Conditions in reception facilities

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Asylum seekers are mainly accommodated in private houses and apartments rented by the Swedish Migration Agency. Apartments are often located in a big apartment building and are considered as reception centres in the Swedish system.

The Swedish Migration Agency is responsible for supervising the accommodation of asylum seekers in ordinary flats in regular residential areas and to assist asylum seekers accordingly. The ordinary rules for the number of persons per room do not apply to asylum seekers, meaning that more people can live in a 3-room flat than is regularly the case when municipal authorities designate accommodation for citizens.

According to information from the Swedish Migration Agency, they assume that two people can share a room in an apartment when they assess how many places there should be in an apartment. In collective housing, there are individual assessments. But the conditions of the building and the property ultimately determine what is appropriate. The Swedish Migration Agency takes into account, among other things, escape possibilities, air flows in the ventilation, and how many people are allowed to share the kitchen and hygiene areas. When placing asylum seekers in temporary housing, the Swedish Migration Agency also makes individual assessments to find the right place. In some cases when there are special needs, it may be necessary for individuals to live alone, even though there are several places in the same room or residence.[1]

While there are no reports of restrictions on leisure or religious activities, there are also complaints about the lack of organised activities during the asylum procedure. In some centres, pro bono organisations offer different activities and opportunities to learn Swedish in informal ways. The government has provided considerable funding to NGOs and educational associations to provide meaningful activities for all asylum seekers and to set up venues where asylum seekers can meet other people. Activities can be beginner’s courses in Swedish, information about Swedish society and the asylum process, children’s activities and outdoor activities including sports.[2]

Since 1 February 2017, the Swedish Migration Agency is no longer responsible for organising meaningful activities for asylum seekers. This has been handed over to the County administration authorities (länsstyrelserna) in cooperation with civil society. Early intervention regarding asylum seekers involves providing activities to men and women who are seeking asylum or who have a residence permit but still live in the Swedish Migration Agency accommodation. The aim of such measures is to accelerate the integration process while the decision on the asylum claim is pending. It includes courses on the Swedish language, Swedish society and the Swedish labour market and health system. The activities are provided by different actors in the society with financial contribution and coordination by the Country administration authorities.

The average duration of stay in reception system depends on the situation of the asylum seekers concerned:

Source: Migration Agency, Monthly Statistical Report, December 2025, Dnr: 1.1.1.2-2024-17693.

[1] Information provided for by the Swedish Migration Agency.

[2] Migration Agency, ‘activities while you are waiting for a decision’, available in Swedish here.