The Swedish government believes that its strict policy is paying off. The number of immigrants entering Sweden is the lowest it has been in a long time, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics, Sweden’s Minister of Immigration, Maria Malmer Stenergaard, said last Thursday. . From January to May this year, almost 5,700 more people left Sweden than in the past. And this trend is expected to continue, said Malmer Stenergaard. In addition, the number of asylum applications is the lowest since 1997, the minister added.

However, the trend towards a decline in asylum applications is not new. Already in 2016, significantly fewer asylum applications were submitted. Specifically: 22,000 applications, an extremely low number, compared to the almost 156,000 applications of the previous year – a very high number for a country with a total population of almost 10 million.

Pivotal change in immigration policy in 2016

The low rates are due to the change of course of the then Swedish government. While Sweden had in the past followed a fairly liberal immigration and social integration policy, having welcomed high numbers of immigrants from countries in war or crisis, such as the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Somalia, the then Social Democrats in power significantly changed its immigration policy at the end of 2015.

The minority government under Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson has been in power since October 2022 and is made up of moderates, Christian Democrats and liberals. At the same time, it is also supported by the right-wing nationalist Sweden Democrats.

Stricter measures = better integration?

The Swedish government’s latest press release now states that more and more people born in Iraq, Somalia and Syria are leaving the country. The proportion of people repatriated voluntarily remains unclear in the government figures. However, the Minister of Immigration seems convinced that today’s immigration rates are due to the most restrictive immigration policy in recent years: “The government’s efforts are paying off.”

Overall, one can say that Sweden has effectively limited immigration numerically in recent years. However, a sign that this does not solve all problems could be rampant gang crime. Tackling the phenomenon is a major goal of current conservative Prime Minister Ulf Christerson – who, however, attributed this to the previous government’s “irresponsible immigration policy and failed integration policy”.

Edited by: Chrysa Vachtsevanu