Action Group | Sweden
In the latest step in a series of tightening measures pursued by the right-wing, anti-immigrant Swedish government, the government today announced a legislative proposal that would deprive new immigrants of most forms of social assistance for five years from the date they obtain residency in the country.
This move reveals a clear strategy to reshape social welfare policy in Sweden, excluding immigrant groups from the country’s traditional social safety net, deepening the gap between the local population and new immigrants.
According to the government, the law aims to reduce what it describes as the “attractiveness of the assistance system” and encourage immigrants to enter the labor market immediately upon arrival. However, critics see this measure as a systematic attempt to deter immigration and strip immigrants of the tools for social and economic stability, especially in the first years, which typically witness significant integration challenges.
The new proposal includes depriving immigrants of a number of vital benefits, such as: child benefit, old-age benefits, parental allowances, and sickness compensation.
Immigrants can only apply for these benefits after proving legal residence for five years within a 15-year period, with some benefits requiring continuous residency.
Assistance provided through social services (Socialbidrag) requires continuous legal residence for at least five years, making it inaccessible to those suffering from unemployment or difficult living conditions.
The law will apply to those with work permits and family reunification permits, while refugees with international protection are excluded, in compliance with European Union laws.
The new amendments are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027, and will not apply retroactively, but rather to immigrants arriving in the country after that date.
Political reading:
Observers believe that these measures reflect the ideological orientation of the current Swedish government, which came to power with the support of far-right parties that have long associated immigrants with the burden of social welfare. It is feared that these policies will open the door to further isolation and discrimination against newcomers in a country once known for its openness and embrace of immigrants