2024-05-152023/24:AU7 · p.9AULabour market
Civil society's importance for integration
The role of civil society in integration work
What's at stake: Civil-society organisations have networks and knowledge that can help newcomers into working life and society. How the state's funding to civil society is designed affects these organisations' ability to build long-term partnerships in integration work.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the government should commission an inquiry into how civil society's role in the integration process can be strengthened, including through changes to state funding, or whether current work and reporting in the area are already sufficient.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motion. It points to the budget bill's results reporting on state funding to civil society, including long-term funding, and assesses that developments in the area are moving in a positive direction, so a further inquiry is not considered necessary.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 15 (C)
The reservation (C) wants the government to commission an inquiry into how a larger part of the integration process can take place in cooperation with civil society, including by reviewing how state funding to civil society is allocated in order to create long-term partnerships. The reasoning is that civil society plays an important and underestimated role in receiving newcomers, and that - unlike the committee - the reservation's author does not see funding developments as unambiguously positive.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 15 by C.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: KDKristdemokraterna, LLiberalerna
Ja 284–19Ja 253–50
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | Yes 93/0/0/13 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 16/0/0/2 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | No | No 0/19/0/5 | match | confidence: medium | explicit |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 17/0/0/2 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| M | Yes | Yes 60/0/0/8 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Yes 61/0/0/11 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects motion 2023/24:2491 by Jonny Cato et al. (C) point 25.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2023/24:2491 av Jonny Cato m.fl. (C) yrkande 25.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 50 integration proposals. The motions were submitted during the general motion period 2023 and concern, among other things, the Settlement Act, the establishment program, and social exclusion. The Riksdag's rejection of the motions is primarily due to ongoing work and existing regulations.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants greater consideration of individual criteria when placing newly arrived migrants and to allow municipalities with good labor market conditions to receive more. (C) — Reservation 15
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan builds political change on broad, independent popular movements and wants to secure good conditions for associational life.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan builds political change on broad, independent popular movements and wants to secure good conditions for associational life. At the same time, establishment according to the plan depends on a strong welfare society that provides language skills and practical opportunities to work. To investigate how a larger part of integration work can be done in cooperation with civil society, with long-term funding, does not conflict with this but strengthens it.
Original (Swedish)
Planen bygger politisk förändring på breda, självständiga folkrörelser och vill säkra goda villkor för föreningslivet. Samtidigt är etableringen enligt planen beroende av ett starkt välfärdssamhälle som ger språkkunskaper och praktiska möjligheter att arbeta. Att utreda hur en större del av integrationsarbetet kan ske i samverkan med civilsamhället, med långsiktiga bidrag, står inte i strid med det utan förstärker det.
- support independent popular movementsdecisive»självständiga och demokratiska folkrörelser är därför en grundpelare i« (party programme ↗)“independent and democratic popular movements are therefore a cornerstone in”
- popular movements drive change»Det är tillsammans med folkrörelser som Vänsterpartiet driver fram förändringar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is together with popular movements that the Left Party drives forward change.”
- welfare bears establishment»som ger alla språkkunskaper och praktiska möjligheter att arbeta« (party programme ↗)“which gives all language skills and practical opportunities to work”
- broad anti-racist movement»Vi vill vara med och bygga en bred antirasistisk« (party programme ↗)“We want to be part of building a broad anti-racist”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto points out civil society's staff as crucial in the work against segregation and recruitment, and the party programme wants policy to be shaped in dialogue with civil society and for its conditions to be good.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto points out civil society's staff as crucial in the work against segregation and recruitment, and the party programme wants policy to be shaped in dialogue with civil society and for its conditions to be good. Reviewing how state grants can create long-term partnerships in integration work follows that line. However, the plan does not address the structure of grant-giving.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet pekar ut civilsamhällets personal som avgörande i arbetet mot segregation och nyrekrytering, och partiprogrammet vill att politiken formas i dialog med civilsamhället och att dess villkor är goda. Att se över hur statliga bidrag kan skapa långsiktiga partnerskap i integrationsarbetet följer den linjen. Planen uttalar sig dock inte om bidragsgivningens konstruktion.
- civil society in integrationdecisive»Avgörande för att bryta nyrekryteringen är det viktiga arbete som personal inom skola, socialtjänst och civilsamhälle utför.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Crucial for breaking recruitment is the important work conducted by staff in schools, social services and civil society.”
- strong civil society»Ett starkt och levande civilsamhälle är demokratins underbyggnad.« (party programme ↗)“A strong and living civil society is the foundation of democracy.”
- civil society as actor»Genom sina verksamheter har civilsamhället en viktig uppgift att balansera« (party programme ↗)“Through its activities, civil society has an important task to balance”
- better integration»Integrationen måste förbättras och samhörigheten öka.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Integration must improve and solidarity increase.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan assigns civil society a central role and wants politics to make visible, support and encourage its efforts, and that idea-driven organizations are promoted.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan assigns civil society a central role and wants politics to make visible, support and encourage its efforts, and that idea-driven organizations are promoted. It also establishes that the state and municipalities jointly bear responsibility for people who come to Sweden to get a good start. To investigate how a larger part of integration work can take place in cooperation with civil society and how grants can create long-term partnerships thus lies in the plan's line.
Original (Swedish)
Planen tillskriver civilsamhället en central roll och vill att politiken synliggör, stöder och uppmuntrar dess insatser, samt att idéburna organisationer främjas. Den slår också fast att staten och kommunerna gemensamt ansvarar för att den som kommer till Sverige får en bra start. Att utreda hur en större del av integrationsarbetet kan ske i samverkan med civilsamhället och hur bidragen kan ge långsiktiga partnerskap ligger därför i planens linje.
- support for civil society's effortsdecisive»Politiken bör på olika vis synliggöra, stödja och uppmuntra sådana insatser.« (party programme ↗)“Politics should in various ways make visible, support and encourage such efforts.”
- joint responsibility for reception»Staten och kommunerna har ett gemensamt ansvar för att människor som kommer till Sverige ska få en bra start i landet.« (party programme ↗)“The state and municipalities have a joint responsibility for people who come to Sweden to get a good start in the country.”
- promote idea-driven organizations»Vi vill främja sociala företag, andra alternativa driftsformer och idéburna organisationer.« (party programme ↗)“We want to promote social enterprises, other alternative organizational forms and idea-driven organizations.”
- strengthened cooperation with civil society»lätta på sekretessen mellan områdespoliser, skola, socialtjänst och stärka samarbetet med civilsamhälle så att inga barn faller mellan stolarna i det förebyggande arbetet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“ease secrecy restrictions between neighbourhood police, school, social services and strengthen cooperation with civil society so that no children fall through the cracks in preventive work.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan explicitly states that civil society's role in bringing people together and improving integration is invaluable, and that policy should involve civil society in more processes.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly states that civil society's role in bringing people together and improving integration is invaluable, and that policy should involve civil society in more processes. Investigating how a larger part of integration work can take place in cooperation with civil society and how contributions can create long-term partnerships is a direct implementation of that commitment. The plan's integration line is also based on practice and rapid establishment, where civil society is a natural actor.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger uttryckligen att civilsamhällets roll för att binda samman människor och förbättra integrationen är ovärderlig, och att politiken bör involvera civilsamhället i fler processer. Att utreda hur en större del av integrationsarbetet kan ske i samverkan med civilsamhället och hur bidragen kan ge långsiktiga partnerskap är en direkt tillämpning av det åtagandet. Planens integrationslinje bygger dessutom på praktik och snabb etablering, där civilsamhället är en naturlig aktör.
- civil society in integrationdecisive»Civilsamhällets roll för att binda samman människor och förbättra integrationen är ovärderlig.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Civil society's role in bringing people together and improving integration is invaluable.”
- involve civil society»Politiken kan stödja civilsamhället genom att involvera det i fler processer« (party programme ↗)“Policy can support civil society by involving it in more processes”
- civil society's integration role»Det är viktigt för personlig utveckling, social hållbarhet, integration, demokratisk fostran« (party programme ↗)“It is important for personal development, social sustainability, integration, democratic education”
- faster establishment»Skapa ett intensivår för snabbare integration.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Create an intensive year for faster integration.”
The election manifesto establishes that civil society is not a complement to but a prerequisite for democracy and that its financing shall be improved through long-term state grants, which is precisely what the counter-proposal wants to investigate in integration work.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto establishes that civil society is not a complement to but a prerequisite for democracy and that its financing shall be improved through long-term state grants, which is precisely what the counter-proposal wants to investigate in integration work. The plan furthermore wants the democratic civil society in disadvantaged areas to be supported more and that regulations are designed so that idea-driven actors more often can contribute. The counter-proposal's demands thus lie directly in the plan's line.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att civilsamhället inte är ett komplement till utan en förutsättning för demokratin och att dess finansiering ska förbättras genom långsiktiga statsbidrag, vilket är just vad motförslaget vill utreda i integrationsarbetet. Planen vill dessutom att det demokratiska civilsamhället i utsatta områden stödjas mer och att regelverk utformas så att idéburna aktörer oftare kan bidra. Motförslagets krav ligger därmed direkt i planens linje.
- more support for civil societydecisive»Det demokratiska civilsamhället i utsatta områden ska stödjas mer – särskilt kvinnors och flickors organisering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The democratic civil society in disadvantaged areas shall be supported more – especially women's and girls' organization.”
- long-term state grants»Vi vill fortsätta förbättra civilsamhällets finansiering genom både bredare skatteavdrag för gåvor och långsiktiga statsbidrag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to continue improving civil society's financing through both broader tax deductions for donations and long-term state grants.”
- civil society as prerequisite»Samhället byggs underifrån – civilsamhället är inte ett komplement till utan en förutsättning för demokratin.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society is built from below – civil society is not a complement to but a prerequisite for democracy.”
- idea-driven actors in welfare»Regelverk och upphandlingar bör utformas så att det är oftare är möjligt för idéburna aktörer att bidra i välfärden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Regulations and procurements should be designed so that it is more often possible for idea-driven actors to contribute to welfare.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The party programme points out jobs, the Swedish language and civil society as the important keys to integration and explicitly says that voluntary organizations are important in the introduction of refugees.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme points out jobs, the Swedish language and civil society as the important keys to integration and explicitly says that voluntary organizations are important in the introduction of refugees. To investigate how a larger part of integration work can take place in cooperation with civil society thereby lies directly in the plan's line. The openness to pluralism is described as the only path to real integration.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet pekar ut jobb, svenska språket och det civila samhället som de viktiga nycklarna till integration och säger uttryckligen att frivilligorganisationerna är viktiga vid introduktionen av flyktingar. Att utreda hur en större del av integrationsarbetet kan ske i samverkan med civilsamhället ligger därmed direkt i planens linje. Öppenheten för pluralism beskrivs som den enda vägen mot reell integration.
- civil society key to integrationdecisive»Jobb, kunskap i svenska språket och det civila samhället är viktiga nycklar till integration.« (party programme ↗)“Jobs, knowledge of the Swedish language and civil society are important keys to integration.”
- voluntary organizations in introduction»Frivilligorganisationerna är också viktiga vid introduktionen av flyktingar i den fortsatta integrationsprocessen.« (party programme ↗)“Voluntary organizations are also important in the introduction of refugees in the ongoing integration process.”
- vital civil society»Ett vitalt civilt samhälle är av största vikt för en levande demokrati och ett mänskligt samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“A vital civil society is of greatest importance for a living democracy and a humane society.”
- pluralism brings real integration»Denna öppenhet för pluralism är den enda vägen mot reell integration.« (party programme ↗)“This openness to pluralism is the only path to real integration.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan's integration policy is based on demands on the individual — employability, language, civic orientation and qualification for welfare — not on expanded state partnerships with civil society.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's integration policy is based on demands on the individual — employability, language, civic orientation and qualification for welfare — not on expanded state partnerships with civil society. The plan also wants to tighten grants to organisations. An investigation into placing a greater share of integration work with civil society with long-term grants therefore receives no support, even though the plan values the contributions of organised civil society.
Original (Swedish)
Planens integrationspolitik bygger på krav på den enskilde – anställningsbarhet, språk, samhällsorientering och kvalificering till välfärden – inte på utbyggda statliga partnerskap med civilsamhället. Planen vill dessutom strama åt bidragen till organisationer. En utredning om att lägga större del av integrationsarbetet hos civilsamhället med långsiktiga bidrag får därför inget stöd, även om planen värdesätter föreningslivets insatser.
- demands on newcomersdecisive»Genom att ställa krav på den som är ny i Sverige att göra sig anställningsbar tydliggörs att här räknar vi med att alla blir en del av samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“By demanding that someone new to Sweden make themselves employable, we make it clear that we expect everyone to become part of society.”
- qualification for welfare»Införa kvalificering till välfärden för nyanlända genom eget arbete eller genom permanent och laglig bosättning i landet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce qualification for welfare for newcomers through own work or through permanent and legal residence in the country”
- tighten grants to organisations»Stoppa utbetalningar av skattepengar till organisationer som inte delar det svenska samhällets grundläggande demokratiska värderingar utan som hotar människors frihet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop payouts of public funds to organisations that do not share Swedish society's fundamental democratic values but that threaten people's freedom”
- value of organised society»Genomföra ett särskilt idrottslyft för utsatta områden« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Implement a special sports boost for disadvantaged areas”
The plan builds integration on assimilation and clear demands on the individual, and it wants to stop state support to organizations that work segregatingly rather than develop long-term subsidy partnerships with civil society.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan builds integration on assimilation and clear demands on the individual, and it wants to stop state support to organizations that work segregatingly rather than develop long-term subsidy partnerships with civil society. An investigation into moving a larger share of integration work to civil society with increased state grants therefore goes against the plan's line and its demand for economical use of public funds.
Original (Swedish)
Planen bygger integrationen på assimilering och tydliga krav på den enskilde, och den vill stoppa statligt stöd till organisationer som verkar segregerande snarare än att bygga ut långsiktiga bidragspartnerskap med civilsamhället. En utredning om att flytta en större del av integrationsarbetet till civilsamhället med utökade statsbidrag går därför emot planens linje och dess krav på hushållning med offentliga medel.
- withdrawn support to segregating organizationsdecisive»Stoppa statligt stöd till extremistiska organisationer och andra grupper som verkar segregerande« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop state support to extremist organizations and other groups that work segregatingly”
- assimilation as foundation»Integrationspolitiken ska bygga på assimilering och främja sammanhållningen i landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Integration policy shall be based on assimilation and promote cohesion in the country.”
- demand-based integration»Införa en kravbaserad integrationspolitik« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a demand-based integration policy”
- restraint in grants»Skala bort onödiga utgifter i det offentliga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Eliminate unnecessary expenses in the public sector”
Share and embed
Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:AU7)
- Committee report full text (HB01AU7)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:1081 — Jämlika förutsättningar för kommunernas flyktingmottagande av Niklas Sigvardsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1358 — En kommunpolitik för hela landet av Lars Isacsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1556 — Kontaktpersoner för nyanlända av Eva Lindh m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2267 — Reformering av samhällsorienteringen av Josefin Malmqvist (M)
- Motion 2023/24:2268 — Lika för alla på bostadsmarknaden av Josefin Malmqvist (M)
- Motion 2023/24:2413 — Kampen mot separatismen av Mauricio Rojas m.fl. (L)
- Motion 2023/24:2451 — Utbildning och forskning för ett hållbart samhälle av Camilla Hansén m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:2491 — Migration och integration av Jonny Cato m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2621 — Utgiftsområde 13 Integration och jämställdhet av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2622 — Migration av Anders Ygeman m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2664 — Jämställdhetspolitisk motion av Janine Alm Ericson m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:2691 — En tydlig väg till integration av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:955 — Stärkta rättigheter för flyktingar från Ukraina av Annika Hirvonen m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:986 — Svensk flyktingpolitik av Tony Haddou m.fl. (V)
Source: The Swedish Parliament