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
