Jokkmokk's mayor, Roland Boman, has refused to cooperate with the government on voluntary repatriation, inspiring several other municipalities to follow suit. Residents with foreign backgrounds in Jokkmokk welcome the decision with joy. The government is meanwhile proposing a sharp increase in the repatriation grant.
Jokkmokk's mayor Roland Boman (FJK) criticized the government's campaign for voluntary repatriation and called the policy 'un-Swedish.' This refusal to participate in the cooperation has spread to other municipalities, including Östersund, Finspång, Boxholm, and Ydre. All Swedish municipalities have received an invitation from the government's national coordinator to discuss how work on voluntary repatriation can be strengthened, but many are declining.
In Jokkmokk, the decision is received positively by residents who have come from other countries. Danyar Mohammed, who was threatened with deportation several years ago due to a wage error but was allowed to stay eight years ago, says: 'We are hard-working people who are needed here.' He adds: 'Here in Jokkmokk, there is no us and them, there is only us.'
Finspång's municipal council chairman Mats Annerfeldt (S) explains the municipality's no with: 'Finspång has since the time of the Walloons been a place where people came to build a future. That is still us today.' Differences exist between municipalities, however; Social Democrat-led Mjölby plans to invite the coordinator, while others decline.
The government proposes raising the repatriation grant from 10,000 kronor per person over 18 to 350,000 kronor, with a maximum of 600,000 kronor for a family. The changes are proposed to take effect on January 1, 2026. The revolt highlights a broader discussion about rural municipalities' need for residents regardless of origin.
