Enduring vulnerability: Sexual violence risks for young migrants in Sweden
Young migrants are especially vulnerable to sexual violence. A new doctoral thesis shows that migrants are vulnerable even after they arrive in Sweden.
"We may think they are safe here, but there are structural problems. Lack of access to health and social services increases the vulnerability of young migrants," says Tanya Andersson Nystedt, a doctoral student at Lund University.
Tanya Andersson Nystedt is a PhD student at the Faculty of Medicine and the Agenda 2030 Graduate School. She spent her childhood in Africa, Asia and South America and was exposed to inequality and vulnerability at an early age. While working HIV programmes and policy for UNAIDS in Southern Africa, stories of sexual abuse were common and later became the subject of her research. Today, Tanya Andersson Nystedt researches sexual violence at the Department of Social Medicine and Global Health.
On 5 June, Tanya Andersson Nystedt will defend her doctoral thesis 'A Hidden Problem in an Excluded Population - Understanding Vulnerabilities to and Experiences of Sexual Violence among Young Migrants in Sweden', in which she explored the situation of young migrants in Sweden.
Young people are more vulnerable to sexual violence than the rest of the population, and young migrants seem to be particularly affected. An indication of the prevalence is provided by the Swedish National Board of Health's 2020 survey, in which one in four migrants aged 16 – 29 years experienced sexual acts against their will.
A hidden problem
However, sexual violence among migrants is largely a hidden problem and there are several explanations for this:
- There is a lack of research in this area and the knowledge base is weak.
- Sexual violence can be defined in different ways, leading to uncertainty and difficulties in comparing research findings.
- Sexual violence is a sensitive topic, which can make it difficult to achieve high levels of participation in research studies.
As part of her research, Tanya Andersson Nystedt conducted in-depth interviews with 14 professionals who work with young migrants, both from the public sector and civil society organisations and networks. The interviews revealed that young migrants are vulnerable in many ways, and that their vulnerability does not end the day they set foot on Swedish soil.
"With the tightening of asylum policies in the EU, their vulnerability increases as they may have to rely on smugglers on their way here, for example. What surprised me was that their vulnerability continues here. I think we often think that Sweden is a safe welfare state and that their situation is much better than it really is," says Tanya Andersson Nystedt.
The interviews pointed to structural difficulties for migrants, with a lack of access to health care and other support. Those who had to wait a long time for their asylum application or who were undocumented were particularly vulnerable.
The black market for work
"They could lack adequate food and shelter and were often forced into the black market for work. This could mean sex work or involvement with criminal gangs. You could say that they ended up in situations that they would not have gotten into otherwise," says Tanya Andersson Nystedt.
Previous studies on migrants indicate that young men are also vulnerable to sexual violence which is different from sexual violence in the general population, where women are usually the victims. One explanation for this may be that more young men come as unaccompanied migrant children. There are also indications that sexual violence against men may be more severe than against women.
Tanya Andersson Nystedt believes that more research is needed and hopes to get research funding for a quantitative study of sexual violence among young migrants in Sweden. This would provide more knowledge about their situation, their needs and where the perpetrators are most likely to be found.
She notes that political decisions in Sweden and at EU level affect the conditions for migrants.
"Migration policies make them even more vulnerable. This puts additional pressure on professionals, especially in civil society, to try to meet the needs of these increasingly marginalised young people. It also poses ethical dilemmas for public sector workers who are faced with decisions not to help young migrants in need."
The thesis A hidden problem in an excluded population: understanding vulnerabilities to and experiences of sexual violence among young migrants in Sweden - portal.research.lu.se
Definition of sexual violence
Sexual violence can be defined in many different ways. In Tanya Andersson Nystedt's research, sexual violence is defined as sexual acts where consent is not or cannot be given.
It can be physical sexual violence, but also sexual acts that take place because of, for example, threats, blackmail or humiliation. It also includes more indirect forms, such as sex in exchange for a bed for a homeless person or sex to get a job.