Due to the increasing number of migrants.. Plans to encourage voluntary return
The government announcedFor SwedishFor the first time in its history, it has decided to grant 350,000 Swedish kronor, equivalent to 34,000 dollars, to every immigrant who agrees to voluntarily return to his country and relinquishes his legal residency and citizenship that he had previously obtained.
The decision, which will come into effect on January 1, 2026 for any immigrant, was directed by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats party and was announced by Johan Fuchel, the new Minister of Migration, at a press conference held together with representatives of the Tido parties, where the plan for the “Voluntary Return Support for Immigrants” program was announced, which also allows those who came to Sweden through family reunification to receive return support as well, with each family member receiving the same amount.
The current compensation for an immigrant who abandons his residence or nationality and leaves CountryIt is 10 thousand “krona” for an adult ($970) and 5 thousand for a minor, provided that it does not exceed 40 thousand Corona for each family, regardless of the number of its members. This is compensation that was approved in 1984 and did not tempt many to leave the country, which is known for having received a large number of immigrants since the nineties of the twentieth century, most of them from countries torn apart by conflicts, especially Syria, Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Afghanistan and the former Yugoslavia.
The announcement of the new decision comes despite a government inquiry last month that recommended against a significant increase in the grant amount, saying the expected effectiveness did not justify the potential costs. But conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson promised after coming to power in 2022 to combat immigration and crime through a coalition government supported by the Democrats, who emerged as the second-largest party with 20.5% in the general election. Now is the time for him to deliver on his promise.
Official statistics issued by the Swedish National Centre, or SCB for short, indicate that the number of immigrants reached nearly 2.76 million last year, or 28% of the population, most of whom are Syrians, numbering 244 thousand, followed by Iraqis, numbering 195 thousand.
As for what other European countries offer in terms of “financial aid” as an incentive for the return of the immigrant, the largest is in Denmark, which pays more than $15,000 per person, then $2,800 in France, $2,000 in Germany, and $1,400 in Norway.
