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Belonging through information: Mapping immigrant integration needs in Nordic societies

Library & Information Science Research, 48(1), 101400

Access to clear and usable information plays a central role in how immigrants navigate everyday life in Nordic welfare societies. First-generation immigrants in Finland, Norway, and Sweden require information that explains how institutional systems are organized and how services can be accessed in practice. Semi-structured interviews with 54 first-generation immigrants from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe examined information practices across five domains: social life, health care, labor market participation, cultural engagement, and education. The findings show that difficulties in locating reliable information, limited access to familiar languages, and fragmented institutional communication constrain participation across daily life. Participants often relied on informal networks to compensate for unclear or inaccessible official information. These challenges shaped service use as well as immigrants’ confidence and sense of belonging. The study highlights information practices as a cross-cutting element of integration and underscores how Nordic welfare institutions organize and communicate information.

Information needsIntegrationNordic societies