2023-02-232022/23:AU6 · p.2AULabour market
The Settlement Act
The future of the Settlement Act and municipalities' influence over refugee resettlement
What's at stake: The decision affects how responsibility for receiving and housing newly arrived people is shared among the country's municipalities, whether some municipalities continue to be assigned many newly arrived people despite housing shortages, and whether newly arrived people continue to be settled where conditions for work and education are best.
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 Settlement Act, which entitles assigned newly arrived people to housing in a municipality, should be preserved as is, or whether municipalities should gain greater influence over reception through a review of the law.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that the law's intentions of more even distribution and better establishment have largely been achieved, but sees challenges with housing shortages in some municipalities and limited municipal influence; it wants to wait for the announced review toward a model with greater municipal influence and a national establishment-housing scheme, and therefore opposes the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (S)
The reservation (S) wants to safeguard the Settlement Act as it stands, arguing its criteria give the best conditions for successful establishment, and warns against letting municipalities opt out of receiving newly arrived people, since that risks an uneven distribution and forcing people to settle in municipalities with worse conditions for education and jobs.
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 1 by S.
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: LLiberalerna
Ja 169–94Ja 157–106
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 20/0/0/4 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | No 0/93/0/14 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| MP | No | Abstain 0/0/13/5 | differs | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | Yes | Abstain 1/1/18/4 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
| L | No | Yes 12/0/0/4 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
| KD | Yes | Yes 14/0/0/5 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 59/0/0/9 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| SD | Yes | Yes 63/0/0/10 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
Broke with the party line
| CAnders Karlsson (C, Jönköpings län) | Yes — party line: Abstain |
| CMuharrem Demirok (C, Östergötlands län) | No — party line: Abstain |
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2022/23:41 by Rasmus Ling et al. (MP), 2022/23:1415 by Josefin Malmqvist (M), 2022/23:1880 by Jonny Cato et al. (C) demand 4 and 2022/23:2056 by Anders Ygeman et al. (S) demand 7.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:41 av Rasmus Ling m.fl. (MP), 2022/23:1415 av Josefin Malmqvist (M), 2022/23:1880 av Jonny Cato m.fl. (C) yrkande 4 och 2022/23:2056 av Anders Ygeman m.fl. (S) yrkande 7.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said no to approximately twenty-five proposals that deal with various integration measures. The proposals have been submitted during the general motion period 2022. The motions dealt among other things with the Settlement Act, newly arrived women's establishment in the labor market and civic orientation for newly arrived. The Riksdag said no to the motions among other things because investigative work in the integration field is ongoing.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to maintain the settlement law to ensure even distribution of newly arrived residents among municipalities and good labour market integration. (S) — Reservation 1
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 establishes that welfare must include everyone living in the country and exist everywhere, and that incomes and costs must be distributed solidaristically across the country.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that welfare must include everyone living in the country and exist everywhere, and that incomes and costs must be distributed solidaristically across the country. It also warns against segregation and people being pitted against each other. To protect a model that gives more even reception, instead of allowing municipalities to opt out of welcoming newcomers, follows from these commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att välfärden ska omfatta alla som bor i landet och finnas överallt, och att inkomster och kostnader måste fördelas solidariskt över landet. Den varnar också för segregation och för att människor ställs mot varandra. Att värna en modell som ger ett jämnare mottagande, i stället för att låta kommuner välja bort nyanlända, följer av dessa åtaganden.
- welfare throughout the countrydecisive»Välfärden måste vara till för alla och finnas överallt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Welfare must be for everyone and exist everywhere”
- solidaristic distribution between municipalities»Inkomster och kostnader måste fördelas solidariskt över landet.« (party programme ↗)“Incomes and costs must be distributed solidaristically across the country.”
- cohesion instead of singling out»Ett tryggt samhälle ställer inte människor mot varandra« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A secure society does not pit people against each other”
- counteract segregation in housing»jämställdhet och gemenskap och motverka segregation« (party programme ↗)“equality and community and counteract segregation”
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 requires that all municipalities, even the affluent, take their share of responsibility for reception and that asylum seekers shall not themselves choose their place of residence.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly requires that all municipalities, even the affluent, take their share of responsibility for reception and that asylum seekers shall not themselves choose their place of residence. That is precisely the counter-proposal's line: a distribution model that does not let municipalities opt out of reception. The party programme establishes that all municipalities have a responsibility to receive refugees and that efforts shall lead to work, education and housing.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver uttryckligen att alla kommuner, även de välbeställda, tar sin del av ansvaret för mottagandet och att asylsökande inte själva ska välja bostadsort. Det är precis motförslagets linje: en fördelningsmodell som inte låter kommuner välja bort mottagande. Partiprogrammet befäster att alla kommuner har ett ansvar att ta emot flyktingar och att insatserna ska leda till arbete, utbildning och bostad.
- all municipalities take responsibilitydecisive»Alla kommuner, även de välbeställda, ska ta sin del av ansvaret. Asylsökande ska inte längre ha möjlighet att själva välja var de ska bo.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All municipalities, even the affluent, shall take their share of responsibility. Asylum seekers shall no longer have the possibility to choose where they will live.”
- municipal reception responsibility»Vi vill ha en generös och reglerad invandring. Alla kommuner har ett ansvar att ta emot« (party programme ↗)“We want generous and regulated immigration. All municipalities have a responsibility to receive”
- establishment through work»alla insatser ska syfta till att möjliggöra arbete och egen försörjning, rätt till« (party programme ↗)“all efforts shall aim at enabling work and self-sufficiency, right to”
- against uneven housing distribution»Segregationen bryts inte med särlösningar för resurssvaga. Boende- och upplåtelseformer ska vara blandade. Trångboddheten ska bekämpas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Segregation is not broken by special solutions for disadvantaged groups. Housing and tenancy arrangements shall be mixed. Overcrowding shall be combated.”
The plan states that all municipalities shall have a generous and equivalent refugee reception and that state and municipality have a joint responsibility for newly arrived people to get a good start.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that all municipalities shall have a generous and equivalent refugee reception and that state and municipality have a joint responsibility for newly arrived people to get a good start. That speaks for protecting a distribution model that keeps reception even and against municipalities being able to opt out of reception. The plan's investment in establishment reinforces the conclusion.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att alla kommuner ska ha ett generöst och likvärdigt flyktingmottagande och att stat och kommun har ett gemensamt ansvar för att nyanlända får en bra start. Det talar för att värna en fördelningsmodell som håller mottagandet jämnt och emot att kommuner kan välja bort mottagande. Planens satsning på etablering förstärker slutsatsen.
- equivalent reception in all municipalitiesdecisive»Alla kommuner ska ha ett generöst och likvärdigt flyktingmottagande« (party programme ↗)“All municipalities shall have a generous and equivalent refugee reception”
- shared responsibility for reception»Staten och kommunerna har ett gemensamt ansvar« (party programme ↗)“The state and municipalities have a joint responsibility”
- stronger establishment»förlänga etableringsprogrammet för nyanlända till minst fyra år« (2022 manifesto ↗)“extend the establishment programme for newly arrived to at least four years”
- swift path to school and work»Människor som kommer till Sverige ska snabbt få« (party programme ↗)“People who come to Sweden shall quickly get”
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 counter-proposal wishes to lock in the current model and warns of increased municipal influence, while the plan's bearing principle is that municipalities must be given greater opportunities to take responsibility for challenges in the labour and housing market.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal wishes to lock in the current model and warns of increased municipal influence, while the plan's bearing principle is that municipalities must be given greater opportunities to take responsibility for challenges in the labour and housing market. The plan demands consistent decentralization and that decisions are made near those affected. The plan's integration ambition — rapid establishment and self-sufficiency — does not depend on exactly that state distribution model, so the plan does not support the demand to keep it unchanged.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget vill låsa den nuvarande modellen och varnar för ökat kommunalt inflytande, medan planens bärande princip är att kommunerna måste få större möjligheter att ta ansvar för utmaningarna på arbets- och bostadsmarknaden. Planen kräver konsekvent decentralisering och att beslut fattas nära dem som berörs. Planens integrationsambition — snabb etablering och egen försörjning — hänger inte på just den statliga fördelningsmodellen, varför planen inte stöder kravet att bevara den oförändrad.
- greater municipal responsibilitydecisive»Kommunerna måste få större möjligheter att ta ansvar för dessa utmaningar.« (party programme ↗)“Municipalities must be given greater opportunities to take responsibility for these challenges.”
- decentralization of decisions»Decentralisera mera. Människor ska få bestämma mer själva, och politiska beslut ska fattas nära dem som berörs.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Decentralize more. People shall be able to decide more themselves, and political decisions shall be made near those affected.”
- rapid establishment»Den som får uppehållstillstånd ska snabbt integreras och ges möjlighet att försörja sig själv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Those who get a residence permit shall be rapidly integrated and given opportunity to support themselves.”
- qualification into security systems»Nyanlända bör kvalificera sig in i trygghetssystemen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Newly arrived shall qualify themselves into the security systems.”
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 establishes that all municipalities shall be able to receive newly arrived migrants and that newly arrived should live in municipalities with a good labour market, and that the state shall be able to steer housing to counteract overcrowding and segregation.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that all municipalities shall be able to receive newly arrived migrants and that newly arrived should live in municipalities with a good labour market, and that the state shall be able to steer housing to counteract overcrowding and segregation. The counter-proposal's requirement to value a model that gives more even reception and prevents municipalities from choosing to reject newly arrived thus aligns with the plan. The plan's goal of no deprived areas by 2030 speaks in the same direction.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att alla kommuner ska kunna ta emot nyanlända och att nyanlända bör bo i kommuner med god arbetsmarknad, samt att staten ska kunna styra boendet för att motverka trångboddhet och segregation. Motförslagets krav att värna en modell som ger jämnare mottagande och hindrar kommuner från att välja bort nyanlända ligger därmed i linje med planen. Planens mål om inga utsatta områden 2030 talar i samma riktning.
- all municipalities shall receivedecisive»Alla kommuner ska kunna ta emot nyanlända.« (party programme ↗)“All municipalities shall be able to receive newly arrived migrants.”
- settlement where jobs are»angeläget att nyanlända har förutsättningar och drivkrafter att bo i kommuner med god arbetsmarknad.« (party programme ↗)“important that newly arrived have the conditions and incentives to live in municipalities with a good labour market.”
- steering against segregation»För att motverka trångboddhet och segregation ska Migrationsverket kunna begränsa asylsökandes möjlighet« (party programme ↗)“To counteract overcrowding and segregation, the Migration Agency shall be able to limit asylum seekers' opportunity”
- no deprived areas by 2030»Vårt viktigaste mål är detta: Sverige ska år 2030 inte ha ett enda utsatt område.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our most important goal is this: Sweden shall by 2030 not have a single deprived area.”
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 guiding principle is strong municipal self-governance and subsidiarity, where the burden of proof lies with the higher level that wants to take over a lower community's task.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's guiding principle is strong municipal self-governance and subsidiarity, where the burden of proof lies with the higher level that wants to take over a lower community's task. The party programme also establishes that immigrants have the right to settle wherever they want. Preserving today's state-controlled distribution model unchanged, with limited municipal influence, is therefore at odds with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planens bärande princip är en stark kommunal självstyrelse och subsidiaritet, där bevisbördan ligger på den högre nivå som vill överta en lägre gemenskaps uppgift. Partiprogrammet slår dessutom fast att invandrare har rätt att bosätta sig var de vill. Att bevara dagens statligt styrda fördelningsmodell oförändrad, med begränsat kommunalt inflytande, står därför i strid med planen.
- strong municipal self-governancedecisive»Den kommunala självstyrelsen ska vara stark och tydligt reglerad i grundlagen.« (party programme ↗)“Municipal self-governance shall be strong and clearly regulated in the Constitution.”
- burden of proof in takeover»Om en överordnad gemenskap vill överta en funktion från en underordnad ligger bevisbördan för bättre ändamålsenlighet« (party programme ↗)“If a higher-level community wants to take over a function from a lower-level one, the burden of proof for greater appropriateness lies with”
- free right of settlement»Invandrare ska åtnjuta samma frihet som övriga medborgare och ha rätt att bosätta sig var de vill« (party programme ↗)“Immigrants shall enjoy the same freedom as other citizens and have the right to settle wherever they wish”
- the financing principle must be respected»Finansieringsprincipen måste respekteras när staten ålägger kommunerna nya uppgifter.« (party programme ↗)“The financing principle must be respected when the state imposes new tasks on municipalities.”
The counter-proposal wants to preserve today's settlement model and warns against municipal influence on reception.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal wants to preserve today's settlement model and warns against municipal influence on reception. The plan's principles point in the opposite direction: decisions should be made at the lowest effective level and municipalities should be able to choose different paths, while the capacity for integration should guide reception and the housing shortage is extensive. The plan therefore speaks against the requirement to lock in the model as it is.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget vill bevara dagens bosättningsmodell och varnar för kommunalt inflytande över mottagandet. Planens principer pekar åt motsatt håll: beslut ska fattas på lägsta effektiva nivå och kommuner ska kunna välja olika vägar, samtidigt som integrationsförmågan ska styra mottagandet och bostadsbristen är omfattande. Planen talar därför mot kravet att låsa modellen som den är.
- lowest effective leveldecisive»Det politiska systemet ska bygga på att beslut fattas på lägsta« (party programme ↗)“The political system should be built on decisions being made at the lowest”
- municipal self-determination»tillåta att olika regioner och kommuner väljer« (party programme ↗)“allow different regions and municipalities to choose”
- integration capacity guides»Vår integrationsförmåga ska vara styrande för nivån på invandringen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our integration capacity should guide the level of immigration.”
- widespread housing shortage»Det är bostadsbrist i 207 av landets 290 kommuner.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“There is housing shortage in 207 of the country's 290 municipalities.”
The counter-proposal wants to preserve the current assignment model and warns that municipalities might opt out of reception, while the plan wants to reduce migration's strain on the housing market, stop priority for newcomers and place decisions at the lowest appropriate level with respect for municipal self-determination.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal wants to preserve the current assignment model and warns that municipalities might opt out of reception, while the plan wants to reduce migration's strain on the housing market, stop priority for newcomers and place decisions at the lowest appropriate level with respect for municipal self-determination. The plan therefore does not support locking in a model that binds municipalities. The committee's reasons about housing shortage and limited municipal influence are close to the plan's own reasoning.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget vill bevara dagens anvisningsmodell och varnar för att kommuner får välja bort mottagande, medan planen vill minska migrationens påfrestning på bostadsmarknaden, stoppa förtur för nyanlända och lägga beslut på lägsta ändamålsenliga nivå med respekt för det kommunala självbestämmandet. Planen ger därför inte stöd för att låsa fast en modell som binder kommunerna. Utskottets skäl om bostadsbrist och begränsat kommunalt inflytande ligger nära planens egna resonemang.
- reduced migration pressure on housingdecisive»Minska migrationens påfrestning på bostadsmarknaden genom återvandring« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce migration's strain on the housing market through return migration”
- no priority for newcomers»Stoppa den positiva särbehandlingen av nyanlända vad gäller jobb och lägenheter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop the positive differential treatment of newcomers regarding jobs and apartments”
- municipal self-determination»Vi betraktar det kommunala självbestämmandet som en central del av demokratin« (party programme ↗)“We regard municipal self-determination as a central part of democracy”
- decisions close to citizens»beslut bör fattas på lägsta ändamålsenliga nivå« (party programme ↗)“decisions should be made at the lowest appropriate level”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:AU6)
- Committee report full text (HA01AU6)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1230 — Svensk flyktingpolitik av Tony Haddou m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1369 — Åtgärder för att bryta segregationen av Åsa Eriksson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1415 — Lika för alla på bostadsmarknaden av Josefin Malmqvist (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1469 — Rätt till sfi för ukrainska flyktingar av Annika Hirvonen m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:1555 — Främjande av religionsdialog av Per-Arne Håkansson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1673 — Jämställdhet för hållbar utveckling av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1712 — Reformera samhällsorienteringen av Josefin Malmqvist (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1880 — Integration av Jonny Cato m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:2053 — Utgiftsområde 13 Jämställdhet och nyanlända invandrares etablering av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2056 — Utgiftsområde 8 Migration av Anders Ygeman m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2277 — Jämställdhetspolitik av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:302 — Introduktionsutbildning i svensk historia för invandrare av Stefan Olsson (M)
- Motion 2022/23:41 — Sanktioner mot kommuner som inte tar emot kvotflyktingar av Rasmus Ling m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:630 — Utvecklad samhällsorientering för nyanlända av Jesper Skalberg Karlsson (M)
- Motion 2022/23:960 — Ändring av integrationspolitiskt mål av Ann-Christine From Utterstedt m.fl. (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament