“Cracking the Swedish Code” : a Case Study on Integration of Migrants by NGOs in Malmö

Abstract: The government and civil society have taken steps to combat the segregation in Malmö through integration initiatives. This thesis studies four NGO integration programmes found within Skåne Stadsmission and the Red Cross Malmö. The primary research question is: How do volunteers and employees at NGOs in Malmö work with the integration of migrants? The thesis aims to understand the role staff and volunteers at NGOs play in the integration of migrants, what perspective they have on integration, and what challenges they face. The primary material consists of interviews conducted with six volunteers and employees. The thesis uses Putnam’s Social Capital theory and finds that NGO programmes foster social networks, creating social capital that benefits migrants’ integration. The programmes are found to focus on migrants’ assimilation and conclude that a two-way process of integration is not identified, rather the programmes work by teaching migrants to navigate Swedish bureaucracy and find employment.