The purpose of this study has been to examine the lived experiences of people who have come to Sweden as refugees, specifically focusing on how a sense of belonging might take shape upon arrival. The study is based on qualitative, semi-structured interviews with six individuals, all of whom have been granted asylum in Sweden over the past 15 years. The interviews have been thematically analysed and given a theoretical interpretation by applying Antonsich’s concept of belonging, comprising an intimate and personal dimension, place-belongingness, and its structural counterpart, politics of belonging. The results suggest that a sense of place-belongingness is generated, or in some cases inhibited, by a range of factors: Autobiographical (e.g. past experiences proving to be resources in Sweden), relational (e.g. maintaining a proximity to family), cultural (e.g. learning the Swedish language), economic (e.g. establishing material security through employment) and legal (e.g. obtaining leave to remain in Sweden). The results also illustrate that a sense of place-belongingness is ultimately conditioned by politics of belonging (e.g. social attitudes and migration policy). The study concludes that refugees as a group, far from being a strain on society, are as resourceful as they are heterogenous.