Post-enlargement migration and adjustment in a receiving country: The case of Sweden

Abstract

Sweden’s immigration policy has changed drastically on several occasions over time. Immigration policy was very liberal from the 1860s until WW1, with no requirements regarding passports, visas or work permits, although international migration mainly involved emigration during this period in the context of Sweden, with wages lower than in neighboring countries. The policy changed in 1914 after the start of WW1, and the controls became gradually more stringent during the war, with a work permit compulsory and difficult to attain for those who wanted to move to Sweden for work. While the immigration regulation remained after the war, the requirements for those coming from other Nordic countries were made slightly less stringent. The work permit requirement in the interwar-period was motivated by the high unemployment rate, based upon the notion that jobs should be reserved for natives. The authors thank the anonymous referee as well as the editors of this volume and Per Lundborg for providing a number of suggestions that helped to improve the chapter significantly. We will also thank SIEPS for economic support making it possible to access the register data used in this chapter. We remain responsible for any mistakes still present.