When it comes to accepting and welcoming refugees, Sweden has always proved that among other European countries, it is considered one of the best. According to the UNHCR, Sweden is the prevalent contributor of “un-earmarked” funds. For instance, in 2016 Sweden gave 815 million SEK, which is equal to US$97 million, to the UNHCR to utilize it at its preferences. It shows that Swedish voters are not anymore alarmed about the possibility of increased terrorism than the other citizens of other EU countries are (”Wenr.wes.org”, 2019).
According to Wike, Stokes and Simmons (2016), 57% sensed that refugees would rise the probability of terrorism, and 46% felt refugees were more inclined to crime than any other group. Swedes also consider the increase of diversity within their society more positively than other Europeans, with 36% approving that Sweden will be made a better place to live by the presence of the newcomers, and also 88% condemning the EU refugee policy.
5.1. Policy reactions to refugee crisis;
According to the Swedish Migration Agency, in 2015, over 160,000 refugees looked for asylum in Sweden. It was precisely twice the number of asylum seekers who came during the previous migration wave, caused by the Balkan crisis during 1990s. It was in the same year that the Swedish Migration Agency approved to rise the number of resettled refugees to 5000, though, the guaranteeing refugee wave directed to a fivefold growth in asylum claims amongst January and December. By the end of 2015, when the Syrian Civil War worsend, 10000 refugees did enter to Sweden per week, meaning that approximately the equivalent of 2% to its population of 9.9 million was added (Mohdin, 2016).
Hofverberg and Elin (2016), believed that this sudden increase of the number of refugees would cause Sweden to implement policy changes, including stricter border checking, and worse services to make Sweden less eye-catching in the eyes of refugees, but on the contrary, Sweden did increase support for those refugees and asylum seekers who had already been settled in the country and helped integrate them faster.
In 2015 Germany received the largest number of refugees in exact numbers, however, Sweden accepted the largest amount: almost 5.3 migrants per 1000 persons. According to the Swedish Migration Agency, the number of asylum seekers soon reduced and by 2017 were closely near to 20,000. In Sweden, 18.3% of the population are now people who have been born outside of Sweden. However, the country’s traditional ingenuousness to migrants has started to change. It has led to tougher immigration regulations, while, the Swedish Social Democratic party altered its conventional left-leaning attitude more toward the center-right. This policy change is caused by the rise of the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats party, which currently would appeal over one fifth (23.9%) of Swedish votes if an election were held today, at least according to recent polls (”Migrationsverket.se”, 2019).
5. 2. Higher education reactions to the refugees crisis;
There is a possibility for an asylum seeker to study at higher education in Sweden, provided that he or she can meet the entry requirements. It must be noted that if the refugee has not been granted a residence permit yet, he or she is required to pay tuition and also application fees. Principally, in order to study the university courses at the bachelor's level, a refugee has to have already completed an upper secondary, that is, high school program, which is also required in the universities of his or her home country.
Accordingly, for studies at the master's level, a refugee has to have completed bachelor's degree. For the courses, which are presented in the English language, they need to be equipped with a particular level of English. For those studies, which have been completed after 31 December 2009, the mathematics is also a requirement (“Studera.nu”, 2019).
5.3. The process of qualifications recognition
Foreign qualifications are evaluated through the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR). The purpose of evaluation is to provide assistance for people who are looking for work in Sweden, or who are wishing to start studying, or for employers wishing to hire someone with foreign qualifications. The evaluation is done through submitting the documents in UHR website. If the refugee has a university degree, he or she can gain a document describing the equivalent of their education in the Swedish education system.
After a refugee has got this document, they can show it to potential employers, or if they
are determined to pursue their studies at upper secondary (Komvux) level or in higher education, they can contact the study counselor for receiving assistance. Additionally, if a refugee has already completed higher education or upper-secondary education, the evaluation of the application will be carried out via Antagning.se or Universityadmissions.se (the Admission System for Swedish Universities). If the refugee has an incomplete education qualification, but he wishes to pursue his studies at a Swedish university, he should contact the Higher Education Institution (HEI) which parts of her or his previous studies might be substituted (“Uhr.se”, 2019).
In October 2016, a survey has been conducted regarding the Swedish higher education institutions. In this survey, among 27 out of 40 universities who have released information about their activities associated with refugees, approximately half (48%) of them manage to launch a devoted staff position to cope with detection and authentication of foreign learning credentials. In fact, refugees have been given language-training support. Whereas 14,675 certificates have been distributed for such training in whole Sweden, 13,765 certificates have been given in the higher education institutions. Several Swedish universities are suggesting all kind of bridging programs, including a wide range of supportive procedures, from language training to invitations to review lectures, to information seminars on matters associated with navigating Swedish community, and to integration and inclusion equipped by sporting activities (Christersson, 2016).
In the eastern part of Sweden, the Umeå University offers connecting programs for refugee academics to enable them to integrate and be part of the university and society.
Also, the University of Gothenburg delivers free facilities for language studies and tests, called “Online Linguistics Support”. There is also an advising program called
“University friend” to match student advisers with refugees, and a training program to help refugees find a job on the Swedish labor market and even university positions for
“guest researchers” (Andersson, Lindén, and, Nordén, 2018).
In most of the universities language training is reinforced by a range of units, forums, educating conferences, and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), all part of the EU’s
Erasmus+ Program accompanying integration and inclusion of refugees. Stockholm University also offers free online courses in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), which has made possible for refugees to start studies.
Furthermore, with the refugee crisis in 2015, students and members of the Malmö community designed the Malmö University for Refugees, which presented seminars concentrated straightforwardly for refugees, a Swedish Language café, which has been held weekly, and a Red Cross fundraiser. Ultimately, several Swedish universities have joined with the Scholars at Risk network to endorse the integration and inclusion of refugees (European Commission, 2017).