Multiple Swedish municipalities refuse to discuss voluntary repatriation with the national government. Jokkmokk, Norrtälje, Kiruna, Ljusnarsberg, Tibro and Malmö all declined meeting requests.
Roland Boman, municipal board chairman in Jokkmokk, called the policy "an un-Swedish way of viewing people and their value" in a written response. He leads the local Future in Jokkmokk party.
Sedat Arif, municipal commissioner in Malmö, said all people who found security in their city should feel welcome. He made the statement to local media.
The resistance spans across political lines. Even Lund, governed by the Moderate Party and Social Democrats, expressed criticism.
Rasmus Törnblom from the Moderate Party said Lund has many other important priorities. He noted repatriation isn't a key issue for the municipality.
The conflict began when national coordinator Teresa Zetterblad sent letters to all municipalities in September. She requested meetings about strengthening voluntary repatriation work.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell criticized municipalities refusing meetings. He said there's no coercion involved but residents deserve factual information to make their own decisions.
When asked about criticism from his own party, Forssell acknowledged different opinions exist within large parties. He suggested most opposing municipalities have Social Democratic leaderships that want to govern with parties supporting unregulated immigration.
Ludvig Aspling, migration policy spokesperson for the Sweden Democrats, questioned why state support should go to uncooperative municipalities. He wrote on social media that Jokkmokk depends heavily on state support while rejecting cooperation.
Aspling said the policy aims to provide a path home for immigrants who specifically don't contribute to society.
The current repatriation grant stands at 10,000 kronor per adult. This will increase to 350,000 kronor per adult starting at the new year.
The government faces an uphill battle implementing its migration policy when local authorities across the political spectrum resist cooperation. This reflects deeper divisions in Swedish society about integration and migration approaches.