Only one person used the repatriation grant last year. Now the Swedish government wants to increase the amount by 3,400% to stimulate voluntary return.
Only one person used the current re-migration grant of SEK 10,000 (€870) in 2023. Now the government plans to increase the grant to SEK 350,000 (€31 000) per person, an increase of 3,400%. The proposal, which is inspired by a Danish model and will come into force in 2026, aims to encourage more people with citizenship of other countries who have not settled in Sweden to return to their countries of origin.
– It is about stimulating voluntary return migration. Only one person made use of this last year, Migration Minister Johan Forssell (M) told TT.
Despite immigration to Sweden being the lowest in almost 30 years, Forssell sees return migration as an important complement to ensure sustainable development after many years of high asylum reception.
It is estimated that the increase will increase emigration by around 700 people per year. The cost of the program is estimated at SEK 1.4 billion (€122 million) in 2026, but investigators estimate that it could lead to savings in the long term.
– It is a modest expense compared to the significant costs of poor integration, says Forssell.
The government has also appointed a national coordinator to review how fraud can be avoided and how support should be adjusted for families and couples.
