Sweden’s government announced on Thursday that it plans to significantly increase the financial assistance available to immigrants who choose to return to their home countries to incentivise more migrants to make this decision.
Starting in 2026, immigrants who voluntarily return to their home countries will be eligible to receive up to 350,000 Swedish kronor ($34,000), as stated by the right-wing government, which is propped up by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, during a press conference.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell noted to reporters that this marks a substantial change in the country’s migration policy.
Currently, immigrants can receive up to 10,000 kronor per adult and 5,000 kronor per child, with a maximum of 40,000 kronor per family.
Ludvig Aspling of the Sweden Democrats informed reporters that while the grant has been available since 1984, it is not widely known, and the number of people using it is relatively low. Aspling also suggested that raising awareness of the grant and increasing its size could lead to more people accepting the offer.
This announcement comes despite a government-commissioned study last month that advised against a significant increase in the grant amount, stating that the expected effectiveness did not justify the potential costs.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who leads a minority coalition government supported by the Sweden Democrats, had pledged to address immigration and crime following his ascension to power in 2022. Notably, the Sweden Democrats emerged as the second-largest party in Sweden, securing 20.5 per cent of the vote in the general election.
Since the 1990s, Sweden has been a destination for a large number of migrants, primarily from conflict-affected nations such as the former Yugoslavia, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran, and Iraq. However, the Nordic country has encountered challenges integrating immigrants for several years.