Sweden’s government announced recently that the number of asylum applications in 2025 has decreased by 30%, reaching the lowest level since 1985. The government also stated plans to further tighten relevant regulations before the September elections this year.
Minister for Migration Johan Forssell told reporters that the current changes are reflected not only in the decreased number of immigrants but also in the composition of immigrants, with “the proportion of asylum seekers reaching a historically low level.”
According to data from the Swedish Migration Agency, the number of immigrants dropped to 79,684 last year, excluding refugees from Ukraine, down from 82,857 in 2024. Asylum seekers and their families now make up only 6% of the total immigrant population, compared to 31% in 2018 when the total number of immigrants was 133,000.
Meanwhile, the number of individuals voluntarily leaving for other countries or being deported by authorities has increased. Forssell stated, “We attach great importance to this area.”
The ruling minority coalition has received support from the anti-immigration party, the Swedish Democrats, and has made reducing asylum applications a key policy agenda since taking office in 2022.
The current government attributes the surge in gang crimes to the lenient asylum laws over the past decades and the failed integration measures under the previous Social Democratic-led government. Since coming into power, they have implemented stricter reviews of asylum applications, increased the difficulty of obtaining residency and citizenship, and introduced various economic incentives to encourage immigrants to leave Sweden.
Forssell mentioned that the government also plans to further tighten regulations in the coming year, including introducing a new law to increase the number of returnees and tightening citizenship requirements.
The Swedish general election is scheduled for September, with expectations of a tight race ahead.
(Reference: Reuters)