There is a new strategy being employed by rich European countries to stem the tide of illgal aliens and economic migrants. Sweden, for instance, has adopted some radical change in its policy to reverse the course of decades of leniency. The Minister of Migration announced it would pay migrants to return to their home of origin, up to US$ 34,000.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell announced the policy amid the right-wing bloc taking over the government a few days ago, including an anti-immigrant wing which has been calling out the lack of integration of migrants from countries such as the former Yugoslavia, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran and Iraq.
"Sweden’s migration policy is undergoing a paradigm shift," the country's official website said, while promising to deport those who are there without authorization. "The Government is intensifying its efforts to reduce… the number of migrants coming irregularly to Sweden."
Sweden calls the "aliens" staying within its borders without authorization the "shadow society" and promises to increase deportations.
The country is currently intensifying efforts to remove leniency in its asylum system, calling for a complete phase-out of permanent residence permits, including limits in cases of "exceptionally distressing circumstances."
"The Government will investigate how to amend Sweden’s legislation for asylum-related immigration so that Sweden will not have a more generous asylum policy than is required according to EU and international law," the website said.
The moves come as right-wing bloc, which included a nationalist anti-immigration party, won a narrow majority in Sweden’s parliament last week, the Associated Press reported. It was a major political shift in the Scandinavian country that had a decades-long history of welcoming refugees, but is grappling with a crime wave linked with immigration.