How capital shapes refugees’ access to the labour market: the case of Syrians in Sweden

Abstract

This paper highlights the ways Syrian refugees in Sweden utilise the different forms of capital available to them in order to find jobs and rebuild their careers. Relying on 25 in-depth interviews with Syrians who sought asylum in Sweden between 2012 and 2015, we discuss their use of social and cultural capital in order to access the Swedish labour market. While all our respondents are aware of the need to acquire capital in Sweden in order to find opportunities for work, their homeland cultural capital informs their decisions, outlooks and the kinds of options they utilise to navigate the institutional requirements in their new environment. As a result, the majority end up replicating their social positions that they had in Syria. Our analysis indicates that institutional programs aimed at labour market integration need to account for the role of social and cultural capital in realizing their goals.