According to Swedish Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, this move aims to "reduce the risk of painful tragedies for migrants". Underlying this measure is, in fact, the political pressure exerted by the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) party. The SD intends to take advantage of Sweden's presidency of the European Union to steer migration policy.
Sweden's paradigm shift
The new plan to reduce immigration on its territory is presented through the "International Awareness Campaign against Immigration". On January 24, during a press conference, Minister of Migration Maria Malmer Stenergard outlined Sweden's new migration plan. Surprisingly, Henrik Vinge, leader of the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD), was present, although the SD is not a member of the government, something that the ruling coalition keeps reminding. And yet the Minister of Migration has been working with him to detail her plan. In practice, the international awareness campaign will consist of a notice to foreign embassies in Sweden and foreign news agencies and editorial offices.
For the Swedish Minister of Migration, it is essential to act now. She wants to improve the perception of Sweden as a country that is deemed "very generous" to foreigners. "Sweden has "changed its paradigm", she insists. The Swedish administration must stop promoting Sweden abroad by presenting itself as a country that offers many benefits, which results in massive migration. Moreover, it remains to be seen whether the Minister is referring to everyone who wants to immigrate to Sweden or whether she is targeting a certain segment of the foreigners' community. Other details suggest that the latter is the case. The campaign is aimed at protecting prospective immigrants from abuse. “They put their lives in the hands of smugglers and will still be allowed to return. However, being informed of the rules and regulations will reduce the risk of suffering for these people," the Minister explained.
The influence of the Far Right on immigration policy
Analysts say the Swedish government is dealing with the consequences of its alliance with the Far Right. The September 2022 elections saw the formation of an entirely unexpected government. The SD claimed a historic poll of 20% and became the second-largest political force in the country. Ulf Kristersson, a leading member of the Moderates, became Prime Minister thanks to his alliance with the Far Right. In fact, the Moderates and the Christian Democrats signed a "coalition agreement" and accepted the outstretched hand of the far right to form a government. Even if the SD is not officially part of the government, it ensures that its hardline agenda, especially on immigration, will be followed.
In December 2022, Sweden took over the revolving presidency of the EU. That situation caused some concern among other European leaders. Some feared that this presidency would be used by the Far Right to push through its anti-immigration measures. This seems to be the case with this announcement. The Swedish presidency of the EU will certainly be influenced by the SD.
Immigration in Sweden: Time for a tougher stance
What is happening in Sweden? The so-called "generous" country is cracking the whip and learning from a policy that failed when it came to accommodating foreigners.
The migration crisis and hospitality policy
Ever since 2015, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have reached European shores. The war raging in Syria since 2011 turned into an international conflict in 2014-2015. The United States led the coalition against the Syrian forces, Russia allied with Bashar al-Assad, and millions of Syrians were forced to flee. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), at least 7.6% of refugees are internally displaced within Syria. In 2015, more than 4 million Syrians left the country and went mainly to Turkey (1.8 million) and Lebanon (1.1 million). Hundreds of thousands found refuge in neighboring countries like Iraq, Jordan or Egypt.
Other countries also provided shelter to Syrian refugees. Canada welcomed nearly 60,000 in 2015, and the United States, about 21,700 between 2011 and 2016. In 2015, 1.3 million refugees sought asylum in Europe, which is 74% more than the previous year. These refugees came mainly from Syria, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Eritrea and Mali. The European Union (EU) was quickly overwhelmed and voted for a refugee allocation agreement. The agreement was signed on September 22, 2015, in the most bitter way. Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania voted against the text. According to Eurostat, they did not validate any asylum applications in 2015.
A more restrictive migration policy
Germany and Sweden are the two European countries that satisfy the most asylum applications. According to Eurostat, Germany approved 148,215 applications, while Sweden accepted 34,470. France has accepted 26,015, and the United Kingdom 17,920. But when comparing these figures to the population, Sweden becomes the country that has received the most migrants per capita (160,000 at the end of 2015), resulting in local tensions. As early as 2016, the government voted for a law that temporarily restricted residency permits (until 2021). Sweden welcomed fewer immigrants: 102,000 in 2019 against 124,000 in 2018. The same drop was observed for asylum seekers (about 14,000 in 2020). In 2020, foreign-born people represented 20% of the Swedish population.
Sweden's tougher migration policy coincides with the rise of Far-Right rhetoric. The new government coalition, achieved thanks to the support of the Sweden Democrats (SD), only confirms the "rightening" of the country, albeit in part. The Right insists on the problem of "massive" immigration, with foreign citizens considered too far from Swedish culture and unable to integrate. However, the protesters point to the inaction of the Swedish government, which has failed to take the necessary steps to accommodate immigrants properly. They identified the problem as a lack of support from the government and denounced the administration that, in the beginning, turned a blind eye, in particular concerning the scandal of the fake "unaccompanied children", which saw foreigners of age posing as minors. With the authorities maintaining that they were indeed minors, the population was shocked by the delinquent acts of a minority of individuals. That, of course, shook the confidence between the public and the authorities.
But by throwing all foreigners into the same basket, even though the majority of immigrants want and manage to integrate, the Far Right has fostered a hostile feeling towards the foreign community. The awareness campaign is another victory for the Sweden Democrats, who intend to distill their vision of a strict migration policy.
