Sweden’s Government Unveils Plan to Incentivize Immigrant Departure with Increased Grants
The Swedish government has announced a significant increase in grants for immigrants who voluntarily return to their home countries, aimed at encouraging more migrants to leave the country. The new policy, set to take effect in 2026, offers up to 350,000 Swedish kronor (approximately $34,000) per person, a substantial increase from the current cap of 40,000 kronor per family.
“This is a paradigm shift in our migration policy,” Migration Minister Johan Forssell said at a press conference. The announcement comes despite a government-appointed probe last month advising against a significant increase in the grant amount, citing lack of expected effectiveness and potential costs.
The grant, which has been in place since 1984, is currently relatively unknown and underutilized, according to Ludvig Aspling of the Sweden Democrats. Aspling believes that if more people were aware of the grant and its size was increased, more would likely accept the offer.
The announcement is part of the conservative government’s effort to curb immigration and crime, led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who promised to do so when he took power in 2022 with a minority coalition government backed by the Sweden Democrats. The party emerged as the second-largest in the general election with 20.5 percent of the vote.
Sweden has taken in a large number of migrants since the 1990s, mainly from conflict-ridden countries such as the former Yugoslavia, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran, and Iraq. However, the country has struggled for years to integrate these immigrants.
