The decision to bring in stricter citizenship rules is by far the chief factor pushing readers who answered our survey to leave Sweden, followed by problems integrating and socialising, slow permit processing times, and the high cost of living.
Of the 45 respondents who were considering or had already decided to leave Sweden, 13 cited stricter citizenship rules as the main reason.
Seven of those who were considering or who had already decided to leave also cited an increase in racism and xenophobia, both in public attitudes and government policy, seven also mentioned the high taxes and cost of living, seven mentioned slow processing time for work permits, and, completely coincidentally, yet another seven mentioned the lacklustre social life and trouble fitting into society.
Muhammad, a software engineer based in Uppsala who works for Spotify, complained that he had spent five years in Sweden, bought an apartment, and in one year paid more than 1.5 million kronor in taxes, but still had no idea when, if ever, he would be able to get citizenship.
“The uncertain waiting time for the citizenship application processing is such a turn off,” he wrote. “Applying the new rules retroactively is basically a bait-and-switch on Sweden’s part. I’m questioning whether I should stay in a country where I’m not valued, nor even recognised.”
Another senior software developer, from Lebanon, who wanted to remain anonymous, made a similar point.
“By making the path towards citizenship uncertain and breaking previous social contracts by continually moving the goal posts,” he argued, “Sweden has signalled that its long-term policies are unstable and unreliable.”
“I’m not sure about the future here, as laws are getting applied retroactively,” added another top software developer from Iran. “In a few years they might increase waiting for citizenship from 8 years to 12, who knows?”.
“Retroactive rule changes destroy trust,” summed up a software developer from the US.
Advertisement
Racism and integration
Many respondents said they had also been put off by the growing anti-immigrant attitudes in Swedish society and a growing sense that they would never really be accepted.
“The general attitude and narrative in society seem to be changing. While we know that most people here are kind, we still don’t feel that we’ll ever truly integrate or be fully accepted in Swedish society,” said an Indian family based in Gothenburg.
The software developer from Iran said he was thinking of moving to the UK due to a “feeling that I’m not wanted and will never be seen as a Swede in this country, no matter how successful I become”.
A Russian data analyst based in Stockholm said she had found the city surprisingly difficult to settle in.
“I found it difficult to live in Stockholm after living in much bigger cities where many things are available and life is just in general more vibrant and active,” she said. “Although I was alone most of my life, I never felt truly lonely until I moved to Stockholm. It’s really hard to make connections there.”
“We are lonely and miserable here,” agreed a South African woman based in Östergötland. “People are so closed off and unfriendly. You can never make true friends – the connections are very superficial and surface level.”
A Colombian teacher based in Stockholm described a similar experience.
“Social life here is quite hard if you don’t already have a network,” she said. “The social tension between Swedes and non-Swedes is sharp and very depressing for us who have no family in Sweden. There is no real sense of community here.”
The Indian family were, however, quick to stress the “many wonderful things” about life in Sweden, such as family-friendly policies, good work-life balance, and access to nature.
“Still, the cost of these benefits is high in many ways. You don’t really notice certain aspects until you start integrating into the system ‒ when life goes beyond bachelorhood and you have a partner or children, when you begin going to parks, open preschools, or the barnvårdcentral [children’s health centre]. That’s when the differences become more visible.”
Advertisement
Long waiting times
Seven respondents said that for them the deal breaker had been the long waiting times for a work permit, in particular the fact that you cannot leave Sweden while waiting for a work permit to be renewed.
“I finished my PhD here, smiled, and felt relieved. I got a great job here, but I haven’t received a residence permit yet and cannot leave the country,” explained Jonathan, a data scientist based in Malmö. “The fact that there is nothing I can do to speed up the process, and that I must just wait, means I must give up on Sweden. Sad.”
“I’ve lived here for seven years, have three kids who are Swedish citizens, but have been waiting for four years for my work permit extension, which has now been denied and I’m appealing to the migration court,” complained a US citizen. “This has meant I haven’t been able to leave the country for one-and-a-half years and if the appeal is denied I’ll be forced to wait for a new visa, either abroad or under the condition of having to stay put in Sweden. It just doesn’t seem like a workable solution.”
Advertisement
Cost of living/tax rates
Several respondents said they felt they would have a better chance of saving money living elsewhere.
“Building wealth is not a possibility around here as the cost of living is super high,” said an Indian woman who planned to return home. “Also the uncertainty in the job market and emphasis on learning the local language on getting access to most of the jobs is a big drawback.”
“It is noticeable that for the last two to three years I have not been saving much and the rhetoric around foreigners and racism which is increasing is making me see my long term stay in a blurry way,” said a respondent from Serbia.
“There are several other locations that offer a better standard of living and better compensation where I would feel welcome,” agreed a software developer from Barbados who has been living in Sweden for seven years.
Advertisement
Worsening crime and failed integration
While most respondents complained that immigration laws in Sweden were too strict, others worried that they were too lax, leading to worsening crime rates.
“There are too many unskilled immigrants and asylum seekers – just look at the unemployment rate, which is disproportionately foreign born,” said one respondent from Asia. “I don’t want to pay taxes for freeloaders.”
“I see many problems with integration, crime, and drug use in Swedish society that make me wonder if things won’t be worse here than the US in a few years,” said Rajan Singh, a software engineer from the US.