Drawing upon an analytical combination of What is the problem represented to be (WPR) approach and recent developments in securitization theory (ST) we in this paper zoom in on migration policy in Sweden 2015-2022. Starting with the common WPR issue ‘what is the problem?’ we highlight the threats as perceived by the Swedish Government to legitimate its autumn 2015 policy turn from ‘open your hearts’ to a more restrictive stance dressed in securitizing language. Exploring the justifying points of reference raised by the governing coalition and radical right/retrotopian party opposition in Parliament we also bring some notice to current Swedish migration policy responses related to the war in Ukraine. Arguably, this verbal migration turnaround highlights the need for not reifying party political positions, and at the same time showing that the concept of the in-securitized ‘abject migrant’ is particularly useful for making sense of Swedish migration policy taken place since 2015. Overall, we find the combination of WPR and ST fruitful for an analysis of the intricate relations exposed in the context of migration policies, thus also in a way confirming the ambiguity in policy-making that March and Olsen once described as “organized anarchy”.