Sweden’s government, composed of the Moderate Party and the Christian Democrats, both part of the European People’s Party, as well as the Liberals, is engaged in an internal debate about integration. In some cases, the government also relies on external support from the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats (SD).
In the debate over sending migrants back, the Liberals and the Sweden Democrats have clashed the most. Liberal MEP Karin Karlsbro stated, “It’s time for the Liberals to show they have guts and can make a difference.” She argued that “we should not contribute to implementing malicious proposals based on the hard rhetoric of the Sweden Democrats.”
The SD wants to adopt Denmark’s remigration policy, where migrants leaving the country can receive 330,000 Danish kroner, or almost 5,000 euros, as an exit bonus. In Sweden, the amount is a fraction of that, only 10,000 Swedish kronor (1,000 euros). Denmark saw 300 people leave in exchange for the payment, while Sweden saw only one person leave. The SD’s demands, however, are legally backed by the coalition agreement, which includes the introduction of a repatriation system in Sweden, and the government has been officially exploring legal options since 2023.
Joakim Ruist, the Swedish government official responsible for this issue, does not recommend drastically increasing the exit bonus. Instead, he proposes extending the current bonus to Swedish citizens (!) and those arriving through family reunification who also wish to leave the country.
Translated and edited by L. Earth
