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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.
The first step in the Government’s reform of the reception system entered into force on 1 March 2025 for individuals submitting a new asylum application, and on 1 September 2025 for those already registered in the reception system. Prior to this, applicants had generally been free to choose and arrange their own accommodation if they did not wish to reside in facilities operated by the Swedish Migration Agency. From the dates above, however, residence in a designated reception centre became a condition for receiving the daily allowance. This is the initial phase 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 and an increased monitoring of asylum seekers during the asylum process and in return procedures. 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.. 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 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.
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 accommodation provided to asylum seekers by the Swedish Migration Agency generally takes the form of reception centre housing. Families are always given a room of their own. Single people can 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]
[1] The Swedish Migration Agency, ’Bosättning i en kommun’, available in Swedish here.
[2] The Swedish Migration Agency, ‘Accommodation – asylum, available here.