Stockholm and Gothenburg have refused to attend the government’s remigration summit, declining meetings with the national coordinator for voluntary return (återvandring), arguing the issue is not a municipal competence and risks making residents with foreign backgrounds feel unwelcome.
Stockholm warns of stigma and ‘unwanted’ signals
Stockholm’s social and safety commissioner (social- och trygghetsborgarråd) Alexander Ojanne (S) said the city will not participate in the information meeting because it could signal to people with a foreign background that they are not wanted.
He added that engaging in the initiative would consume municipal resources without clear benefits for core services. The decision follows concerns that a municipal platform for voluntary return might undermine integration work in the capital.
Gothenburg: return is not a municipal mandate
Gothenburg’s municipal executive (kommunstyrelsen), led by chair (kommunstyrelsens ordförande) Jonas Attenius (S), likewise declined the meeting, stating that return policy is a national responsibility handled by the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) and should not burden local administrations.
The city’s governing coalition of the red–green parties together with the Centre Party (Centerpartiet) argued the government’s emphasis on återvandring is an inefficient tool and risks suspecting people with foreign backgrounds. Local representatives from Moderaterna (M), Liberalerna (L) and Kristdemokraterna (KD) in Gothenburg also noted that return is not a municipal matter but the remit of Migrationsverket.
What the voluntary‑return coordinator (nationella samordnaren) proposes
The government’s national coordinator (nationella samordnaren) for voluntary return, Teresa Zetterblad, has invited all municipalities to meetings meant to “strengthen work on voluntary return,” providing guidance on procedures and on the return grant.
According to the coordinator, dozens of municipalities have agreed to dialogue, while a growing number—including Stockholm and Gothenburg—have declined on policy and workload grounds. The government frames the effort as information‑sharing; several municipalities view it as a political push that does not fit local mandates.
How Sweden’s return grant will change in 2026
From 1 January 2026, the return grant will rise to SEK 350,000 (≈ €32,000) per adult and SEK 25,000 (≈ €2,300) per child, with caps of SEK 500,000 (≈ €45,800) for married or cohabiting couples and SEK 600,000 (≈ €54,900) per household.
The government argues higher amounts will increase voluntary return uptake, which has been very limited to date. Municipalities stress that, even if the grant is funded nationally, local administrations would still need to allocate staff time for meetings, outreach and coordination.
A polarising term: what ‘remigration’ means
The word “remigration” is widely used in far‑right discourse to describe forced deportation of immigrants and people with a migration background, sometimes including second or third generations.
In the Swedish policy context, the government uses återvandring to refer to voluntary return, namely support for individuals who choose to move to another country. The overlapping language fuels debate: critics warn that promoting “remigration” risks normalising exclusion, while the government says the focus is on voluntariness and administrative information.
