Sweden provides financial assistance up to €30,000 for individuals choosing to voluntarily return home.
Sweden is looking to decrease the number of migrants residing in the country by a substantial margin. To help achieve this goal, the government is considering boosting the cash amount given to migrants opting for voluntary return. At present, around 880 euros can be claimed per adult and 440 euros per child in case of voluntary departure, with a maximum family payment of around 3,500 euros. However, the government plans to increase this to up to 30,700 euros starting from 2026.
Sweden's Minister of Migration, Johan Forssell, mentioned that this shift in migration policy is already underway. He stated, "We are in the middle of a paradigm shift in our migration policy."
Currently, these payments, first introduced in 1984, are not widely known and are only claimed by a small portion of the population, according to Ludvig Aspling, an MP from the Sweden Democrats. Aspling believes that the proposed increase will encourage more migrants to take advantage of this offer.
However, a government-commissioned study last month advised against such a significant increase due to concerns about the effectiveness not justifying the costs involved. The Swedish government, despite this, chose to proceed with the planned increase.
Faeser: Cash payments "routine"
Sweden's new conservative Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, took office in 2022, vowing to reduce immigration and combat crime within the country. His government, which has the Sweden Democrats as its minority supporter, gained significant power with the Sweden Democrats becoming the second-largest parliamentary force with 20.5%.
Sweden has seen a high influx of migrants since the 1990s, largely from war-torn and crisis-stricken countries such as former Yugoslavia, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran, and Iraq.
In Germany, a controversial incident occurred at the end of August relating to payments of 1,000 euros each to 28 criminals being deported to Afghanistan. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser defended the payments, asserting that such cash payments were a common practice to prevent the possibility of courts reversing the deportation due to the threat of poverty for those being sent back.
The Swedish government's consideration of increasing the cash amount for voluntary return has garnered attention at The Court of Justice, as the European Union's legal arm is examining if such payments violate EU rules. Despite the EU's concern, Sweden's Minister of Migration, Johan Forssell, remains committed to implementing the planned increase.
