Facts

Contact person:
Katarina Mozetic
Financer:
  • Crafoord foundation
Responsible at MaU:
Henrik Emilsson
Project members at MaU:
Time frame:
01 September 2025 - 31 August 2027
Faculty/department:
Research environment :
Research subject:

About the project

Could the future of refugee employment move beyond conventional labour markets to include digital work across borders? As Sweden grapples with the challenges of refugee un- and underemployment – often framed as a strain on the welfare state – remote work has been heralded as a possible solution. Yet, we know little about how remote work shapes refugee participation in the labour market and beyond, with no studies conducted in Sweden. This project fills the gap by investigating the integration experiences of Ukrainian protection holders in Sweden engaged in cross-border remote work (CRW).

It asks:

  • How does CRW influence refugee employment integration?
  • How do intersecting social positions (e.g. employment sector, gender, family status) inform refugees’ CRW?
  • And how is CRW linked to refugees’ access to formal employment and social protection provisions?

Methodologically, the project employs semi-structured interviews with Ukrainian protection holders who have undertaken CRW, providing in-depth insights into their lived realities.
Additionally, expert interviews are conducted to gather background information on policy frameworks, as well as institutional structures and practices that shape refugees’ engagement in remote work and their access to local protection provisions.

By bridging the research on refugee integration, transnationalism, and digitalisation of work, this interdisciplinary study offers several important contributions. Empirically, it generates in-depth knowledge on the employment trajectories and adaptation of Ukrainian protection holders in Sweden. Conceptually, it advances discussions on the interrelation between refugee integration and transnationalism. In terms of societal impact, it delivers policy-relevant insights into the opportunities and limitations of remote work for refugee integration in Sweden. Finally, it provides a compelling counter-narrative to the common perception of refugees as passive welfare recipients, instead showcasing their agency, adaptability, and contribution.