‘Overcoming Hopelessness’: Asylum Seekers’ Experiences of Precarity and Empowerment in Sweden

Sammanfattning: Sweden has long been seen as a generous, inclusive provider for refugees, historically granting social rights on par with citizens shortly upon arrival. However, extensive recent academic literature has come to critique this perception, highlighting retrenchments and restrictive developments in asylum policy amid increasing precarity for asylum seekers. Studies have also documented mental health vulnerabilities among refugees and asylum seekers, often linked to their insecure legal status. At the same time, a critical literature has aimed to challenge prevailing narratives of the refugees as a vulnerable and politically muted group, by exploring the concepts of agency and resilience. This thesis seeks to develop this seemingly contradictory discussion. By conducting six in-depth interviews with Swedish asylum seekers from the past decade, the asylum process and settlement of seven individuals is explored. Examining themes of credibility, temporality, and resource scarcity, the research identifies significant challenges facing asylum seekers in Sweden. While asylum seekers demonstrate resilience and resourcefulness, the study reveals a diversity of distinct, structural constraints on agency, highlighting the complexity of decision-making within limited options.