As election looms, Sweden's government is paying immigrants to leave

STOCKHOLM, Sept 8 - Once known for its welcome to migrants, Sweden has not only shut its borders over the last decade, its right-wing government is now paying some foreign-born residents to leave, part of a tough stance on migration it hopes will help it secure reelection this month.As countries across Europe clamp down on immigration, Sweden has made one of the most drastic about-turns. It took in 163,000 asylum seekers in 2015 - the second highest per capita in Europe. By 2025, that number had fallen 96%.Since the start of 2026, the Swedish coalition government, which took power in 2022 on a pledge to cut immigration and crime, has been offering those with residency permits from outside the European Union up to 350,000 Swedish crowns ($37,000) if they leave the country.The scheme is being closely watched abroad, and strongly supported by the Sweden Democrats, a far-right party that is outside the government but backs it in parliament."Do you miss Mogadishu? The remigration grant will help you get home," reads an advert, paid for by the Sweden Democrats on a bus and aimed at Somali immigrants. The far-right party launched the adverts in July on public transport and in areas with high numbers of migrants as campaigning for the election began. It and the three governing coalition parties are seeking to form a four-way ruling partnership.The government has publicised the programme in multiple languages on its websites."Improving re-migration is high on my government's agenda," Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said. The scheme has a budget of 1.3 billion Swedish crowns.OTHER EUROPEAN STATES WATCHINGGovernments and political parties across Europe are watching as some also consider ways to send people back. Anti-immigration rhetoric has surged since over a million people, mainly Syrians fleeing war, arrived in Europe in 2015. That has given right-wing nationalist parties a boost, pushing governments to adopt increasingly restrictive migration policies focused on deterrence and returns.Mary Khan-Hohloch, a European Parliament lawmaker for Alternative for Germany (AfD), which won 44% of the vote in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, welcomed the Swedish initiative."Given the considerable financial and social burdens facing many European countries as a result of migration policies to date, interest in effective return and remigration programmes is likely to continue to grow," she told Reuters in an email.However, Bram Frouws, director of the Mixed Migration Centre, a research body, said there was no evidence these kinds of schemes produce any significant increase in voluntary emigration. "This is one of those policy proposals where this doesn’t even matter, it’s mainly symbolic, it’s about signaling how tough they are on migration," he said.LITTLE UPTAKESo far this year, 171 people have taken up the offer of cash to leave. The Sweden Democrats want to extend the offer to immigrants with Swedish citizenship, if they agree to revoke it."That's where you find the large numbers," said Ludvig Aspling, immigration spokesperson for the party, highlighting those citizens who struggle to support themselves financially and speak little Swedish.The opposition and civil rights groups have accused Kristersson of going too far and call the policy divisive.Latest opinion polls for the September 13 election show an almost equal split between the government on one side and the Social Democrats and centre-left on the other in the country of 10.6 million, where 2 million are foreign-born.IMMIGRANTS WANT TO STAYIn the working-class Stockholm suburb of Satra a dozen immigrants have gathered at a community centre to have coffee and practice Swedish. Among them are a Sudanese woman, two people from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, one person who fled the Taliban in Afghanistan and a dissident from China. They have all heard about the government cash incentive to leave. None are interested."I want freedom, to be able to work and live a good life," said Elena Ibrahim, 42, from Sudan. She fled her ex-husband and religious oppression eight years ago. Now remarried, she works as an artist. "I will not go back."Mahmoud Khalfi, imam at the Stockholm Mosque, Sweden's largest, said the scheme and anti-immigrant rhetoric were divisive and caused anxiety among Sweden's Muslim population.Those who would have opportunities if they left are the highly educated, such as doctors or professors, he said. "They can go to London or Dubai...but those with less education have no choice, they can't leave."The policy, he said, "doesn't solve any problem. Even if a few thousand leave, it has made it worse for those who have to stay."RIGHTS AND DEMANDSSweden has also started tightening other rules for immigrants - no longer awarding permanent residency permits and making immigrants re-apply for them after three years.In August, the government launched the first-ever citizenship tests, mandatory for all who apply. At a Stockholm convention centre 900 immigrants were tested on their knowledge of Sweden, including the line of succession for the monarchy and the midsummer holiday."It wasn't that hard," said Cornelius, 38, originally from Cameroon, adding that citizenship would bring peace of mind."Sweden is a very good place. It's safe and there are jobs."Migration Minister Johan Forssell told Reuters the tests were important in underlining the value of citizenship and that it came with both rights and demands."These are highly reasonable requirements," he said. "What's unreasonable is that until now you have been able to become a citizen without knowing anything about Sweden and without speaking a single word of Swedish." REUTERS