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Swedish Minister of Migration Johan Forsell revealed that the Swedish government is moving forward with a new plan aimed at accelerating the return of certain Syrians from Sweden to their homeland.
The plan intends to carry this out either through voluntary repatriation or via forced deportation, Svenska Dagbladet, the Swedish newspaper, reported.
This came during a two-day visit by Forsell to Denmark, where he observed how the authorities there handle the “return” process, expressing interest in the Danish model.
The Danish model has established specialized institutions dedicated solely to managing cases of rejected asylum seekers or those willing to leave.
The minister emphasized that his country “will become stricter” than its southern neighbor, through new legislation to be introduced soon.
Forsell explained that the Swedish government is working in coordination with Copenhagen within the European Union to exert direct pressure on Damascus to accept the returnees.
He confirmed that last summer he sent a letter to his Danish counterpart, Kaare Dybvad Bek, proposing that the European Union speak “with one voice” to the Syrian government on this issue.
According to the report, starting next January, Sweden is set to increase the financial support for those willing to return voluntarily to $37,000 (350,000 Swedish kronor) per adult.
The new policy will apply to those whose applications have been rejected and who have not yet left the country.
The Swedish government is determined to catch up with Denmark’s tough migration policy.
According to the newspaper, under the Danish model, those who choose voluntary return receive the equivalent of around $31,000 (200,000 Danish kroner) along with a travel ticket.
Those whose applications are rejected are offered two options: either return with financial support or stay in closed centers where work or study is not allowed until forced deportation is carried out.
The newspaper concluded its report by stating that the plan Sweden is working on “has sparked debate in political and human rights circles."
While the government sees tightening the policy as a necessity to ‘regain control’ over the migration file, experts warn that increasing the return grant could undermine the integration prospects of some migrants in Swedish society.”
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