Migration budget focused on more efficient reception and return

“The Government’s migration policy is starting to show results. Asylum-related immigration to Sweden is decreasing, and this year we are on track to have the lowest number of asylum seekers since 1997. Despite this positive development, more needs to be done to maintain legitimacy in the system of regulated immigration and to combat the ‘shadow society’. With major investments in the Budget Bill for 2025, we are taking additional steps towards overhauling migration policy,” says Minister for Migration Johan Forssell.

In the Budget Bill, the Government proposes appropriating SEK 513 million in 2025 for expenditure area 8 Migration. The Government estimates that the appropriation will increase to SEK 2 559 million for 2026 and SEK 1 357 million for 2027. The Government therefore proposes reforms for:

• improving efficiency of reception and return;
• combating fraud and misuse;
• increasing voluntary repatriation;
• expanding internal controls of aliens; and
• strengthening the personal ties principle in relation to sickness and activity compensation.

More efficient reception and return

The Government’s overhaul of migration policy places major demands on both the Swedish Migration Agency and the migration courts. For example, the Swedish Migration Agency needs to be well-equipped to implement the Government’s extensive reform agenda. It is therefore necessary to revamp the entire reception system to achieve orderly reception and enable a more efficient asylum and return process. A more efficient asylum process makes it easier for those granted a residence permit to be able to integrate more quickly and get settled in Sweden. Minimising the time from application to decision and time spent in the reception system is important, and to achieve this the migration courts need a solid financial foundation to carry out their mandate. The Government therefore proposes allocating funds to both the Swedish Migration Agency and the migration courts in the Budget Bill for 2025.

To be better equipped to enforce removal orders, government agencies need to know the location of individuals who have been ordered to leave Sweden. The Swedish Migration Agency and the Swedish Police Authority must therefore be able to place more individuals in detention. The Government aims to establish a total of 1 000 detention centre places as quickly as possible, and proposes the necessary funding for this in the Budget Bill.

Measures to combat fraud and misuse

The Government wants to reinforce the Swedish Migration Agency’s efforts to combat fraud and misuse. This includes expanding the Swedish Migration Agency’s capacity to process biometric data, increasing controls of employers in work permit cases and enhancing efforts to revoke residence permits and status declarations. The Government therefore proposes allocating funds for this purpose.

Increased voluntary repatriation

The Government also proposes measures to stimulate voluntary repatriation for individuals who have not integrated into Swedish society. This includes substantially increasing repatriation benefits to a maximum of SEK 350 000 per person in 2026. The Government also proposes appointing a national coordinator and launching information campaigns to increase awareness of the possibility of voluntary repatriation.

“Stimulating voluntary repatriation is a priority issue. Thus far, almost no one has made use of the available benefits, which is why we, together with the Government, propose substantially increasing those benefits,” says Sweden Democrats migration policy spokesperson Ludvig Aspling.

Expanded controls of aliens

An investment will be made to further expand and streamline the Swedish Police Authority’s internal controls of aliens. Internal controls of aliens are an important tool for keeping track of who is in the country, which is relevant both from a security perspective and to maintain regulated immigration.

The proposals are based on an agreement between the Government and the Sweden Democrats.