After accepting the mass influx of refugees under the European Union’s liberal Marxist immigration policies heralded by Angela Merkel et al., Sweden is now desperate to get them out of the country, even to the point of paying them to leave.
Stockholm just announced an ambitious program that will pay immigrant families a maximum of SEK 600,000 ($61,134) to relocate outside the European Union. Spouses/cohabitants also qualify for a maximum of SEK 500,000 ($50,933), while individual adults receive a maximum of SEK 350,000 ($35,974). Families with children under 18 years also qualify for an additional SEK 25,000 ($2,490) per child. Previously, the country had a smaller voluntary remigration grant of SEK 40,000 (€3,903), which only one immigrant took.
“So far, few people have taken advantage of the opportunity to receive benefits. In the budget bill for 2025, the government announced that the grant will be increased sharply in 2026,” the Ministry of Justice wrote.
The scheme is proof that the European Union’s unchecked immigration policy, which forced individual countries to accept illegal immigrants, has failed, leaving individual countries to deal with the mess. The EU has been fighting with Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic for refusing to take part in the refugee resettlement program that imposed quotas for each country.
Nonetheless, Sweden refuses to accept to acknowledge the failure of unchecked immigration and presents the resettlement scheme as a noble cause to help marginalized people resettle and start life.
“This is about giving people who feel excluded or who haven’t found a place in Swedish society the opportunity for a dignified return and a new beginning elsewhere,” Migration Minister Johan Forssell told the Swedish TT media outlet.
Since most migrants depend on the Swedish welfare system, especially those from Islamic countries who have refused to integrate, the country seemingly prefers a one-time payment, instead of supporting them indefinitely. While promoting the program, Sweden inadvertently acknowledged that it was dealing with reintegration issues.
“Today, there are a large number of people who immigrated to Sweden but who for various reasons have failed to become part of the Swedish community despite being here for a long time,” said Sweden Democrats’ immigration spokesman Ludvig Aspling.
However, the spokesperson did not mince words about Sweden’s desire to return immigrants to their countries of origin or at least a third country. Seemingly, deporting them is impossible under the tight control of the EU bureaucrats in Brussels.
“Our starting point is that in this case, it is best to return to your home country, as long-term exclusion entails very high costs for society. Financial support for this purpose can increase both the incentives for return and the opportunities for re-establishment upon returning home.”
Meanwhile, Sweden says it has a robust mechanism to prevent immigrants from exploiting the system by taking the grants and sneaking back into the country. Additionally, only those who relocate outside the European Union and selected countries will be eligible.
“But this won’t be a free ticket. If they return to Sweden, they’ll be required to pay the money back,” Forssell said.
While the most ambitious so far, Sweden is hardly the only European country paying immigrants to leave. Denmark pays immigrants over $15,000 to leave, while France offers $2,800, Germany roughly $2,000, and Norway $1,400.
Considering that immigrants enjoy special privileges in the EU and also benefit from the vast welfare system, this immigration policy is doomed to fail.
Meanwhile, Sweden continues to grapple with violent crimes perpetrated by immigrants.
