On Thursday, Sweden’s government announced a major increase in grants for immigrants who choose to voluntarily return to their home countries. Starting in 2026, those who opt to leave will be eligible for up to 350,000 Swedish kronor ($34,000), according to the right-wing administration supported by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats.

Migration Minister Johan Forssell described the move as a significant shift in migration policy, saying, “We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in our migration policy.”

Currently, the grant provides up to 10,000 kronor per adult and 5,000 kronor per child, with a maximum of 40,000 kronor per family. Ludvig Aspling from the Sweden Democrats noted that while the grant has been available since 1984, it is relatively unknown, modest, and underutilized. He believes increasing both the grant amount and public awareness will likely encourage more migrants to take advantage of it.

This announcement comes despite a recent government-commissioned report that advised against a substantial increase in the grant, arguing that the anticipated benefits did not justify the potential costs.

Conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who took office in 2022 with a coalition government supported by the Sweden Democrats, has made addressing immigration and crime a priority. The Sweden Democrats became Sweden’s second-largest party with 20.5 percent of the vote in the general election.

Sweden has welcomed a significant number of migrants since the 1990s, primarily from conflict-affected regions such as the former Yugoslavia, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran, and Iraq.