Australian National Review – Sweden considers offering naturalised citizens money to return to their home country

The Swedish government is considering giving foreigners who become naturalized money to leave the country.

Ministers in Stockholm had sought advice on how emigration could be “strongly stimulated”.

The research focused onappointed by the government to consider whether a more generous subsidy, similar to that in Denmark worth approximately $14,800, could also be offered in Sweden.

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A larger subsidy “sends a signal to the target group of the subsidy that they are not welcome in Sweden – even to the extent that Sweden is prepared to pay large sums to get rid of some of them,” the statement said.

“Such a signal can hardly fail to have a negative impact on the target group’s willingness – and on their prospects for opportunities – to become an integrated part of Swedish society.”

According to the report, this could have consequences such as lower labor market participation and increased crime among the immigrant groups targeted by the subsidy.

Instead, the report encouraged ministers to expand the group of people eligible for the subsidy to include Swedish citizens.

“The subsidy should no longer be income-dependent and people should remain eligible even if they obtain a Swedish passport,” the report said.

“Subsidies should not be provided to people who move within the EU or to another country with close migration ties to the country.”

However, the study said it had “failed to identify a policy that would “significantly increase” voluntary migration from Sweden, “due to the clear lack of experience or evidence of suitable methods.”

Negative net migration was found among people born in Iraq, Syria and Somalia who had moved to the country.

“The number of asylum applications appears to be at a historically low level, the number of asylum-related residence permits continues to decline and Sweden is experiencing net emigration for the first time in 50 years,” she added.

Gang violence

Migration and integration have become a hot topic in the Scandinavian country in recent years, after an explosion of gang violence took place in several cities.

More checks are being carried out on trains crossing the Øresund Bridge, which connects Copenhagen with the southern Swedish city of Malmö, after a series of shootings by Swedish teenagers in Denmark.

According to Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard, there have been 25 cases since April where young Swedes have been hired by Danes to commit crimes in the Øresund Strait.

“We are increasing surveillance, partly to increase safety, but also to prevent Swedish child soldiers from coming to Copenhagen to carry out tasks related to gang conflicts,” Hummelgaard said.