SUS Standpoint: Unpredictable immigration policies weaken academic development
SUS welcomes the government’s decision to put an end to the deportations of teenagers. At the same time, the decision comes too late and does not alter the broader migration policy that continues to create insecurity and uncertainty for many students and PhD-students at Stockholm University.
Complex regulations, lengthy processing times, and recurring shifts in interpretations in migration policies make it difficult for international students and researchers to plan their future in Sweden. When individuals who have come here to study and conduct research are forced to devote time and energy to navigating migration processes rather than focusing on their studies or research, it risks affecting both their well-being and the quality of academic work. Legal certainty, predictability, and humanitarian consideration must be fundamental principles of migration policy, particularly if Sweden is to remain a country where research and education can develop at a world-class level.
Recent media coverage concerning the deportation of students and workers also risks damaging Sweden’s international reputation. Universities are and should be inherently international environments built on openness, mobility, and long-term collaboration. When migration policy is shaped by symbolic political measures concerning people’s futures, it risks undermining the international academic environment on which Swedish universities depend.
At the same time, we see that academics and international students are increasingly choosing to study elsewhere and would discourage others to choose Sweeden. When permanent residence permits are questioned and risk being revoked retrospectively, trust in Sweden as a nation in the academic forefront is eroded. Promises of long-term stability and security risk being withdrawn to meet political deportation targets. This damages Sweden’s international standing and makes it more difficult for our universities to attract and retain the expertise that both academia and society urgently need.
Sweden faces a choice: to remain an open knowledge nation that welcomes international students and researchers, or to pursue a migration policy that leads academics to choose other countries. As a student union, we advocate for a migration policy characterized by legal certainty, long-term stability, and respect for the individuals who contribute to Sweden’s academic and societal development.