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Short overview of the reception system
In Sweden, the Swedish Migration Agency is responsible for the reception of asylum seekers. It provides temporary accommodation while awaiting the decision on the application for international protection. The Swedish Migration Agency will cover the costs of accommodation if the applicant does not have enough resources.
Until 1 March 2025, applicants have in most cases been free to choose and arrange their own accommodation if they do not wish to stay with the Swedish Migration Agency, but from that date onwards staying at a designated reception centre became a condition for obtaining the daily allowance. This is a first step in realizing an aim that parties in Government and the Sweden Democrats expressed in the Tidö Agreement on 14 October 2022, which is to end asylum seekers’ rights to arrange their own accommodation. The intention is forming a system where asylum seekers must stay in accommodation centres run by the Swedish Migration Agency. There is, therefore, an ongoing process to shift from offering housing in shared flats to rooms in accommodation centres. This change in policy, and the planned steps to realize it, is further described below.
Unaccompanied minors are being channelled to a local municipality which is then responsible for the reception of the minor. No changes are announced in that regard.
The right to accommodation starts as soon as an application for international protection is made. If an asylum seeker has been living in accommodation provided by the Swedish Migration Agency, then the Swedish Migration Agency can help them secure housing once they have received a residence permit. The right to accommodation ends if the asylum seeker leaves the country, when the deadline for voluntarily departure has expired or, if no deadline is granted, once the deportation order has become final. This applies to all adults and persons not living with underaged children. Families with children and unaccompanied children may however continue to live in the temporary accommodations provided by the Swedish Migration Agency and to benefit from the right to financial support until they leave Sweden or until they have deregistered from the reception system. Also, if an applicant applies for a work permit after the rejection of his asylum claim has become effective, they will be deregistered from the reception system and will no longer be entitled to financial support nor accommodations. This also applies to family members who have jointly applied for a residence permit.
As for beneficiaries of international protection who are granted a protection status by the Swedish Migration Agency and who do not secure housing for themselves, they will be referred to a municipality who will then become responsible for arranging housing. The municipality becomes responsible two months at the latest after it has been designated and the beneficiary can remain in the Swedish Migration Agency reception centre until responsibility has transferred to the municipality. However, if the beneficiary declines the offer of moving to the designated municipality the beneficiary must immediately arrange for their own housing.[1]
The Swedish Migration Agency reception centres are mostly shared flats. Families are always given a room of their own. Single people must share a room with others of their same sex. For applicants with special needs, the Swedish Migration Agency will try to arrange an adapted living situation. People are entitled to accommodation adapted to their needs, but how this is applied may vary depending on their specific needs and the type of accommodation available. Examples of persons who may be entitled to adapted accommodation include individuals with disabilities, those suffering from physical or mental illnesses, and persons who are LGBTQI, pregnant, or elderly.[2] As described above, the policy will change in this regard, making rooms in reception centres the main alternative for private housing.
[1] The Swedish Migration Agency, ’Bosättning i en kommun’, available in Swedish here.
[2] The Swedish Migration Agency, ‘Accommodation – asylum, available here.