Seeking Asylum in Sweden: Who Are the Players?

July 11, 2017 | Pulitzer Center

Amy Russo

Jaana Nilsson, a coordinator at an asylum center for minors in Mölndal, stands outside housing for migrants. Image by Amy Russo. Sweden, 2017.

From left to right: Manne Fridell, Emma Nilsson, and AnnaLena Hansdotter, all employed by the Kungälv municipality. Fridell works in communications while Nilsson and Hansdotter facilitate the reception and introduction of newly arrived asylum seekers into housing centers. It is expected they will be hit with more deportation orders in the near future. Image by Amy Russo. Sweden, 2017.

Kungälv City Hall where journalist Amy Russo met with Manne Fridell, Emma Nilsson, and AnnaLena Hansdotter, all of whom are involved in the reception of asylum seekers. Image by Amy Russo. Sweden, 2017.

Sara Granath, head of migration for the Domestic Program at Save the Children's Sweden operation. Image by Amy Russo. Sweden, 2017.

Save the Children's Stockholm offices. Image by Amy Russo. Sweden, 2017.

Arido Degavro, an asylum lawyer and expert with the Swedish Bar Association, who discussed his casework with refugees and the long processing times their applications face within the Migration Agency. Image by Amy Russo. Sweden, 2017.

Mattias Karlsson, parliamentary leader of the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats, the country's second most popular political party. Its support continues to grow ahead of the 2018 elections. Image by Amy Russo. Sweden, 2017.

A government building in central Stockholm where journalist Amy Russo met with Mattias Karlsson of the Sweden Democrats to discuss his party's rise in support and its anti-immigration platforms. Image by Amy Russo. Sweden, 2017.

From those with their boots on the ground to those with a hand in policymaking, many members of different sectors shape the experience of asylum seekers in Sweden. Staffers at asylum centers care for residents each day, while lawyers are tasked with presiding over their cases, and politicos influence migration regulations at the top, for better or for worse. Portraits of some of those who were interviewed for this project appear here—each has played a unique role in the reception of refugees in Sweden.