From Poverty to Homelessness in the Land of Plenty: Homeless EU Migrants in Sweden and Denmark

Abstract

This is a double case study of homelessness of EU migrants in Sweden and Denmark. Both of the countries are examples of social democratic welfare regime and offer universalistic social protection for its citizens. However, regardless of their similarities and close proximity in terms of distance, Sweden and Denmark have both the opposing strategies on homelessness, and on migration. Existing body of literature is focused on Nordic welfare states experiencing growing number of homeless EU migrants in their societies who serve as a visible reminder of inequality and suffering, while they are priding themselves for the egalitarian and benevolent societies.

This research adds to this body of literature but takes a different theoretical perspective. Through a qualitative research, interviews are conducted with professionals working directly with homeless EU migrants in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Malmö, Sweden. Firstly, I apply Standing’s (2011) ideas of new emerging social class called precariat, characterised by the lack of labour related security, as well as economic, social, and political rights. My analysis shows that due to the lack of cooperation with employment agencies, and the reluctance of the agency to provide employment assistance and guidance, homeless EU migrants are pushed deeper in precariat by Sweden and Denmark.

Additionally, inability to obtain employment, and the rigidness of the bureaucratic system, particularly in Denmark, is striping EU migrants from their autonomy, making self-sufficiency extremely difficult, while at the same time almost entirely excluding them from the access to the public welfare system.

Lastly, the mobility is analysed under EU Directive on Free Movement which allows all EU citizens to reside in any member country for up to three months without conditions, and longer, subject to conditions. Researching Free Mobility inside EU, I exert Glick Schiller and Salazar’s (2013) theory on regimes of mobility, powerful structures enabling rich cosmopolitans to move freely, while disabling the movement of poor and powerless. My analysis shows that Denmark and Sweden are interpreting the EU Directive on Free Movement in different ways and are both acting in a way that might be interpreted as the breach of the Directive. Neither Denmark nor Sweden is doing anything to actively solve the problem of homelessness of EU migrants but are passing the ball back to the countries of origin of migrants, claiming it is their problem to solve. Even more so, with either a ban on begging that is in place in Denmark, or a simple harsher social climate towards beggars and homeless people in Sweden, surviving has been even more difficult due to lack of opportunities in precarious forms, and inability to participate in society with regular employment. However, the analysis showed that Denmark possesses much more repressive migration policies and overall measures with a goal of restricting and pushing away homeless EU migrants, while Sweden is mostly taking a rather passive stance on it; not directly pushing the EU migrants but not making it easy for them to stay.

With an idea to ensure that Freedom of Movement inside the EU is indeed free and possible for all its citizens, I call for Europeanisation of welfare inclusion, allowing EU citizens to access public welfare in all EU countries. This could be funded on EU level through contributions of each member state and allow for rise of equality and inclusion in the EU, as well as financial gains for financially more disadvantaged countries of the EU.