The Swedish government wants to increase the bonus for the voluntary return of migrants to their homeland. From 2026 Payments of up to 350,000 crowns (around 30,700 euros) are plannedthe government announced on Thursday. “We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in our migration policy,” said Migration Minister Johan Forssell.
Currently, immigrants can receive the equivalent of just under 880 euros per adult and 440 euros per child in the event of voluntary departure, with the amount capped at just over 3,500 euros per family.
The payments have been in place since 1984, However, they are relatively unknown and are “only used by relatively few people”, said MP Ludvig Aspling from the ultra-right Sweden Democrats. The increase should change this.
Conservative government is supported by right-wing Sweden Democrats
The planned increase was decided despite a government-commissioned study last month advising against a significant increase because the expected effectiveness did not justify the potential costs.
Sweden’s conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson took office in 2022 with the promise to reduce immigration and fight crime in his country. His minority government is supported by the Sweden Democrats, which became the second largest party in the parliamentary elections with 20.5 percent.
Sweden has taken in a large number of migrants since the 1990s, mainly from war-torn and crisis-ridden countries such as the former Yugoslavia, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran and Iraq. (AFP)
