- Since the start of 2026, the coalition government has been offering non-EU residents up to 350,000 Swedish crowns (£27,100) to leave the country.
- In July, the Sweden Democrats launched bus ads targeting Somali immigrants with the slogan 'Do you miss Mogadishu?'.
- So far this year, 171 people have taken up the offer of cash to leave.
- Latest opinion polls for the 13 September election show an almost equal split between the government and the centre-left opposition.
- In 2015, Sweden took in 163,000 asylum seekers, second highest per capita in Europe.
- By 2025, asylum numbers had fallen by 96 per cent.
- In August, the government launched first-ever citizenship tests, mandatory for all who apply.
- The Sweden Democrats have thrown their support behind the scheme.
- The government has a budget of 1.3 billion Swedish crowns for the scheme.
- Opposition and civil rights groups have accused Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of going too far and call the policy divisive.
- Migration Minister Johan Forssell stated that the citizenship tests underline the value of citizenship.
As Sweden's election approaches, the government is offering up to £27,100 to immigrants willing to leave, a move supported by the far-right Sweden Democrats.28
The coalition government, which took power in 2022, aims to cut immigration and crime, and has allocated a budget of 1.3 billion Swedish crowns (£100 million) for this initiative.9
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated, “Improving re-migration is high on my government's agenda.” The ads, which ask “Do you miss Mogadishu?”, target Somali immigrants and have sparked controversy.10
Critics, including Bram Frouws from the Mixed Migration Centre, argue that such schemes are largely symbolic and lack evidence of increasing voluntary emigration.
So far, only 171 people have accepted the offer this year, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the policy.3
The opposition and civil rights groups have condemned the initiative as divisive, with Mahmoud Khalfi, an imam, stating it causes anxiety among Sweden's Muslim population.
In addition to this scheme, Sweden has tightened immigration rules, including the introduction of mandatory citizenship tests and the requirement for immigrants to reapply for permanent residency every three years.
As the political landscape shifts, the government’s tough stance on immigration may play a crucial role in the upcoming elections.
“Only 171 people have taken the offer so far, while the Sweden Democrats push to extend it to citizens. Critics call it symbolic, and the imam of Stockholm Mosque says it worsens conditions for those who stay.”
The Independent
