Sweden must curb immigration to fight drug gangs, says minister

Maria Malmer Stenergard’s government cuts asylum seeker numbers to lowest since 1997

Sweden must drive down immigration and improve integration to tackle its drug gangs problem, the minister responsible for cutting asylum seeker numbers to the lowest since 1997 has said.
The country now has more emigrants than immigrants for the first time in 50 years after toughening asylum rules since a conservative-led coalition took power in 2022.
Maria Malmer Stenergard, the minister for migration, blamed large-scale immigration and poor integration for a string of social issues, including the violent crime epidemic that has tarnished the Scandinavian country’s once peaceful image.
“Large-scale immigration, combined with a lack of efficient integration, has led to widespread social exclusion, with many people suffering as a result. This includes overcrowded housing, poor educational outcomes, honour-related oppression, and crime,” said Ms Stenergard.
This year, police warned that 62,000 people are linked to gangs in Sweden, which now has the highest gun-crime death rate in the EU and has witnessed bombings and shootings spread to the suburbs from its cities.
Ms Stenergard said: “Unfortunately, we observe higher crime rates among those born abroad and second-generation immigrants. We want to take responsibility for the shortcomings in integration. However, we cannot do so if high levels of immigration continue.”
She added: “We do not have a specific numerical target, but asylum immigration must remain at low levels for an extended period if we are to reverse the trend of widespread social exclusion.”
Ms Stenergard is a member of the centre-Right Moderate Party, which has led a coalition government since 2022, when the 43-year-old was named migration minister.
Her department said this month that while asylum applications in other EU countries had “stabilised at a high level”, they had continued to decline in Sweden.
By July 28 this year, 5,600 asylum claims were made, a drop of 27 per cent compared to the same period last year. This means Sweden is on track for its lowest number of claims in about 26 years.
Ms Stenergard said: “From day one, we have been clear that those who come to Sweden with the intention of staying must learn the language as quickly as possible, become self-sufficient, and respect Swedish values.
“We have tightened regulations regarding family reunification and citizenship, instructed authorities to prioritise returns and revocations, and are currently reviewing our entire legislation.”
Ms Stenergard denied the crackdown was excessive and said all legislation was carefully scrutinised to ensure it complied with EU law and the European Convention on Human Rights.
Sweden has no plans for the offshore processing of migrants, similar to the UK’s ditched Rwanda plan, an idea supported by some other EU countries.
Ms Stenergard said Sweden’s asylum offer was too generous in the past.
“We have a humane and legally sound policy, but our goal is to align ourselves with other countries. In the past, we have stood out, which has resulted in a disproportionately high number of people seeking asylum in Sweden specifically,” she added.
“Now, we must focus on integration if we are to remain an open country that can continue to help those fleeing conflict.”
Ms Stenergard said the government still had “much work to do”, including reforming the asylum reception system, establishing return centres and tightening citizenship laws.
Other policies being considered include revoking citizenship for people with dual citizenship if they commit serious crimes such as terrorism, or lied when applying.
Naturalised citizens and families of migrants could also be offered money to leave the country as part of a voluntary return scheme that already offers refugees about £720 and travel costs.
The welfare system also needs to be overhauled, the minister said, with new caps and qualification requirements on benefits,
“Currently, one-third of foreign-born individuals are not self-sufficient – this is not sustainable in the long run if we are to maintain our welfare model,” Ms Stenergard said.
Ulf Kristersson, the prime minister and Moderate leader, governs with the support of the hard-Right Sweden Democrats, which was partly founded by Nazi sympathisers.
It became the second-largest party after the 2022 elections, which ousted the Left-wing government in a campaign dominated by concerns over migration and crime but is not part of the coalition of Moderates, Liberals and Christian Democrats.
Asked how much influence the Sweden Democrats wielded, Ms Stenergard said: “We are four parties united in our agreement to tighten immigration and improve integration. This is a significant strength.”