Written by Thomas Brooke of Remix.news
Sweden has unveiled a new voluntary remigration program initiated by the center-right government that offers migrants 350,000 SEK (€30,809) to return to their home countries.
Remix News was among the few English-language platforms to cover the proposal put forth last month by then Migration Minister Maria Stenergard and endorsed by the Swedish justice ministry.
“For those who have struggled to integrate into Swedish society, remigration could offer a path towards a better life,” Stenergard stated.
“This is just one of the strategies we are employing to promote sustainable immigration, enhance integration, and reduce exclusion,” she added.
This week, Stenergard assumed the role of the new foreign secretary, passing the torch to Johan Forssell who introduced the new policy on Thursday.
“Starting from 2026, migrants who choose to return to their home countries will be entitled to receive 350,000 Swedish kronor (€31,000),” he announced. This incentive applies even to individuals with Swedish citizenship.
Forssell, whose appointment was supported by the right-wing Sweden Democrats, emphasized the government’s commitment to remigration and departure from the open borders policies of past liberal administrations.
“It is imperative that we do not revert to previous policies that placed Sweden in a challenging position. Many individuals were impacted by those policies,” he told Aftonbladet.
“This is an issue of great importance for Sweden and this current government,” he emphasized.
Once hailed as a migrant-friendly nation known for its hospitality, Sweden has tightened its stance on new arrivals due to a significant cultural shift resulting in a surge in crime, particularly gang violence.”
Sweden joins other European countries in offering financial incentives for migrants to leave. In Germany, convicted criminals, including child rapists, were given €1,000 upon deportation to Afghanistan, although these were involuntary deportations involving only 28 individuals.
Earlier this year, Sweden announced stricter family reunification laws to reduce immigration, with increased income requirements and potential DNA testing for verification of relationships.
Last month, Stockholm reported net emigration for the first time in 50 years. However, these figures have been disputed by certain right-wing groups, alleging that the government has expedited naturalization processes to manipulate the statistics.
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