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Local Sweden
a day ago
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Why are highly educated foreigners more likely to leave Sweden?
Foreign-born people living in Sweden are much more likely to leave and go elsewhere if they have a university-level education, according to data from Statistics Sweden. What does the research say about this? Advertisement Of the 17,000 foreign-born people who left Sweden in 2024 to move to a specific other country, fully 57 percent had a university level education, compared to 45 percent among the general foreign-born population as a whole, according to data from Statistics Sweden cited by Sweden's public broadcaster Sveriges Radio. For Indian citizens who leave Sweden, either to return home or move to another country, the proportion with degrees was as high as 96 percent, and for Iranians it was 68 percent. Andrea Monti, a post-doctoral researcher at Mälardalen University, told The Local that the higher emigration of highly educated foreigners was not a new phenomenon, with her own PhD dissertation from 2020 citing a "rapid increase in absolute emigration over the preceding 15 years, confirming the findings of a 2006 study which found that highly educated foreigners were more likely to move onward to a third country. So what are the main reasons why highly educated foreigners are more likely to move on. Advertisement Labour Market Mismatch Samaneh Khaef, a post-doctoral researcher at Stockholm University, said that her forthcoming study on the impact of various levels of educational attainment of refugees in Sweden, had confirmed that those with university-level education were more likely to emigrate, something she said could be due to "mismatches between their qualifications and local labour market demands". Many educated foreigners find that their qualifications are not recognised in Sweden. For instance, a study by Micheline van Riemsdijk at Uppsala University found that pharmacists born abroad faced a "career-rewind" on arrival, being forced to re-take courses, re-acquire professional knowledge and skills, and get their professional certifications all over again. Policy and Immigration Rules Khaef said the decision of Sweden's new government to tighten citizenship requirements and clamp down on immigration more generally was likely to further increase re-emigration of highly educated foreigners. "The changing and insecure migration policies in Sweden make many educated foreigners uncertain about their future here," she said. "Many are considering moving to other countries with more stable migration rules, where they can plan for permanent residence without the constant worry of being forced to leave due to shifting policies, which many perceive as unwelcoming toward educated immigrants." Advertisement Language and social class Another driver for emigration was a failure to master the Swedish language, leading immigrants to move to other countries where language difficulties did not prevent them exploiting their education. "Many migrants have high education and skills that are in demand in the labor market, but the lack of fluency in Swedish is a major barrier," Khaef said in an email. "This leads some to move to English-speaking countries, where their competence is recognized and not overshadowed by language challenges." It was not only language barriers but also cultural and class ones. A qualitative study of Iranians in Sweden by Melissa Kelly, who now works at the University of the Free State in South Africa, found that many felt they had lost their middle-class identity in Sweden, which drew them to the "cultural mixing and cosmopolitan vibe" available in London, a city where they could present themselves as "citizens of the world". Iranians also told Kelly that Sweden's welfare system discouraged high levels of ambition and prevented them from distinguishing themselves from the average citizen, prompting them to seek to move to countries where ambition was more rewarded. Advertisement International Career Opportunities Monti emphasised that part of the reason why more educated migrants were more likely to leave was that they simply had "greater mobility options and labour market possibilities internationally". Those without an education, on the other hand, tended to have their choice limited to staying in Sweden or returning to their home countries. For many educated migrants, she added, Sweden was viewed from the start as a stepping stone where they could more easily obtain European citizenship and advance their education before moving on elsewhere. "Generally the reasons for emigration are tightly connected to the reasons for why a person immigrated in the first place. For example, the plan might not have been to stay permanently, or one's expectations in terms of income or labor market status relative to one's education is not fulfilled."
Local Sweden
5 days ago
- Business
- Local Sweden
Can Sweden really attract global talent while making citizenship harder?
Sweden's migration minister, Johan Forssell, has yet to explain how Sweden can attract highly skilled foreign workers at the same time as making citizenship rules ever stricter, argues Eric Peterson, the US software engineer behind a recent petition. Advertisement Migration Minister Johan Forssell recently claimed in SvD that the opposition lacks answers to questions the government is addressing with tougher citizenship requirements. But the question he himself should answer is how the government intends to reconcile these restrictions with its ambition to attract highly skilled foreign workers to Sweden. In the debate on labor migration, two crucial perspectives exist: employers and their need for expertise, and the foreign professionals meeting this need. The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise has repeatedly warned that the government's tightening measures, especially higher salary requirements, risk hindering Sweden's long-term growth. Only now is the government beginning to acknowledge that message. Despite repeated attempts, the government has yet to acknowledge concerns expressed by foreign workers. Our opinion pieces and our official response to the government's citizenship inquiry—signed by nearly 400 labour migrants in the tech sector—have gone unanswered. READ ALSO: Foreign tech workers campaign against new Swedish citizenship law In an interview with Sveriges Radio in January, Forssell made it clear, 'Only Swedish citizens have the unconditional right to stay in the country.' Advertisement We are well aware of this. Any shift in policy, economy, or at our employers could force us to leave Sweden at great personal and financial cost. A former Northvolt employee said it best in an interview with Norran last month: "There's nothing that beats stability when you're an immigrant abroad. If you don't have that, you're still in a fight or survival mode." That is exactly why the government's proposal to extend the residency requirement for citizenship—from five to at least eight years—is so problematic. It means nearly a quarter of a working life would be spent in legal and economic limbo. At the same time, developments in other European countries are moving in the opposite direction. Where does the government think highly skilled workers would prefer to settle: Sweden, with stricter rules, or Germany, where one can now obtain citizenship after five years—or as low as three with exceptional integration? To make matters worse, Forssell has argued that no transitional rules should apply. That means people who arrived five years ago, followed all regulations, and paid taxes could suddenly be denied citizenship simply because of the Migration Agency's lengthy processing times. Advertisement Increased economic and legal uncertainty will drive skilled workers to countries offering greater stability. Jobs they would have taken in Sweden will remain unfilled. For those already here, changing the rules in the middle of the game doesn't just undermine trust—it severs the fragile link between high-skilled migrants and Swedish society. That risks not just failed integration, but a real brain drain. Sweden naturally has the right to reform its laws. But the Swedish people deserve a government whose reforms are well thought out, economically sustainable, and strengthen Sweden's long-term competitiveness.
Reuters
24-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Battery maker Northvolt gets indicative bid, bankruptcy trustee tells Swedish radio
COPENHAGEN, June 24 (Reuters) - Northvolt's bankruptcy trustee has received an indicative bid from a foreign interested party for the company's business in Sweden, the trustee told Swedish radio on Tuesday. Northvolt filed for bankruptcy in March, making it one of Sweden's largest corporate failures and effectively ending Europe's best hope of developing a rival to challenge Chinese battery makers. "We now have an indicative offer on the table and hope for more indicative bids," bankruptcy trustee Mikael Kubu told public broadcaster Sveriges Radio. "We expect to receive another indicative offer during the day," he said. Reuters was not immediately able to reach Kubu for comment. The indicative offer covered Northvolt's battery cell factory in Skelleftea in northern Sweden and its research and development centre in Vasteras west of Stockholm, Sveriges Radio said. Kubu in May said the Skelleftea plant planned to wind down operations by the end of June although talks with potential buyers were ongoing.
Local Sweden
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Swedish prosecutors deny that spy arrests are linked to journalist held in Turkey
Swedish prosecutors have denied the intelligence service's arrests of a Kurdish representative and a Swedish diplomat are linked to a journalist facing 'terror' charges in Turkey. Advertisement Public broadcaster Sveriges Radio had alleged late on Wednesday that one of the suspects was connected to the case of Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, who is currently in custody in Turkey awaiting trial on a charge of belonging to a "terrorist" group. The Swedish Security Service (Säpo) confirmed to AFP that two people had recently been arrested for "aggravated unauthorised handling of secret information". They had since been released but were still suspects, Säpo said. It declined to disclose any details of the case. Sveriges Radio said one of the suspects in Säpo's case was a Swedish citizen who was a leading representative for Kurds in Northern Syria. The other was a diplomat at the foreign ministry. The broadcaster said it was unclear whether the arrests had been made as a result of a request from Turkey or not. But on Thursday, the Swedish Prosecution Authority published a statement refuting the media reports. "This is an individual case that has no links to other ongoing investigations or legal proceedings, in Sweden or in other countries," public prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said, noting the investigation was in an early stage. Advertisement Turkey has accused Medin, who works for Swedish newspaper Dagens ETC, of being a member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an allegation he has denied. Medin was detained at Istanbul airport on March 27th when he flew in to cover mass protests gripping Turkey. A Turkish court last month handed the 40-year-old an 11-month suspended sentence on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In order to persuade Turkey to drop its veto when Sweden applied to join Nato, the countries made a deal that included increased collaboration on "terrorism". At the weekend, Säpo arrested a second diplomat on suspicions of spying. That diplomat was also released but remains a suspect, although the intelligence agency told AFP that was related to a separate investigation. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Nato meeting in Turkey, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard confirmed there were two investigations ongoing relating to government employees. "These are serious accusations but I can't say more than that," Stenergard said. Stenergard said she had spoken to her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Wednesday about Medin's case.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Swedish spy agency arrests linked to reporter held in Turkey: media
STOCKHOLM: The Swedish intelligence service's recent arrests of a Kurdish community representative and a Swedish diplomat are linked to a Swedish journalist facing "terror" charges in Turkey, Swedish media reported. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The (Sapo) confirmed to AFP that two people had recently been arrested for "aggravated unauthorised handling of secret information". They have since been released but Sapo said they were still suspects and declined to disclose any details of the case. Public broadcaster Sveriges Radio reported late on Wednesday that one of the suspects was connected to the case of Swedish journalist , who is currently in custody in Turkey awaiting trial on a charge of belonging to a terrorist group. Ankara accuses Medin of being a member of the (PKK), an allegation he has denied. Medin, who works for Swedish newspaper Dagens ETC, was detained at Istanbul airport on March 27 when he flew in to cover mass protests gripping Turkey. A last month handed the 40-year-old an 11-month suspended sentence on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to Sveriges Radio, one of the suspects in Sapo's case is a Swedish citizen who is a leading representative for Kurds in Northern Syria. The broadcaster noted that it was not known if the arrest had been made as a result of a request from Turkey or not. In order to persuade Turkey to drop its veto when Sweden applied to join NATO, the countries made a deal that included increased collaboration on "terrorism". The other suspect in the case was a diplomat employed at Sweden's foreign ministry, according to the broadcaster. At the weekend, Sapo arrested another diplomat suspected of spying. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The diplomat was also released but remains a suspect, although the intelligence agency told AFP that was related to a separate investigation. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Turkey, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard confirmed there were two investigations ongoing relating to government employees. "These are serious accusations but I can't say more than that," Stenergard said. Stenergard said she had spoken to her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Wednesday about Medin's case.
