Sweden, which has been known for years for its welcoming policy toward migrants, plans to increase its cash offer of $978 to about $34,000 to those who voluntarily return home.Last week, the Swedish government said it would raise the 10,000 krona ($978) per adult to 350,000 krona ($34,000) and simplify the process involved in applying for the grant.The government said this is in a bid to create incentive for migrants to return home.This increase is expected to come into effect in 2026.Sweden is one of a number of European countries taking a harder stance on immigration.Sweden, with a population of 10.6 million people, had more than 250,000 refugees in mid-2023.One politician, Ludvig Aspling, said in an interview recently that only 70 people applied for the grant last year, and only one got it.However, 16,000 migrants from Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East left Sweden voluntarily last year without the grant.Addressing a press conference last week, Sweden&s migration Minister Johan Forssell described the new policy as a ¶digm shift& in the Nordic country which in 2015 opened its borders to 162,877 asylum seekers, mostly of Syrian, Afghan, and Iraqi descent as a &humanitarian superpower&.According to AFP news agency a number of other European countries already have schemes that pay migrants to return to their home countries, with offers of around $2,000 in Germany, $2,800 in France, $1,400 in Norway and more than $15,000 in Denmark.The move however by Sweden has sparked widespread condemnation in the country from Swedes who took to social media to voice their objections.One social media user, named only user-cb3l said: &They (migrants) will take the money but never leave.

It&s too late for band aid solutions.&Somali78 was quite upfront about what he would do and said: &I will take it and I will never leave.&Susann Leinonen said: &Now more people come to my country for the money and I have to work for more years.&Featherface01 meanwhile said on social media that &they&ll take that 34k, leave Sweden and show up in Britain a week later.&Tehmudjinkhan2207 queried whether this was a good idea.

He said: &I&m Swedish, I don&t understand why we need to throw money at every single person in the world.

When you hand out free money, every single scammer in the world will come here to take advantage.

Criminal gangs will find ways to abuse this easily.&But Johnmash327 warned: &I&m in Africa, once our brothers hear this, you&ll regret this bad idea i&m telling you.&The post Sweden to pay migrants over $34,000 to return home first appeared on Ariana News.