Restrictive Migration Policy Increases Stress and Mental Health Problems among Asylum Seekers

Following the refugee crisis in 2015, Swedish migration policy has tightened. Permanent residence permits for asylum seekers have largely been abandoned in favour of temporary permits. A new study, published in the Nordic Journal of Migration Research, demonstrates that the insecurity brought by this change has negatively affected refugees’ mental health. The article is written by Emma Holmqvist, researcher in Human Geography at IBF, and Kristoffer Jutvik, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Linköping University.

Using survey data, the researchers compared self-reported levels of well-being and stress between those granted permanent and temporary residence permits. The survey was based on the World Health Organization’s Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), but also included questions about stress linked to respondents’ own residence status and to that of family members.

“In this study, we focus on the swift and sudden introduction of temporary residence permits, which came into force on 20 July 2016. We compare the well-being of Syrian refugees who arrived in Sweden at the same time, where half were directly affected by the new legislation while the other half had their asylum applications assessed under the previous, more generous law,” says Emma Holmqvist.

The results point to a clear difference: those with temporary permits experience both lower well-being and higher stress linked to residence status. Among those with temporary permits, 83 per cent reported feeling stress about their own status. In the group with permanent permits, the corresponding figure was six per cent. A similar, though less stark, difference was found for stress related to the status of family members: 64 per cent of respondents with temporary residence reported such stress, compared with 19 per cent among those with permanent residence.

“The study also shows that stress related to other aspects of the settlement process, such as housing, work and education, appears to be similar in both groups. This indicates that it is the time-limited residence permits that lead to lower well-being, increased stress and anxiety,” says Emma Holmqvist.

According to the researchers, this means that migration policy shapes not only migrants’ legal rights but also their everyday security and mental health.

“The promotion of well-being is not only a specific objective in the United Nations’ Agenda 2030, but is also crucial for the integration of newly arrived refugees. It is important to monitor how temporary residence permits and reduced security of residence affect mental health in these groups over time. An increase in mental health problems among refugees may hinder integration, and studies in this field should therefore have consequences for future assessments of migration policy reforms in Sweden and other countries,” says Emma Holmqvist.