European Exodus: Sweden seeing record exodus of Indian migrants…

Last updated on August 24th, 2024 at 07:22 am

As the allure of studying and working abroad continues to be a goal for many Indians, a troubling trend has emerged in Sweden, one of the leading European destinations for immigration with approx 7480 Indians migrating to the country in 2023. As highlighted by local reports, the first quarter of 2024 has seen a mass exodus of Indian migrants who are returning to their homeland marking it the highest since 1998.

Data from Statistics Sweden, a Swedish government agency showed that more Indians are leaving the country than moving in to settle.

The Indian migration to Sweden started happening in the early parts of the 20th century with a significant increase noticed by the early 21st century due to changing immigration laws and a focus on attracting skilled workers and students. By the end of 2022, there were 50,000 Indians living in the country.

Contrastingly, Statistics Sweden reports that in the first half of 2024 between January to June, 2837 Indian individuals left Sweden, an increase of 171% from the previous year.

This makes the Indian nationality individuals become the largest group of emigrants since 1998 surpassing people from Iraq, Syria, and China.

According to Sweden Business School executives, the reason may be due to the high living costs, limited accommodation and recent tech layoffs. In addition to that, strict work permit rules and a 20% drop in work permits for highly qualified immigrants could have also triggered this exodus. 

India’s booming economy right now is offering better salaries and benefits right now along with career growth. Spouses also find it difficult to mix with locals due to a language barrier and culture differences. These also could be a reason for them to think about the future in the European nation.