between nine and 11 years."

Importantly, "the number of asylum seekers in 2014 was 81,000 people", which is an "increase of 50% compared to 2013". It is estimated, according to calculations the Swedish Immigration Agency, this figure will remain in "high levels in the coming years."

The increase of refugees in the Scandinavian country "put considerable pressure on the reception and settlement systems", two issues that make the integration.

Newcomers can be an important addition to the workforce, but this involves a quick and friendly establishment in the labor market. Since 2010, the Public Employment Service in Sweden has the "responsibility to municipalities to coordinate the introduction of new arrivals." The aim is "to increase the focus on the work" and, therefore, "accelerate the establishment" of new arrivals.

No Room

Now, why does the Watchdog consider that the initiatives "are not effective enough"? The answer is determined by two factors: the shortage of housing in the Nordic country and education of immigrants.

With regard to the first question, the report states that "the introduction for refugees is faster in metropolitan areas", even though there "the housing shortage is most remarkable." In fact, 90% of these municipalities claims to have "deficit" housing; Sweden as a whole has 40% of homelessness for immigrants.

Many of the newcomers are young, "but have insufficient schooling for what is required in the Swedish labor market," which means that the introduction of immigrants is "harder". More than a third "has less than nine years" of study.

Meanwhile, for people with higher education, "deadlines for delivery of equivalence" of their studies "are very long," what constitutes "significant loss of revenue for both foreign and society, as well as for the public finances." "The validation of the professional title in many cases, can be an effective measure, but is still seriously underutilized," said the monitoring body.

The Swedish Audit also noted that those seeking entry to the country "do not have access to civic orientation (professional) that municipalities are required to offer" nor an "opportunity to participate in the Swedish government program for Immigrants (SFI)."

Time for Immigrants

The auditors found that the average time for processing an application for asylum cases "increased from 108 days in 2012 to 142 days 2014". This situation is compounded once you are granted a residence permit, "they have to wait long to be greeted by a municipality."

That's why the "measures of establishment cannot start" and immigrants "are frustrated because they cannot begin to settle down."

For all this, the Audit ensures that government policies regarding the reception of asylum seekers "are not effective enough." In this scenario, "best divisions of responsibility and cooperation of the actors need to improve," concludes the report.

Migration Data

In 2014, 81,300 people applied for asylum in Sweden. This number is twice that of 2013.
Most people who migrated came from Syria and Eritrea.

Asylum seekers may be received by the Swedish Migration Board or organize their own accommodation. More than 85% choose the second option, after receiving a residence permit.