Indians leaving Sweden at record rate, first negative net migration since 1998

Many Indians move abroad for better prospects. Traditionally, countries like the US, UK, and Canada have been popular choices for Indian students and professionals seeking better opportunities. In a surprising twist, however, the trend has reversed in Sweden, a European country, which has seen more Indians leaving than moving in.

Between January and June 2024, Sweden saw a dramatic increase in the number of Indian-born individuals leaving the country, with 2,837 departures -- a massive 171% rise compared to the 1,046 departures in the same period last year.

This makes Indians the largest group of emigrants from Sweden, surpassing those from Iraq, China, and Syria, according to Statistics Sweden.

This decline might be influenced by recent challenges, including tech sector lay-offs and stricter work permit regulations.

The Indian population in Sweden was 58,094 in 2023, according to Statistics Sweden.

FIRST NEGATIVE NET MIGRATION SINCE 1998

This shift marks the first time since at least 1998 that Sweden has experienced a negative net migration of Indian-born residents in the first half of the year.

From 1998 to 2010, a total of 24,034 residence permits were granted to Indians. Of these, 61.2% (14,705) were for work, 25.8% (6,200) were for studies, 9.6% (2,307) were for family reunification, 3.1% (747) were for adoptions, and 0.3% (75) were for humanitarian reasons, according to a report by the European University Institute.

Robin Sukhia, secretary-general and CEO of the Sweden-India Business Council, cautioned against drawing immediate conclusions.

“We do not believe there is a single reason for this change. It’s likely due to various factors, including high living costs, a shortage of service apartments, and general accommodation issues. A full-year assessment is needed to understand the trend,” Sukhia told The Local Sweden.

INDIANS STILL KEY IMMIGRANTS, JUST BEHIND UKRAINIANS

Despite this increase in emigration, Indians are still one of the largest groups of new immigrants to Sweden in 2024, coming in second only to Ukrainians, according to The Local Sweden.

A total of 2,461 Indian-born individuals moved to Sweden between January and June 2024, down from 3,681 in the same period last year.

Excluding the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, this represents the lowest level of Indian immigration since 2017.

The decline follows years of consistent growth driven by strengthening diplomatic ties and Sweden’s efforts to attract skilled professionals to address gaps in sectors like technology.

"Prior to this, Indian immigration had been on an uninterrupted climb since 2009, following strengthening diplomatic ties and the Nordic country’s drive to attract highly-skilled students, researchers and labour migrants to plug skills gaps in especially the tech sector," reported The Local Sweden.

However, recent challenges such as lay-offs in the tech sector and stricter work permit regulations are impacting this trend.

The number of work permits granted to highly skilled immigrants fell by 20% in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year, with first-time work permits for Indian citizens decreasing by 30%.

These developments reflect the evolving challenges faced by Indian nationals in Sweden and indicate potential shifts in the country’s immigration dynamics.