Sweden to Offer Migrants $34,000 to Return Home
The Swedish government has announced a new initiative to offer certain migrants up to 350,000 Swedish kronor ($34,000) to voluntarily return to their countries of origin, starting in 2026. Migration Minister Johan Forssell made the announcement on Thursday, stating, “We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in our migration policy.”
This move comes as immigration has become increasingly controversial in Sweden in recent years. The right-wing populist Sweden Democrats gained significant traction in the country’s most recent general election in September 2022, coming in second place. Although they were unable to form a government, they have been supporting the current administration, led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson from the center-right Moderate Party.
Currently, the Swedish government offers a program providing migrants with financial assistance to return home, but the amounts are significantly lower – up to 10,000 kronor ($976) per adult, 5,000 kronor ($492) per child, and a maximum of 40,000 kronor ($3,903) per family. However, this program has seen little uptake, with only one migrant utilizing it in 2023. The new initiative aims to increase the incentive for migrants to return home voluntarily.
