Sweden: Long waiting times for asylum seekers delay integration

A new study from the Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy (IFAU) explores the impact of waiting for asylum on integration. The study builds on the fact that there was a rapid increase in processing times for asylum seekers in Sweden in 2014.

The study finds that longer waiting times slow down the integration process and affect labour market outcomes for an extended period. According to the data gathered by researchers: "accumulated earnings during the first four years after application [for asylum] are 2.3% lower per added month of waiting".

According to the study, and contrary to what might be expected, there was no evidence that longer waiting times had any detrimental effects on psychiatric or other forms of health.