The subject of the dissertation is formal and substantive rights. It focuses on the question of the role of different types of welfare states in the social rights of elderly immigrants and their power resources. Despite changes that have occurred during the post-war period, the situation of immigrants can nonetheless be problematic. They can still be excluded from or included in welfare in various ways. On the basis of questionnaires and deep interviews, the significance of the Swedish, British and German welfare states for elderly immigrants from the Middle East residing in Stockholm, London and Berlin is studied. The dissertation can be situated within two important, but previously separate, research fields. The theoretical point of departure for the discussion is Esping-Andersen´s research, which is based primarily on work-related social insurance for persons who are gainfully employed. Generous welfare states, according to him, have a high degree of decommodification, i.e. provide the possibility of living independently of the market. He starts with citizens from the working class, which means that immigrants fall outside of his analytic framework. For this reason, his theory supplemented by research on immigration and immigrant policy. In this dissertation Esping-Andersen´s historical class perspective is supplemented by considerations of state membership and immigrant policy in Sweden, the United Kingdom and Germany. Beyond the conditions that apply to the majority population, welfare states stratify immigrants through immigrant policy. In addition to work-related social insurance, the study includes health care, elderly care and social welfare allowances, which have a more subordinate role in Esping-Andersen´s research. In contrast to Esping-Andersen´s results, the dissertation demonstrates that the possibility for immigrants to live independently of the market is greater in the United Kingdom than in Germany. In this respect, the United Kingdom is comparable to Sweden. The results indicate that in addition to conditions placed specifically on immigrants, substantive rights can also be problematic. Despite the existence of formal rights, the substantive rights of elderly immigrants run up against problems in relation to public authorities and access to information. Elderly immigrants have very limited social and political resources to bring to bear. These problems can be found in all three countries, even though there is some variation.