Stockholm September 29, 2023 (SD) – The current government of Sweden is reported to be concerned about the high number of Somali asylum seekers who have been denied their requests for asylum and who now are facing deportation.

According to a report on Swedish television (SVT), the Swedish government is considering cutting financial support to countries that refuse to take back deportees, including Somalis.

In May 2023, the Ministers of Cooperation and Development and the Foreign Affairs of Sweden sent a joint letter to the Federal Government of Somalia, expressing their intention to significantly decrease cooperation if the repatriation of Somali asylum seekers from Sweden is not prioritized.

SVT television, having access to a letter sent by the Swedish government to the Somali Federal Government, reported that the Swedish government has been providing extensive support to Somalia for a long time. The Swedish Minister for Cooperation and Development, Johan Forssell, stated that the goal is to make a clear change in Sweden’s policy on development aid.

Additionally, Philemon Gazi, the Director-General of the Diakonia Agency for Africa, critically examined Sweden’s decision and emphasized the impact it will have on the lives of Somalis.

According to the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), there is no direct Swedish aid being given to DFS.

In any case, in August 2023, the Swedish government announced that it would repatriate thousands of migrants whose asylum requests have been denied, along with others who have voluntarily applied for repatriation to their home countries.

These migrants come from countries such as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Somalia, with 467 individuals, as reported by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in August of the same year.