To explain the massive immigration in Sweden (some 130 000? year 2015, down to ~30 000 year 2016):
First, it's a basic principle (of Sweden at least) that if you manage to get inside the borders you are allowed to seek asylum. To get inside Sweden, you must first pass the Schengen/European union border, and then make it through Europe. If you seek asylum in a country that's deemed safe, you risk getting sent back there. Nowdays it also includes, if you come from Africa and you originally arrived in Italy you are likely to be sent back to Italy for asylum process there.
The politicians have made one bad thing, that sounds good in some peoples Eye, but which is really bad if you Think of it. I won't go into it though. (It's a change that makes asylum seekers be more likely to vanish the day they get a denial rather than to be at a known location.)
Secondly, there is a major conflict in a country (Syria) and because the superpowers until recently coulnd't have agreed what to do (eg Veto in the security council), about a fourth of the population of that country has fled. (Ok, then there are the Afghanistan boys who's been living in Iran.)
So, yes, Sweden has gotten lots of asylum seekers. However, it's not the same as the term "immigrants" as they are provided housing of their own; and they can be expelled if they aren't granted asylum (or if the government thing they should be seeking asylum in the "first country of arrival").
Sweden used to have open borders with the other Scandinavian countries, but currently there is border Control in Place. Before you cross the border, transporters are required to ensure you do have some sort of ID (practically applies from Germany and Denmark), and police do passport checks on the trans from Denmark. Especially the ID checks is a nuissance as peopel do have to leave the train and change platform for the ID check to be done.
So, Sweden doesn't have open borders now.
And, further down in Europe, countries who don't want to risk the stream of refugees getting stuck there, has built border fences of their own. Hugary was the first example of that, as they absolutely not want a certain category of regugees staying in their country. And there currently is an agreement further upstream, so the refugees who arrive in Greece will be sent to camps in Turkey (close to syrian border..).
Pretty much only way for refugees is to get through Africa to Libya, and then travel with some sort of raft across the midterrainean sea (practically reaching Italian territory). It's not without risk (people smugglers don't want to get risk getting cought by police and because the "ships" risk getting seized they use cheapest raft possible that is able to leave Libyan coast).
Oh as for getting your married spouse into Sweden: To get a married spouse over, the spouse nees to make a Residence permit application and get a personal interview at a Swedish embassy. And, for people in Syria, the closest embassy they can get to is the embassy in Khartoum, because the countries with Swedish emassies that's closer require visa to enter and those countries won't issue Visas to syrian Citizens.
I wonder if USA also wound't have had more asylum seekers if it was possbile to get into USA by land (by foot and with help over borders by smuggler organizations) from Syria...
