Sweden, like many other northern European countries, had previously been open to immigration. In Sweden too, the increase in immigration and refugees has created challenges, including social and political tensions, in the equation. Therefore, the current conservative government and the far right (which is connected to the Parliament) have tried to tighten immigration policies and restrict access to social benefits. And suddenly the government has introduced a surprising measure: 35,000 euros for established immigrants. Where is the trap?

News. The government has announced that it will pay migrants who “fail to integrate” into Swedish society 35,000 euros per person to return to their country of origin. While the Swedish welfare system has been seeing a steady increase in expenditure for decades, the so-called “return check” may seem like a win-win situation, as migrants who do not feel comfortable can return “home” (although you also stand to gain income, for example through worker contributions or direct consumption taxes).

What does it consist of? From 2026, the measure could be applied to “foreign-born” passport holders, i.e. already established immigrants, to leave the country in order to reduce migration. From this perspective (from the government’s perspective), it would be more than a significant economic incentive for situations such as a large family wanting to return home together.

For example, the government presented an admittedly vague example (no nationality was named) where it might be possible for this family of several members to purchase a house or land upon their return.

The minister’s word. Alongside the news, Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell provided some more context, explaining that the issue of returns is important to the Swedish government, but that it is currently impossible to state how many people are expected to leave the country. “It is not possible to give an exact figure at the moment. What is important now is that we do not return to the previous policy that put Sweden in a very difficult situation,” he said.

Moreover, he emphasized once again that the underlying idea is nothing more than paying the amount to immigrants who have not managed to adapt to life in the country, and described several advantages of providing financial incentives for return. “People who come to Sweden may feel that life is not going as they imagined, that they long to return to their country, but do not have the financial resources or other means to do so. We can facilitate such a development”.

Everything seems to be more or less fine, but there are many problems.

The law is not new. What the government has actually announced is an increase in the amount paid to anyone who wants to leave the country, since the law had already been in place since 1984. The purpose of this program, known as the “Return Program”, was already to encourage migrants to return to the country voluntarily, to return to their country of origin.

The program offered payments to those who wanted to return, primarily refugees who arrived in the 1970s and 1980s. Why? As now, there was discussion of facilitating the return of migrants who had difficulty integrating or who wanted to return for personal or economic reasons. Over time, the program was criticized as controversial and discriminatory. The amount? It had already reached 4,000 euros, an increase of another 30,000 euros.

A suggestion that doesn’t work. The truth is that if we have to stick to the success of the “aid” so far, we can say that it is insignificant. A few hours ago, Ludvig Aspling from the Sweden Democrats announced that the subsidy has been available for 40 years, “but it is unknown, small and few people use it.” In fact, according to Minister Forssell himself, only one person applied for the measure last year.

Because? We are talking about Sweden, where any possible “call effect” seems little less than a utopia. A country where migration does not come to the region with the last breath from the sea, but with planes with refugee visas, the first and most important “wall” that reaches the interior of the nation, because without it there is nothing, no aid or a possible “bonus” for returning home.

An investigation that does not recommend it. In August, a government-commissioned study became the first to recommend that the administration not increase the subsidy significantly. The reason? It said the expected effectiveness did not in any way justify the potential costs.

The head of the investigation, Joakim Ruist, reminded that the Nordic country has been struggling to integrate immigrants for years and that a significant financial increase would “send a signal that immigrants are not wanted, which would further hinder integration efforts.” So?

This is politics, friends. In the background is a problem that began to take shape in 2015, at the height of Europe’s migration crisis, when Sweden took in 160,000 refugees per capita, the most in the EU. The situation, made worse by wealth inequalities among foreign nationals, put the social welfare system to the test.

At the time, the Social Democrat government announced that it could no longer continue to implement open-door policies, a statement that has led to a flurry of comings and goings by incoming governments, including granting temporary residence permits to refugees, tightening family reunification conditions or increasing income requirements for work visas for non-EU citizens.

Now, among those who criticize this new proposal (which is not so new), there is a very controversial line that has existed in the country for a long time: the concession of the Conservatives to the efforts of the far right (RD). The juggling act of some with the help of others to maintain their power.

Image | Frankie Fouganthin

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