ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the well-being of children who, at the time of this study, were in Sweden with their families as asylum seekers awaiting a decision regarding their residence permit. 1 At a general level, the overarching goal of the Swedish policy towards asylum seekers and refugees is to promote their integration into the host society as soon as possible following their arrival in the country. The waiting period during the asylum process is to be made as constructive as possible, while also preparing the asylum seekers for the eventuality of having to return to their country of origin. While this stage is intended to strengthen asylum seekers’ self-reliance, it also maintains the threat of forced return, doing little to alleviate the emotional tensions and anxieties created by the circumstances that led the asylum seekers to leave their country of origin in the first place.
