Employers and their new roles in Swedish migration policy

Research problem and specific questionsSweden is increasingly making participation in the labor market an essential component of receiving permanent residency.

Such changes place employers in a critical position as they are made responsible not only employment decisions but also the legal status of those with temporary protection.

Despite this large shift of responsibility to employers very little is known about how employers themselves are responding to these changes or how they understand their new role.

Research on the larger phenomenon of non-state actors being given migration roles, known as the migration industry, has suggested that these actors are not neutral but rather bring their own preferences, priorities and values to the process.

As employers are tasked with ‘implementing’ Swedish migration policy with their hiring decisions, it raises the question of the basis on which these decisions are being made.How do employers understand and adapt to their (new) role in relation to hiring people with temporary protection status?Does the migration status of potential employees alter the decision-making of employers?

If so, how?How does the new role of employers influence the broader employment-relationship between employees with temporary protection status and their employers?Data and methodTo answer the first two questions, this project will conduct detailed semi-structured interviews with employers.

For the third research questions, this project will also interview migrants who have received temporary protection status as well as labor market actors.

Engagement with these different groups will aid knowledge building and also triangulate responses, ensuring better reliability.

Plan for project realisationThe project will be conducted over a period of three years, led by project leader Joseph Anderson (40%) and joined by Andreas Diedrich (20%) and a research assistant (20% for 20 months). Budget costs are primarily for salary and fixed indirect costs.

Additional amounts are provided for research and conference travel as well as for hosting a final symposium and publishing key findings for practitioners and end users.

RelevanceMigration has emerged as an important societal challenge and one which states have increasingly turned to the labor market to help address.

Through investigating the role and perspectives of employers, this project can help contribute to better policymaking around the conjunction of work and migration status.