Are foreigners no longer welcome in Sweden?

Last year, the Swedish Migration Agency revealed that Sweden recorded the lowest number of asylum seekers since 1997, and, for the first time in more than 50 years, saw net emigration. 

The number of registered asylum seekers decreased by 27 per cent from last year, shifting the future direction of the country that once was the largest migrant hub in Europe. At the same time, most immigrants moving to Sweden in 2023 were Swedish nationals returning to Sweden.

Nevertheless, the Swedish government is implementing further strategies to reduce migration, now increasing grants for immigrants who go back to their home countries.

Sweden is offering foreigners money to return to their home country

Starting in 2016, immigrants willing to leave Sweden and return to their home country will be eligible for grants up to 350,000 kroner (€30, 673), rising from the current €881 per adult, €440 per child, and €3,524 per family.

“We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in our migration policy,” said Migration Minister Johan Forsell about the new measures. The grant increase is part of a larger migration tactic developed by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson´s right-wing coalition government; proponents of the policy, Sweden Democrats believe that the measure will relieve the burden on Sweden´s social welfare system and improve “societal cohesion.” 

Ludvig Aspling of the Sweden Democrats said to the Press that the measure would most likely appeal to the several hundred thousand migrants who were either long-term unemployed or receiving salaries less than the minimum wage. Despite the government´s efforts, however, Sweden´s Migration Minister disclosed that only one person had accepted the offer of the grant in 2023.

Aspling highlighted to the Press; “The grant has been around since 1984, but it is relatively unknown, it is small and relatively few people use it,” adding that the government needs to work on promoting the grant to gain the interest of migrants.

Sweden is not the only European country offering money to foreigners to return ‘home’

Sweden´s incentive comes as other European countries offer repatriation grants to encourage migrants to go home and stricter immigration laws come into place. Today, Denmark pays more than €13, 532 per person to leave the country, Norway offers €1,263, France offers €2,526, and Germany, in which border controls have been increased, proposes €1,804. 

An outlier in the EU, Spain, however, has a different stance on migrants. Within January and August this year, more than 22,000 illegal migrants arrived in the Canary Islands alone, according to Spain´s Interior Minister. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recently met with Senegal´s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, concluding his trip through three West African countries and signing agreements to promote temporary work opportunities for Senegalese nationals.

“Regulated migration benefits us all,” noted the PM. “It vaccinates us against those who….spread hatred and xenophobia in our societies.” Spain is the third top country with the most foreign-born population of the EU, superseded by France with approximately 8,65 million foreign nationals and Germany with more than 15,2 million. 

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