The Sweden Democrats' Proposal: Zero Refugee Reception

The Sweden Democrats in Uppsala County want municipalities where the party participates in the governing coalition to say no to all refugee reception after the 2026 election. The statement comes after the Swedish parliament decided on a new settlement law, which gives municipalities significantly greater influence over how many newcomers they receive.

Måns Lorichs (SD), first deputy chair of the municipal executive committee in Östhammar Municipality, told national radio that the party’s objective is a reception of zero people in the municipalities where the Sweden Democrats have the opportunity to govern.

– There will still be some municipalities around the country that are governed by the left; they are unlikely to want to have zero reception, so they can take them instead, he says.

The new settlement law, which will come into effect next year, means that municipalities will have greater ability to influence how many newcomers they accept. Previously, the state had more control over the distribution between the country’s municipalities.

However, to what extent the municipalities’ influence actually extends remains to be seen. Sofia Maherzi, integration officer at the County Administrative Board in Uppsala County, assesses that a total stop for reception may be difficult to implement in practice.

The issue is expected to become part of the local election campaign ahead of the 2026 election, where several municipalities in Uppsala County may get new political majorities at the same time as the changed legislation gives municipalities more opportunities to influence refugee reception.