Immigrants experience discrimination and segregation from the majority group in the mainstream Swedish labour market, which lead to decreased opportunities and rights to equal treatment, sufficient economic and social living standards. Formal policies and laws have been institutionalized to prohibit discrimination and decrease segregation due to immigrant background. However, the issue in reality is still present.

The purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of the gap between, on the one hand discrimination and segregation and on the other hand formal laws of equality and non-discrimination. The research will include employers from the majority group´s description and thoughts of the recruitment processes to identify possible informal social barriers to employ immigrants, the minority group.           

The research and primary data collection consists of a qualitative method and the technique of semi-structured interviews with seven employers from different workplaces. The theory of the Established and the Outsiders, by the sociologists Norbert Elias and John L. Scotson, was applied to assist in analyzing and interpreting the data to be able to provide an explanation of the phenomena described above.

The employers make it clear that all individuals are welcome to their work places and they are aware of existing laws of non-discrimination and policies of diversity. However, these laws and policies are in reality understood to non-intentionally and infrequently not be taken into account in the recruitment process. Circumstances as existing social networks, a balanced work place, group dynamics among colleagues, and the dependence on satisfied customers to achieve results are understood to be prioritized before taking the awareness of above mentioned policies and regulations into account. Lack of social relations and networks between the majority group and immigrants, existing negative pre-understandings in the society and experiences of divergent norms may lead to non-intentional obstacles for immigrants to get employment. Social relations and positive pre-understandings of people from the majority group in the society can be understood to non-intentionally support employment of these individuals.