STOCKHOLM, September 8 — Sweden’s government has dramatically expanded a program that pays immigrants to leave the country voluntarily, offering up to 350,000 Swedish kronor (about US$35,000) per person as the nation barrels toward a general election in which immigration dominates the campaign. The Swedish Migration Agency administers the scheme, which was boosted in 2023 from a previous maximum of 10,000 kronor (roughly US$1,000). The higher payout is available to asylum seekers and certain migrants who have been denied residency or who wish to leave voluntarily.
Applicants must renounce their Swedish residence permits and, in some cases, their right to return. The Swedish Migration Agency has stated that the increased grant is intended to cover resettlement costs and provide a fresh start.
Officials report that uptake has climbed, with over 1,000 people applying in the first half of 2024, compared with a few hundred in previous years. A Polarizing Policy Human rights groups have criticized the expanded payouts, arguing that the payments may pressure vulnerable individuals — including children and families — into leaving. On the other side of the debate, some politicians contend the amounts are too generous. The policy has become a flashpoint in a broader European conversation about voluntary return schemes.
Sweden’s payment is among the highest in the region, and the shift reflects changing public opinion since the 2015 migrant crisis, when the country of about 10.5 million people received over 160,000 asylum applications. The Political Stakes The current coalition government relies on parliamentary support from the Sweden Democrats, a nationalist party whose influence has grown. That alliance has pushed Swedish immigration policy toward stricter controls and incentives for departure, a trajectory that now sits at the center of the September 2024 election campaign.
Parties are debating both the effectiveness and the ethics of the incentive scheme. Supporters argue it helps reduce the costs of failed asylum claims and encourages integration or return; opponents counter that it may pressure vulnerable individuals to leave. What this signals for Europe is a test case.
If Sweden’s high-value return grants prove politically popular and administratively workable, other European countries facing similar migration pressures may weigh matching them. If the program stumbles — whether on cost, legal challenges, or human rights scrutiny — it could cool enthusiasm for the approach across the continent. For now, the expansion stands as one of the most aggressive voluntary-return policies in the region, and the election will determine whether it deepens or stalls.
