Migration to Denmark and Sweden dropped sharply in 2025. Denmark recorded a historic low of 839 asylum approvals by the end of November, while Sweden saw a 30 percent decline in applications compared with the previous year, the respective governments reported as the Scandinavian countries prepare for upcoming elections.

Denmark's government announced that due to its immigration policies, only 839 asylum requests were granted by the end of November.

"It is absolutely critical that as few foreigners as possible come to Denmark and obtain asylum. My main priority is to limit the influx of refugees," said Immigration Minister Rasmus Stoklund in a press release.

According to the ministry, "there have been very few years when the annual total remained below 1,000 ... 2025 will be a year with a historically low number of residence permits granted on asylum grounds." The country registered 1,835 asylum requests by November 2025.

Denmark’s immigration approach has been shaped by far-right parties for more than two decades, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Social Democrats pursuing a "zero refugee" policy since coming to power in 2019. Over the years, Copenhagen has introduced numerous measures to discourage migrants and make Danish citizenship more difficult to obtain.

In 2024, Denmark, with a population of six million, took in only 860 of the 2,333 asylum requests filed that year.

Read AlsoSweden: New measures to encourage integration of migrants

Sweden follows suit with dropping numbers

Across the Öresund Strait, Sweden experienced a sharp drop in asylum applications, falling 30 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell.

Immigration "is decreasing to Sweden and it is decreasing sharply," Forssell said. "In 2025, the number of asylum seekers to Sweden continued to decline. It's a sharp decrease. A 30 percent drop in just one year." According to Forssel, since the current government came to power in 2022, asylum requests have fallen by 60 percent, while returns to countries of origin have increased by 60 percent.

The center-right government, a minority coalition supported by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, has pursued a tough stance on migration, introducing measures such as financial incentives for voluntary returns, stricter conditions for citizenship, and tightened family reunification rules. From 2026, immigrants who voluntarily return to their country of origin are eligible to receive up to 350,000 kronor (30,800 euros). In 2025, Sweden granted 79,684 residence permits, six percent of which were asylum-related, compared with 18 percent in 2018, when 133,025 permits were issued. Around 8,312 people returned to their countries of origin in 2025.

More reforms are planned ahead of Sweden’s parliamentary elections on September 13, 2026. The government is considering revoking Swedish citizenship from dual nationals under certain conditions, such as criminal convictions, and deporting migrants who do not abide to "honest living," a measure critics say remains vague and undefined.

Both Denmark and Sweden’s policy shifts mirror a broader European movement toward stricter immigration controls. Several countries have revised asylum rules in recent years, and the European Parliament approved new measures in December 2025 aimed at strengthening the continent’s migration policy.

With AFP

Read AlsoEU court says Denmark’s 'ghetto law' could breach anti-discrimination rules