Foreign-born Swedes could be offered money to emigrate

Inquiry recommends $960 voluntary exit scheme should be widened to cover citizens

The government in Stockholm wants to reduce net migration beyond what is already the lowest level in 50 years. Reuters

Foreigners who become Swedish nationals could be offered money to leave the country, in a push to cut net migration.

A voluntary exit scheme currently offers 10,000 Swedish crowns ($960) plus travel costs for refugees to leave the country.

An inquiry has recommended the proposal should be widened to include naturalised Swedish citizens and families of migrants.

However, it rejected the idea of increasing the grant in case it sends a signal to immigrants that “they are not welcome in Sweden”.

The proposal comes after figures showed more people left Sweden than arrived last year, the first net loss for more than 50 years.

Net migration was negative for people born in Iraq, Syria and Somalia.

A “development towards sustainable immigration is necessary to strengthen integration and reduce social exclusion,” said Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.

“The number of asylum applications is looking to be historically low, asylum-related residence permits continue to decrease and Sweden has net emigration for the first time in 50 years.”

Sweden's migration and integration policies have been scrutinised after gang violence in several cities.

In May, a counter-intelligence service accused Iran of recruiting Swedish criminal gangs, known as Foxtrot and Rumba, to do their bidding.

Police figures show there were at least 348 shootings in Sweden last year. At least 52 people were killed and the number of explosions rose from 90 to 149.

The country also struggled last year to calm community tensions after a spate of Quran-burning incidents soured its relations with the Muslim world.

Ministers in Stockholm, who depend on the far-right Sweden Democrats, sought advice on how emigration could be “greatly stimulated”.

The inquiry was asked to consider whether a more generous grant worth about $14,800 in Denmark could be offered in Sweden.

In its report, it warned there would be a hit to public finances and that a higher sum could have “negative consequences for societal integration”.

Wrong signal

A larger grant “sends a signal to the grant’s target group that they are not welcome in Sweden – even to the extent that Sweden is willing to pay large amounts to get rid of some of them”.

“Such a signal could hardly not have a negative impact on the target group’s willingness – and outlook on their opportunities – to become an integrated part of Swedish society.

“This could have consequences such as lower labour market participation and more crime among the immigrant groups that the grant targeted.”

Ministers have instead been encouraged to widen the scope of those eligible for the grant, to include Swedish citizens.

The grant should no longer be means-tested and people should remain eligible even if they acquire a Swedish passport, the report said.

It said grants should not be given to people who move within the EU or to another country with close migration ties to the nation.

However, the inquiry “admits to having failed” to find a policy that could “considerably increase” voluntary migration from Sweden.

“This failure is due to the apparent lack of any experiences or indications of appropriate methods,” it said.