Swedish Government Faces Backlash Over Secret 5 Million Kronor Aid to Somalia Linked to Deportations

The Swedish government is embroiled in a political controversy after it was revealed that it secretly allocated five million kronor to Somalia to support increased deportations from Sweden. The funds, allocated outside the official aid budget, reportedly financed three high-paying positions within the Somali government’s Prime Minister’s office. These roles were filled by individuals closely connected to the Somali Prime Minister, raising serious concerns of corruption and misuse of taxpayer money.

According to multiple reports, the payment to Somalia was conditional upon the country accepting 28 forcibly deported Swedish citizens. Salaries for these Somali government positions reportedly exceeded 100,000 kronor monthly. Socialdemokraterna (The Social Democrats) and Vänsterpartiet (The Left Party) have reacted strongly, filing formal complaints against Migration Minister Johan Forssell to the Parliamentary Committee on the Constitution (KU) and calling for his resignation.

Morgan Johansson, Social Democrats’ foreign policy spokesperson, labeled the government’s actions “a purely corrupt arrangement” and expressed alarm about Sweden associating with corrupt politicians. "If you associate with corrupt politicians, you eventually become one yourself," Johansson said, demanding full accountability for the expenditures and highlighting a loss of moral compass in Swedish migration policy. Tony Haddou of Vänsterpartiet criticized the use of public funds for “secretive payments” instead of welfare and demanded Forssell’s resignation.

The controversy extends beyond political complaints, exposing an ideological clash regarding Sweden's foreign aid policy. Critics accuse the government of supporting an undemocratic regime in Somalia despite the Moderaterna party’s earlier criticism of aid directed towards such states. An analysis pointed out the contradiction in the government’s emphasis on transparency while secretly allocating funds to benefit authoritarian leaders’ affiliates as a tool to coerce countries into accepting deportees.

As of October 27, 2025, the Sweden Democrats have declined to comment on the scandal. Meanwhile, the government faces mounting pressure to clarify and justify its decision to link aid payments to deportation agreements involving Somalia, with potential further parliamentary scrutiny anticipated.