Sweden is changing its approach to migration: 32 thousand euros for voluntary return home.

In recent years, many European countries have seen a radical change in attitudes towards migration. What ten years ago seemed to be the embodiment of European humanistic values ​​— open borders, broad integration programs — today is increasingly giving way to a pragmatic approach: fewer new arrivals, tighter filtering, active measures to reduce the number of migrants who remain without successful adaptation. One of the most revealing examples of this transformation was the initiative of the Swedish government, which provides for a one-time payment of up to 32,000 euros to migrants who agree to return to their countries of origin.

Why Sweden is changing its approach

As explained Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson in an interview with Euronews, the country faces deep problems of integration of migrants who, although they have a legal status of stay, often do not accept the Swedish way of life and do not integrate into society. It is not only a matter of language or cultural barriers, but more broadly, a mismatch between the expectations of migrants and the values ​​of the host country.

Kristersson emphasized: if a person realizes that he cannot find himself in Sweden, he should be given the opportunity to return home without pressure and humiliation. For this, the state is ready to offer 32,000 euros instead of the current amount of 900 euros — more than 30 times more. In this way, the government aims to make the decision easier for those who do not see themselves in the Swedish future.

Why exactly 32 thousand

This amount is not accidental – it is an imitation of the Danish experience, where a similar program is already in operation. Denmark has offered such a payment to migrants who will leave the country voluntarily, and has outlined a potential participant pool of 22,000. Sweden is actually copying this model, counting on the fact that the higher compensation will actually encourage those who have been hesitant for a long time, but have not yet dared to return.

However, the government does not expect this program to become widespread. According to Kristersson, it is not about the flow of thousands of people, but about a tool for point-wise de-escalation of the situation, which can be a signal of a new state policy: now every person who has not integrated has a real alternative, which is not connected with repression or coercion.

So far, Sweden has tried to be soft: for those who could not or did not want to integrate, a one-time aid of 900 euros was offered. But this scheme turned out to be ineffective. According to the Swedish Migration Agency, in 2023, out of 70 applications for voluntary return, only one was approved. This shows that the amount of compensation did not correspond to the real costs of return, and did not convince people to change their lives.

Fight against illegal migration

Kristersson also stressed that attitudes towards migration are changing rapidly in Europe, and more and more countries are realizing that the high percentage of migrants who have been refused asylum but remain in the EU is a serious problem. According to him, on average in Europe, more than 80% of such persons continue to stay illegally on the continent. Sweden has better indicators – about 20%, but even this, as the prime minister emphasized, is “too much”.

The Swedish government supports the EU’s Migration Pact, which provides for tougher return and deportation mechanisms. Kristersson emphasized that the European Commission is already promoting new mechanisms to improve the efficiency of migrant return procedures, and the general mood in the EU now favors the adoption of similar decisions.

What kind of signal does this send to Ukrainians?

Despite the fact that the initiative is not aimed directly at citizens of Ukraine, in the context of post-war migration, it will have an indirect impact. Sweden, like other EU countries, increasingly clearly delineates the right to protection from war and the willingness to adapt to the society that accepts you. People who do not plan to stay in Europe for a long time, or are not ready to learn the language, integrate, bring their children to a new cultural environment, receive a real incentive to return with dignity.

This is a signal for Ukraine as well: in the post-war era, the return of migrants will become one of the central topics, and the state must be ready both for the economic reception of those who return, and for competition with European models of retention or reintegration. And if someone has a choice – to stay in Europe as an inert guest or return with material support – now it will be a real choice, not a forced survival.

The program will enter into force on January 1, 2026. According to the Swedish government, by then it is planned to complete its legal preparation and outline the clear conditions under which a migrant can claim assistance — in particular, which countries will be eligible for such payment and how the fact of final return will be verified.