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Asylum Reception Centres in Sweden After the 2025 Reform: How Location Shapes Asylum Seekers’ Well-Being and Integration Outcomes

Chu, Valerie LU (2026) SGED10 20261
Human Geography
Department of Human Geography
Abstract
Sweden restructured its asylum reception system in 2025, shifting from a model that allowed asylum seekers to arrange their own accommodation towards one that encourages residence in centrally managed facilities operated by the Swedish Migration Agency. This study examines how the location of eleven reception centres operating after the reform affects asylum seekers’ well-being and integration outcomes. The analysis combines nine interviews with former residents of reception centres and a descriptive spatial analysis. It identifies public transport, language learning opportunities, and civil society organisations as key resources that influence well-being and integration. Accessibility to these resources partly corresponds to the level of... (More)
Sweden restructured its asylum reception system in 2025, shifting from a model that allowed asylum seekers to arrange their own accommodation towards one that encourages residence in centrally managed facilities operated by the Swedish Migration Agency. This study examines how the location of eleven reception centres operating after the reform affects asylum seekers’ well-being and integration outcomes. The analysis combines nine interviews with former residents of reception centres and a descriptive spatial analysis. It identifies public transport, language learning opportunities, and civil society organisations as key resources that influence well-being and integration. Accessibility to these resources partly corresponds to the level of urban centrality of reception centres (urban, suburban, or peripheral). Urban centres generally provide stronger overall access, particularly regarding language learning opportunities and civil society support, while several non-urban centres demonstrate strengths in specific resources. However, in peripheral centres where both mobility and on-site services are limited, asylum seekers often experience social isolation and restricted opportunities for integration. Although based on a small sample, the results reveal an uneven and context-dependent geography of integration support across asylum reception centres in Sweden. (Less)
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author
Chu, Valerie LU
supervisor
organization
course
SGED10 20261
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
asylum reception centres, spatial accessibility, integration, urban centrality, Sweden
language
English
id
9234677
date added to LUP
2026-06-15 11:28:55
date last changed
2026-06-15 11:28:55
@misc{9234677,
  abstract     = {{Sweden restructured its asylum reception system in 2025, shifting from a model that allowed asylum seekers to arrange their own accommodation towards one that encourages residence in centrally managed facilities operated by the Swedish Migration Agency. This study examines how the location of eleven reception centres operating after the reform affects asylum seekers’ well-being and integration outcomes. The analysis combines nine interviews with former residents of reception centres and a descriptive spatial analysis. It identifies public transport, language learning opportunities, and civil society organisations as key resources that influence well-being and integration. Accessibility to these resources partly corresponds to the level of urban centrality of reception centres (urban, suburban, or peripheral). Urban centres generally provide stronger overall access, particularly regarding language learning opportunities and civil society support, while several non-urban centres demonstrate strengths in specific resources. However, in peripheral centres where both mobility and on-site services are limited, asylum seekers often experience social isolation and restricted opportunities for integration. Although based on a small sample, the results reveal an uneven and context-dependent geography of integration support across asylum reception centres in Sweden.}},
  author       = {{Chu, Valerie}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Asylum Reception Centres in Sweden After the 2025 Reform: How Location Shapes Asylum Seekers’ Well-Being and Integration Outcomes}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}