STOCKHOLM – The government of Sweden has confirmed that the number of people leaving exceeds those who want to immigrate to the country.
According to the latest figures released by Statistics Sweden, the government’s official statistics agency, 5,700 more people had emigrated than immigrated from January to May 2024.
Quoting the figures, Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard Stenergard claimed that the trend was expected to continue, adding that the number of asylum applications had not been as low since 1997.
“The government’s efforts are bearing fruit,” the minister said in response to the numbers.
As far as the reasons for such low figures are concerned, there are many including the strict policies introduced by the government over a period of time.
In 2015, the ruling Social Democrats reversed Sweden’s previously liberal immigration and integration policies, whereby many asylum-seekers from war-torn countries such as the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Somalia were accepted.
Currently, a minority government led by conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is steering the country, supported by the far-right nationalist Sweden Democrats.
The country has introduced several measures to discourage immigration including access to Swedish territory to apply for asylum and other policies related to granting asylum and the legal consequences.
The authorities have also focused on encouraging the asylum seekers to return voluntarily and making consistent deportations.
According to the Swedish government’s latest press release, there are now more and more people hailing from Iraq, Somalia or Syria leaving the country.
Experts believe that the immigrants are leaving the country as it is becoming difficult for them to survive due to stringent policies introduced in the backdrop of rising organized crimes and criminal incidents taking place in poorer neighborhoods, where there is a higher proportion of migrants.
