A comparative case study of Denmark and Sweden on immigration policy

Abstract

Migration is a very controversial and actively debated topic in European politics, and it has been ingrained in European society for a very long time. Migration policy varies amongst EU member states, with some countries having very liberal policies and others having very restrictive ones. This thesis seeks to explore two EU member states who stand on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to migration. The subject matter of this dissertation was inspired by two observations. Firstly, that Denmark appears to have a very restrictive, one could even say hostile, immigration policy, when compared to most other European countries and secondly, that Sweden appears to have a very open and lenient immigration policy when compared to other European countries. This thesis, therefore, seeks to explore if this observation holds true. It does so by using the similar method design. This design involves choosing cases for comparison which are like each other but have different outcomes. This thesis showcases how different Denmark and Sweden are with regards two specific areas of immigration policy, namely acquiring of citizenship and family reunification policy. It then goes on to ask why is this so? It is not because of socioeconomic factors, as the thesis proves that the two countries are highly similar in this case. This, therefore, leads to the exploration of other possible explanatory variables which are based on the political differences between Denmark and Sweden. The findings are that Denmark and Sweden do indeed vary in these areas. Therefore, through this comparative case study, it is clear to see that, even among two populations with very similar levels of education and similar socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, the attitudes among political parties, and consequently legislation, can develop very differently within the same period, and a possible explanatory variable for these changes is the differences in dynamics of local party politics.