Migration policies harm international researchers and undermine higher education in Sweden
The report, How current migration policies harm international researchers and undermine higher education in Sweden, by the SULF Doctoral Candidates Association, SULF-DCA, highlights the ongoing challenges that international PhD candidates and early career researchers encounter in the current Swedish migration system. From 2023-2025, the SULF-DCA Board interviewed international PhD students, doctoral associations, university administration, and union representatives from nearly every university in Sweden. This report details initial findings from our investigation with a number of firsthand testimonials from current PhD students and recent graduates who represent diverse nationalities, academic disciplines, and higher education institutions in Sweden.
- Members of SULF-DCA's migration working group interviewed many international PhD students during the course of the investigation. It became clear that current migration policies continue to cause significant problems for many people, says Aimee Miles, board member of SULF-DCA.
Some quotes from the report:
“If your intention is to stay in Sweden, you can’t prioritize your research or career — you have to sacrifice it.”
“I like to live in Sweden, but to be honest, I felt a bit trapped here, missing out on potentially great opportunities. I do it all in the hope of getting permanent residency.”
“My suggestion to keep foreign talents/researchers: either change the requirement of PR or change the policy of recruiting freshly defended researchers.”
More information
The report (in English): How current migration policies harm international researchers and undermine higher education in Sweden.
Artikel i Universitetsläraren om rapporten: Internationella doktorander avråder från forskarstudier i Sverige
