Sweden Offers Payments to Encourage Immigrants to Depart
Under a new policy announced by Sweden's migration minister on Thursday, migrants will receive payments of up to $34,000 to encourage them to return to their home countries. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Sweden has implemented a plan to offer substantial financial incentives to immigrants who choose to return to their home countries, with amounts reaching as high as $34,000, announced Migration Minister Johan Forssell. This policy marks a significant shift from Sweden's previous liberal stance on migration.
From 2026, immigrants who decide to leave Sweden voluntarily can receive up to 350,000 Swedish kronor, Forssell explained during a press briefing. The current arrangement, which started in the mid-1980s, provides a much smaller sum, offering 10,000 kronor per adult and 5,000 kronor per child. Last year, only one person accepted this offer, according to Forssell.
Ludvig Aspling, a member of the right-wing Sweden Democrats, commented on the potential impact of increasing the grant, suggesting that greater awareness and a higher amount could encourage more people to opt for the payment, particularly those who are unemployed or in low-paying jobs and dependent on state support.
This policy reversal contrasts sharply with the position in 2015 when then-Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom welcomed over 160,000 asylum seekers, branding Sweden as a "humanitarian superpower." Since then, nearly a million individuals, primarily from the Middle East and North Africa, have moved to Sweden.
With the influx of immigrants, Sweden witnessed a rise in violent crimes, including murders and sexual offenses. A 2017 report by Dagens Nyheter found that a significant majority of shooting incidents were committed by first or second-generation immigrants.
In response to escalating migrant-related crime, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced measures last year to confront this issue, including deploying the military to assist police and accelerating deportations for migrants involved in drug-related offenses or connected to organized crime.
“We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in our migration policy,” Forssell told reporters on Thursday.
Similarly, Denmark has also tightened its migration policies in recent years, with former Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen using Sweden as a cautionary example. Danish legislation now includes more stringent deportation practices, reduced refugee quotas, and provisions for the state to seize assets from immigrants to help cover their living expenses. Denmark offers immigrants up to 150,598 Danish krone to leave the country.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
From 2026, immigrants who decide to leave Sweden voluntarily can receive up to 350,000 Swedish kronor, Forssell explained during a press briefing. The current arrangement, which started in the mid-1980s, provides a much smaller sum, offering 10,000 kronor per adult and 5,000 kronor per child. Last year, only one person accepted this offer, according to Forssell.
Ludvig Aspling, a member of the right-wing Sweden Democrats, commented on the potential impact of increasing the grant, suggesting that greater awareness and a higher amount could encourage more people to opt for the payment, particularly those who are unemployed or in low-paying jobs and dependent on state support.
This policy reversal contrasts sharply with the position in 2015 when then-Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom welcomed over 160,000 asylum seekers, branding Sweden as a "humanitarian superpower." Since then, nearly a million individuals, primarily from the Middle East and North Africa, have moved to Sweden.
With the influx of immigrants, Sweden witnessed a rise in violent crimes, including murders and sexual offenses. A 2017 report by Dagens Nyheter found that a significant majority of shooting incidents were committed by first or second-generation immigrants.
In response to escalating migrant-related crime, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced measures last year to confront this issue, including deploying the military to assist police and accelerating deportations for migrants involved in drug-related offenses or connected to organized crime.
“We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in our migration policy,” Forssell told reporters on Thursday.
Similarly, Denmark has also tightened its migration policies in recent years, with former Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen using Sweden as a cautionary example. Danish legislation now includes more stringent deportation practices, reduced refugee quotas, and provisions for the state to seize assets from immigrants to help cover their living expenses. Denmark offers immigrants up to 150,598 Danish krone to leave the country.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
