Sweden Sees Asylum Applications Fall to 40-Year Low

Sweden’s migration story is entering a new phase — one shaped by tighter rules, fewer arrivals, and an election-driven policy push.

Asylum applications in Sweden fell 30% in 2025, touching their lowest level since 1985, according to government data.

The right-of-centre minority government, backed by the Sweden Democrats, has prioritised cutting asylum numbers since coming to power in 2022.

Immigration Minister Johan Forssell said the shift is not just about fewer migrants. It is also about who is coming, with asylum-related arrivals now at a record low.

Total immigration (excluding Ukrainian refugees) slipped to 79,684 in 2025 from 82,857 in 2024, according to Migration Board figures.

Asylum seekers and their families accounted for just 6% of total immigration. This is sharply lower than 31% in 2018, when overall immigration stood at around 133,000.

The government links decades of lenient asylum policies and weak integration under earlier Social Democrat-led governments to rising gang crime.

Returns have increased, with more people either leaving voluntarily or being expelled by authorities. Forssell called this area a “high priority.”

Since 2022, the government has tightened asylum rules, made residency and citizenship harder to obtain. Additionally, they offered financial incentives for migrants to leave.

Further tightening is planned this year. This includes a new law aimed at increasing the number of returnees and stricter citizenship norms, ahead of the September general election.

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