Syrian and Ukrainian refugees’ experiences with the welfare state in Denmark and Norway

When comparing refugees to natives, the analyses show that refugees generally report lower levels social trust compared to native-born citizens, as well as challenges regarding language and communication when dealing with host country professionals, but at the same time tend to have high expectations of equal treatment from public authorities, and relatively high levels of institutional trust.

Comparing Ukrainian refugees and Syrian refugees, we find that Ukrainians on average have higher levels of education and work experience (although their level of labour market integration remains mixed). Syrians report greater difficulties in communicating with welfare state employees, particularly in the asylum and integration systems, and express lower satisfaction with service quality and level of support.

Comparing Denmark and Norway, we find that Denmark has a higher share of refugees employed full-time, while Norway has a higher proportion of refugees engaged in education. In general, refugees in Norway tend to have higher expectations of equal treatment from authorities and report higher trust in government institutions, particularly in immigration and integration authorities, than refugees in Denmark.

Refugees in Norway generally report more positive experiences with the integration and welfare system than in Denmark, where refugees tend to report higher levels of coercion and dissatisfaction. In the years to come, the data from this survey will form the basis for future longitudinal studies and more complex analyses aimed at investigating how trust patterns evolve over time, as refugees settle and integrate into Scandinavian societies.