The new government wants to reduce immigration to Sweden, among other things by making it less attractive to apply to Sweden and thus reduce the number of asylum seekers. For example, by withdrawing certain social benefits and grants for new arrivals.
Sweden’s new migration minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) and Annika Hirvonen, migration policy spokesperson (MP) debate the issue on TV4 Nyheterna.
According to Maria Malmer Stenergard (M), the solution to the problem of children getting hurt and people ending up in exclusion is reduced immigration for a long time to come in combination with a powerful integration policy. One of the factors that contribute to reduced immigration is that people gradually qualify for the Swedish benefit systems, she believes.
– If it had been the case that high contributions were the solution, we would not have had this situation, says Malmer Stenergard.
MP: Risks making children poor
According to Annika Hirvonen (MP), the new government’s migration policy will make children poor – and risks making families with children homeless.
– Removing the right to, for example, housing allowance or child allowance will increase exclusion. You want to send a signal to others by making life miserable for the families with children who are here now, says Annika Hirvonen.
Last year, 632,315 people applied for asylum in EU countries. In Sweden we had 13,990 asylum seekers, while there were many fewer who applied to our neighboring countries. 2525 people applied for asylum in Finland, 2080 in Denmark and only 1656 people applied for asylum in Norway last year.
See the full debate in the player above.
In order to make it less attractive to seek asylum in Sweden, the government wants to withdraw certain social benefits and grants for new arrivals – and in the Tidö Agreement there is a long list of what this could be about.
-Parental allowance
-Child benefit
– Housing allowance
-Multiple child allowance
– Assistance compensation
-Financial aid