Forced Migration in the OIC Member Countries:
Policy Framework Adopted by Host Countries
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the partitioning of Serbia and Kosovo in the early 2000s, following an uptick in violence in
Iraq in 2007, and most recently after the Arab Spring and outbreak of civil war in Syria (Figure
19).
The number of applications for protection received in Sweden in 2015 was, however, by far
the highest on record. In total, authorities received nearly 163,000 applications for asylum
before the end of the year (equivalent to approximately 1.7 percent of Sweden's
population).108 Most of the applications (114,000) came between September and December,
concentrating the demand for services and placing added strain on authorities. At the peak of
the flows in early November 2015, over 10,000 asylum seekers were arriving in Sweden per
week,109 primarily via Denmark. As of the end of 2015, recognized refugees and asylum
seekers (those with outstanding asylum claims or with recognized protection status, but who
have not naturalized) comprised more than 3 percent of the Swedish population.110
Figure 19: Asylum applications made in Sweden, by year, 1990-2015
Source: Eurostat, "Asylum applicants by citizenship till 2007 Annual data (rounded) [migr_asyctz]," updated May
8, 2015; Eurostat, " Asylum and first time asylum applicants by citizenship, age and sex Annual aggregated data
(rounded) [migr_asyappctza]," updated March 18, 2016
In addition to spontaneous asylum seekers, Sweden resettles nearly 2,000 refugees each year
from displacement situations around the world (selecting them in cooperation with
UNHCR).111 Refugees are transported from their first countries of asylum to Sweden, where
they are given permanent residency.
National origins of asylum applicants
Whether they arrive through the asylum or resettlement systems, forced migrants in Sweden
are highly diverse in national origins, and the primary countries of origin for asylum seekers
shift, often substantially, from year to year. OIC countries have often made up a substantial
share of forced migrants seeking protection in Sweden; from 2011 to 2015, over 70 percent of
108 Migration Policy Institute, “Asylum Applications in the EU/EFTA by Country, 2008-2015,” accessed June 7, 2016,
109 Migrationsverket, “Första gånger över 10 000 asylsökande de senaste sju dagarna,” updated November 9, 2015,
10-000-asylsokande-de-senaste-sju-dagarna.html
110 MPI calculations from Statistics Sweden, “Population and Population Changes 1749-2015,“ updated February 22, 2016,
UNHCR, “Population Statistics,” accessed August 5, 2016
111 Eurostat, " Resettled persons by age, sex and citizenship Annual data (rounded) [migr_asyresa]," updated May 16, 2016,
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