Sweden Offers £27,100 to Non-EU Residents to Leave as Take-Up Hits 171
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Sep 8
Sweden Offers £27,100 to Non-EU Residents to Leave as Take-Up Hits 171
2 articles · Updated · The Independent · Sep 8
Summary
350,000 Swedish crowns — about £27,100 — have been offered since early 2026 to non-EU residents with permits to leave Sweden under a government drive to cut immigration and crime.
171 people have accepted the payment so far this year, despite a 1.3 billion-crown (£100 million) budget and multilingual promotion by the government and the Sweden Democrats.
2015 asylum inflows of 163,000 have already collapsed by 96% by 2025, yet the Sweden Democrats want the scheme widened to immigrants with Swedish citizenship if they surrender it.
Critics including migration researchers, opposition parties and Muslim community leaders call the policy divisive and largely symbolic, saying there is little evidence cash incentives materially raise voluntary departures.
Sweden is pairing the payouts with a broader crackdown — ending permanent residency, requiring renewals after three years and introducing first-ever citizenship tests before the 13 September election.