Sweden Implements Stricter Refugee Policies with Increased Deportations and Conditional Aid

Sweden in 2026 has shifted its refugee and asylum policy dramatically, moving from one of the EU's leading countries for asylum seekers to among the lowest due to a deliberate strategy to reduce refugee intake. This policy tightening includes increased enforcement of deportations and using international aid as leverage to ensure countries accept their returned citizens.

According to a report by the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies (Sieps), Sweden's asylum arrivals have drastically declined as the government emulates Denmark's stringent migration stance. Bernd Parusel from Sieps highlighted this clear goal to minimize refugee intake as a driving factor behind the change.

The Swedish government has directed Sida, the international development cooperation agency, to use Swedish aid as a tool to encourage countries to fulfill their legal obligations to accept deported citizens. Sida's director general, Hanna Hellquist, noted that aid in 2026 will be conditioned on improved cooperation around returns, voluntary repatriation, and sustainable reintegration. The aid budget is reduced by nearly 20% to 19.4 billion kronor, reflecting a strategic pivot to focus primarily on Ukraine, which is set to receive at least 10 billion kronor in aid.

Domestically, the Social Democratic Party (Socialdemokraterna) has called for a pause on highly controversial deportations of teenagers, reflecting some political debate around the stricter policies. Party leader Magdalena Andersson supports the government's overall approach to tightening migration laws but acknowledges that some legislative outcomes have been unreasonable. She specifically pointed to the deportations of infants without their parents as an area in need of adjustment, signaling a consensus on the need to fine-tune parts of the law.

These developments mark Sweden’s commitment to enforcing a tougher immigration regime and simultaneously leveraging foreign aid frameworks to promote compliance with deportation policies by other nations. Sida’s increased capability to guarantee aid projects by an additional four billion kronor aims to amplify this influence. Despite budget cuts, Sida plans to maintain its workforce while redirecting its operations to meet these new political priorities.

As Sweden continues to balance domestic political concerns with international aid strategies, the government is implementing one of the most significant shifts in migration and development policy in recent memory. The focus on stricter migration control, paired with conditional aid to countries of origin, illustrates a dual approach aimed at reducing refugee inflows and managing deportations more effectively.