Chilean Diaspora in Sweden

Abstract: This paper presents investigations on integration of Chilean Diaspora in Sweden. Largegroups of Chilean refugees arriving in the 1970s and 1980s in multiple waves. Sweden wasknown as a country with a very generous refugee policy allowing numerous entries to stay.Reflections are made on the refugees in the different waves, the legal view on refugee statusand the division into political and economical refugees. Interviews with Chileans how theyintegrated are included. The questions analysed are if there is any differences in integrationprocess between first and second wave and what the impact was of the first wave beingpolitical and second wave economical refugees. The paper includes a short summary of thehistorical events leading to the flow of refugees, theories behind integration and why languageand identity is important factors in the integration process. The political refugees in the firstwave had a significant influence on the awareness among the Swedish population on thesituation for Chileans after the military coup.