Every summer, for as long as I can remember, I have traveled over the Atlantic to visit the distant countryside of Sweden. To me, Sweden is a paradise — a place where joy never seems to end. The endless bathing in perfect summer water, card games that stretch late into the night and scenery that feels unreal everywhere I look. Most of all, I cherish the time I get to spend with my family, whom I rarely see surrounding myself with people that make me want to come back the second I step back onto the airplane. That’s the Sweden I know: timeless, safe and perfect.

That’s why I was shocked when I started hearing about the other side of Sweden. Stories of bombings, shootings and other crime felt unreal to me — it didn’t sound like the lakeside paradise I thought I knew. Suddenly, Sweden felt unfamiliar, and now I have a different image of the country.

Researchers argue that these problems are in part due to Sweden’s failure to integrate migrants, which sometimes leaves unresolved cultural differences that spill over into crime and unrest. One sensitive area is gender norms. When migrants come from environments with stricter views of women, their values can clash with Sweden’s progressive culture.  

One example of this is in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index (2024), which found that many of the lowest-ranked countries for gender equality were countries where Sweden has received large numbers of migrants from.

If integration is weak, differences in cultural and gender norms may persist. In practice, this means the Swedish government needs to actively address attitudes around gender, consent and equality to prevent long-term cultural divides. This can be done through strong integration efforts.

The results can be seen in crime statistics, such as a study conducted over 21 years by researchers at Lund University which found disparities in conviction rates for people of immigrant backgrounds, even after adjusting for socioeconomic factors. In the most extreme case, men who immigrated to Sweden after their 15th birthday were more than six times as likely to be convicted of rape compared to native Swedes. The researchers emphasized that further research needs to be done to understand why the discrepancy exists.

 In addition, a United Nations multi-country study in Asia and the Pacific found that attitudes around masculinity and dominance were key drivers of sexual violence, suggesting that cultural values, not just economics, played a role.

Henrik Emilsson, a researcher at Malmö University focused on migration and integration policies, explained that Sweden has invested heavily in programs to help migrants adapt. He noted that the country requires newcomers to participate in a two-year integration program that combines cultural education and labor market training. 

“If you get protection status, you get paid to do a two-year integration program,” Emilsson said. “You learn about Swedish culture and you do some labor market training.”

I believe that most migrants are doing well and are a net positive to Sweden. But those who aren’t paint the whole group as doing poorly. Emilsson agrees.

“About 10% of the migrant group are doing less well, and if we have over one million refugees, that becomes quite a large number,” Emilsson said.

The 10% Emilsson refers to often face challenges in the labor market and cultural integration. As a result, this struggling minority is often linked to crime and unrest in public debate.

This doesn’t mean that migrants are destined to commit crimes—most do not. But it does show that ignoring cultural integration is dangerous.

As time went on, the Swedish government eventually discovered that the best course of action was to heavily reduce the influx of migrants. 

“Since about 10 years back, the Swedish government has been doing everything they can to reduce migration,” Emilsson said. “They’ve completely changed their minds.”

Denmark, Sweden’s neighbor, handled immigration differently. They forced integration, leading to significantly different outcomes.

The Danish government, aware of potential problems, introduced the Integration Act of 1999 which focused on assimilation into the labor market and culture.

One way they achieve their goals is by requiring migrants to sign individual integration contracts—a practice which began in 2006. Migrants take required language classes, participate in the labor market, learn Danish culture and aim to be financially independent by the end of the contract. If they break the contract, their benefits are reduced. In contrast to Sweden, Danish migrants’ benefits are also kept low to encourage financial independence. 

As a result, Denmark has reported stronger integration outcomes, which is reflected in their safety statistics. According to the Global Peace Index by the Institute for Economics and Peace, Denmark ranks fifth out of European countries in safety, while Sweden is ranked at 30. Denmark took the trade-off of keeping their citizens safer at the cost of offering the same humanitarian openness that Sweden initially provided.

Sweden would have benefited from a stronger emphasis on assimilation early on, in addition to enforcement of full participation. This would include additional support for those who want to contribute, and limited support for those who do not.

My family in Sweden is also concerned. In America, pro-immigration stances are seen as liberal, while anti-immigration stances are seen as conservative. My family in Sweden is very left-leaning, but they also have strong criticisms of Sweden’s migration policies. Still, compared to the U.S., immigration in Sweden deserves more nuance. Sweden has one of the most generous welfare programs in the world, and uncontrolled migration puts pressure on the system. Additionally, Sweden is very progressive, and many Swedes see immigration from countries with different gender norms as a step in the wrong direction with regards to women’s safety and independence.

To give credit, helping migrants from war-torn countries is a very noble cause, and that’s what Sweden wanted to do. They aimed to use their wealth to positively impact others in worse situations.

Migrants are an essential part of a country, and many great nations have been built on the backs of immigrants. I support migration and acknowledge that there are many positives to it. However, when a country fails to plan like Sweden did, it causes irrevocable consequences.

Next summer, when I go to college, I may study in Sweden. I know this time I won’t be safeguarded by the distant countryside. I’ll probably enjoy the same candy, swim in the same lakes and play card games late into the night, but beyond the countryside, I will still have this other side of Sweden in my mind: a nation that is not only a paradise, but a nation also wrestling with change.