As Election Looms, Sweden’s Government Is Paying Immigrants to Leave

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.

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So 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.

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