The evolution of Swedish migration legislation

The article discusses the main trends in the evolution of Swedish migration legislation. Over several decades, the Swedish Kingdom has become a heterogeneous society. This was due to the economic and social transformations that took place in the country during that period. The main source reflecting the transformation of different spheres of society is legislation. It is possible to identify the basic needs of Swedish society at different stages of development and understand the further dynamics by analyzing the legislative process. During the migration legislation evolution analysis, two stages of its formation were identified: the stage of diversity and the stage of restriction. It was revealed that migrants and refugees from Muslim countries were the determining factor in the adoption and change of the regulatory framework. The first stage lasted from the 1950s to the 1980s. During this period, the formation of a migration base took place, which at the same time had to regulate and control flows, but at the same time stimulate them. This policy was associated with the increased economic needs of the society. During this period, the first associations of migrants began to form. The second stage lasts from the 1980s to 2015. During that period, there were attempts to tighten the migration base and attempts to create an effective integration policy. This was caused by the international conflicts, and as a result there was the increase in the number of refugees. The Swedish Kingdom joined the European Union, which became an important stage in the evolution of migration legislation. An increase in the number of refugees, especially from Muslim countries, occurred in 2015, due to a number of conflicts taking place in the world. Since 2015 the Sweden’s policy has changed dramatically. The country has moved away from its "open door" tactics and the status of a "humanitarian superpower" towards the policy of stricter legislation. Since 2016, we can talk about a new stage in the formation of migration policy, which has been based on the desire to preserve the "welfare society". At the same time, the Swedish Kingdom is not going to refuse the refugees and migrants’ reception, the legislation has only been tightened towards effective integration and limited migration. The following methodology was used in the work: content analysis, statistical method and comparative historical analysis.