STOCKHOLM - Sweden, a nation long known for its open-arms policy toward migrants, plans to drastically increase its cash offer — by 35 times, to more than US$34,000 — to those who agree to go home.
On Thursday, the Scandinavian country's right-wing government announced that it would raise the existing benefit — 10,000 krona (about $978) per adult — to 350,000 krona per person, and reduce the red tape involved in applying for the grant in a bid to create more awareness about the incentive and attract more takers. The existing benefit includes a cap for families of 40,000 krona; no cap was announced for the increased grant.
The increase, which will take effect in 2026, goes against the advice of a government-appointed inquiry, which said in a report last month that promoting repatriation would hinder migrants' integration into Swedish society. "Potential gains do not appear large enough to justify the risks," the panel warned.
The step is one part of a larger shift in policy and rhetoric for Sweden, long known as a refuge for those fleeing war-torn and strife-ridden countries. It is now among a growing number of European nations embracing a harder stance on immigration amid a rise in right-wing and populist parties.
Sweden's coalition government is propped up by the Sweden Democrats, a far-right party that won the second highest number of seats in the 2022 election. The party began as a neo-Nazi movement in the 1980s but rebranded itself as a conservative party, with curbing migration at the centre of its platform. Reforming Sweden's migration policy was a non-negotiable during the coalition talks to form a government.
Describing the grant as an aid package, Ludvig Aspling, a member of parliament (MP) from the Sweden Democrats, said the new plan would also decrease the administrative hurdles of the existing program.
Sweden, with a population of 10.6 million people, had more than 250,000 refugees in mid-2023, the latest year for which figures are available. Only about 70 people applied for the grant last year, and only one got it, Aspling said. Meanwhile, 16,000 immigrants from Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia voluntarily left Sweden without the grant last year.
"It tells you something about how little known this is," Aspling said. "I think it's pretty generous. We're basically just trying to help people live their best lives."
Last year, the Swedish government introduced a new migration policy that took a stricter stance on residence permit applications and focused on increasing repatriation. The policy reform also introduced the inquiry that resulted in the report warning against increasing the emigration grant.
The inquiry looked to Denmark, which offers a grant of half the amount Sweden is offering. That grant has seen some success, with a slight increase in those willing to take advantage of the opportunity corresponding with the increased amount offered.
Migrants attempting to cross the English Channel to reach Britain head towards an inflatable dinghy as the French police and gendarmes officers patrol on the beach of the Slack dunes in Wimereux, France, on Sept 4, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)
Sweden, known for its cradle-to-grave social welfare net, could see some financial savings after 15 years, but the social consequences of such a negative message would not outweigh the monetary benefits, the report found.
The policy "sends a signal to the grant's target group that they are not welcome in Sweden — even to the extent that Sweden is willing to pay large amounts to get rid of some of them," it said.
Sweden's stricter immigration and asylum policies create an environment of uncertainty for migrants, which makes it harder for them to find formal work and more vulnerable to crime, said Martin Nyman, a legal adviser with the Stockholm-based human rights organisation, Civil Rights Defenders.
"People should not come to Sweden, that is the signal from this government," he said.
Experts said it was doubtful the higher amount would tempt many to return. Only one person took advantage of the grant last year, and experts doubt that many more will take advantage of it, even at a higher financial benefit.
Many of the refugees who come to Sweden have fled from Syria, Afghanistan and other countries battered by war, said Annika Sandlund of the United Nations (UN) refugee agency in the Baltic and Nordic countries. "Whether you get 10,000 Swedish crowns, or 350,000 Swedish crowns, it's not going to really change the reality on the ground," Sandlund said.
Money set aside for repatriation may be better spent on integrating refugees and other migrants, through programs offering language lessons, job assistance and training, which could help newcomers build a future in Sweden, she said.
The announcement was made just two days after a cabinet reshuffle that included a new migration minister: Johan Forssell, a member of the Moderate Party. He was known for slashing Sweden’s generous foreign-aid budget during his tenure before that as minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade.
Forssell's office and the Swedish government did not respond to a request for comment.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
On Thursday, the Scandinavian country's right-wing government announced that it would raise the existing benefit — 10,000 krona (about $978) per adult — to 350,000 krona per person, and reduce the red tape involved in applying for the grant in a bid to create more awareness about the incentive and attract more takers. The existing benefit includes a cap for families of 40,000 krona; no cap was announced for the increased grant.
The increase, which will take effect in 2026, goes against the advice of a government-appointed inquiry, which said in a report last month that promoting repatriation would hinder migrants' integration into Swedish society. "Potential gains do not appear large enough to justify the risks," the panel warned.
The step is one part of a larger shift in policy and rhetoric for Sweden, long known as a refuge for those fleeing war-torn and strife-ridden countries. It is now among a growing number of European nations embracing a harder stance on immigration amid a rise in right-wing and populist parties.
Sweden's coalition government is propped up by the Sweden Democrats, a far-right party that won the second highest number of seats in the 2022 election. The party began as a neo-Nazi movement in the 1980s but rebranded itself as a conservative party, with curbing migration at the centre of its platform. Reforming Sweden's migration policy was a non-negotiable during the coalition talks to form a government.
Describing the grant as an aid package, Ludvig Aspling, a member of parliament (MP) from the Sweden Democrats, said the new plan would also decrease the administrative hurdles of the existing program.
Sweden, with a population of 10.6 million people, had more than 250,000 refugees in mid-2023, the latest year for which figures are available. Only about 70 people applied for the grant last year, and only one got it, Aspling said. Meanwhile, 16,000 immigrants from Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia voluntarily left Sweden without the grant last year.
"It tells you something about how little known this is," Aspling said. "I think it's pretty generous. We're basically just trying to help people live their best lives."
Last year, the Swedish government introduced a new migration policy that took a stricter stance on residence permit applications and focused on increasing repatriation. The policy reform also introduced the inquiry that resulted in the report warning against increasing the emigration grant.
The inquiry looked to Denmark, which offers a grant of half the amount Sweden is offering. That grant has seen some success, with a slight increase in those willing to take advantage of the opportunity corresponding with the increased amount offered.
Migrants attempting to cross the English Channel to reach Britain head towards an inflatable dinghy as the French police and gendarmes officers patrol on the beach of the Slack dunes in Wimereux, France, on Sept 4, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)
Sweden, known for its cradle-to-grave social welfare net, could see some financial savings after 15 years, but the social consequences of such a negative message would not outweigh the monetary benefits, the report found.
The policy "sends a signal to the grant's target group that they are not welcome in Sweden — even to the extent that Sweden is willing to pay large amounts to get rid of some of them," it said.
Sweden's stricter immigration and asylum policies create an environment of uncertainty for migrants, which makes it harder for them to find formal work and more vulnerable to crime, said Martin Nyman, a legal adviser with the Stockholm-based human rights organisation, Civil Rights Defenders.
"People should not come to Sweden, that is the signal from this government," he said.
Experts said it was doubtful the higher amount would tempt many to return. Only one person took advantage of the grant last year, and experts doubt that many more will take advantage of it, even at a higher financial benefit.
Many of the refugees who come to Sweden have fled from Syria, Afghanistan and other countries battered by war, said Annika Sandlund of the United Nations (UN) refugee agency in the Baltic and Nordic countries. "Whether you get 10,000 Swedish crowns, or 350,000 Swedish crowns, it's not going to really change the reality on the ground," Sandlund said.
Money set aside for repatriation may be better spent on integrating refugees and other migrants, through programs offering language lessons, job assistance and training, which could help newcomers build a future in Sweden, she said.
The announcement was made just two days after a cabinet reshuffle that included a new migration minister: Johan Forssell, a member of the Moderate Party. He was known for slashing Sweden’s generous foreign-aid budget during his tenure before that as minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade.
Forssell's office and the Swedish government did not respond to a request for comment.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
