“I’m a lesbian – but here, I’m first and foremost an immigrant” – these are the of someone Kirill Polkov interviewed for the project Navigating anti-LGBTQ politics and homonationalism. The same feeling comes up again and again in his conversations with migrants from Russia and Uganda: security is relative.

“They feel safe on the level of existence, but not welcome. The rhetoric has changed, from portraying Sweden as an exceptional country in terms of gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights, with politicians often referring to Sweden as a ‘moral superpower’, to a desire to appear to be a country like any other,” says Polkov.

Every story is unique, but there are recurring patterns and similarities. Some people chose to come to Sweden via various educational programmes, but have chosen to try to stay and build a life here because returning home is considered too dangerous. Both Russia and Uganda now have laws that severely restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ people, and current legislation means that they risk persecution and imprisonment.

Has the dream of Sweden vanished?

Recently, politics has begun to talk about stricter requirements for Swedish citizenship while also abolishing permanent residence permits. One proposal is to increase the required residency period in Sweden for applying for citizenship from five to eight years.

For many people who are already living in uncertainty, this would mean three more years before they could obtain a secure, long-term status. Sweden’s ‘Tidö alliance’ government may have stated that it wants to prioritise women and LGBTQ+ people in its reduced refugee quotas, but in practice it is almost impossible to prove an LGBTQ+ identity and persecution in your home country,” says Polkov. The interviews show that for many queer migrants, this debate heightens their feelings of instability and insecurity.

“The potential to plan their lives disappears. Buying a home, starting a family or investing in a career feels risky when permits can be revoked,” says Polkov.

How is citizenship affected?

This uncertainty not only affects the people waiting for a decision. Even people who have been granted citizenship are wondering whether retaining their Russian citizenship is safe. The rhetoric surrounding Russians with financial or family ties to their homeland is causing concern: could their Swedish citizenship also be called into question?

Previously, it was clear: there is no future for LGBTQ+ people in Russia, but there is a future in Sweden. Now this picture is more fragmented.
“That dream of everything working out in Sweden is now completely absent from my interviews,” says Polkov.

For many people, it means putting their life plans on hold. Daring to take the step towards a long-term life plan – buying a home, starting a family, investing in the future – feels impossible when security is conditional. This uncertainty not only exists while they are waiting for asylum decisions, but now it is also there after they have permission to remain in Sweden as asylum seekers.