Sweden plans to significantly increase financial support for migrants who voluntarily return to their homeland starting January 1, 2026. Specifically, payments will rise from the current €900 to €32,000 per adult, which is practically a 3400% increase. This initiative is inspired by the so-called “Danish model,” which actively encourages migrants who have been unable to integrate into Swedish society.
This is reported by Finway
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, commenting on the new measures for Euronews, noted that the current mechanism for financial incentives is virtually ineffective, as in 2023 only one out of 70 applications for return received approval. He emphasized: “We are significantly increasing this amount to help those who realize they have not found their place in Sweden but, for various reasons, cannot return home.”
Comparison with the Danish Model
According to the Prime Minister, Sweden is drawing on the experience of neighboring Denmark, which has already implemented a similar program and set a target number of voluntary returns at 22,000 individuals. Kristersson acknowledges that the initiative may be met with criticism, but asserts that if people do not integrate, the state must offer real alternatives.
New EU Migration Pact
The Swedish government also supports strengthening migration restrictions at the European Union level. The Prime Minister advocated for a new Migration Pact, stating that individuals who have been denied asylum should not remain in the EU. “Currently, about 80% of people with negative asylum decisions remain in Europe. This is unacceptable. In Sweden, we have managed to reduce this figure to 20%, but that is not enough,” he says.
Kristersson believes that the current political climate in Europe is favorable for making decisive changes in migration policy. In the context of tightening approaches to migrants in EU countries, Sweden’s new program could become part of a broader trend to revise old principles of asylum and integration.