The 2015 refugee crisis marked a turning point in how Sweden approaches migration. For many years, Sweden was known as one of the most open European countries for refugees, with policies that welcomed asylum seekers and positioned the nation as a leader in humanitarian efforts. However, over the past decade, Sweden has shifted toward a more restrictive migration policy, a change that has reshaped the country’s political landscape. The 2015 crisis brought a surge of asylum seekers to Sweden, with over 160,000 applications—nearly 12% of the EU total. This included more than 35,000 unaccompanied minors, a significant portion of the EU's total for that year. The sudden influx put pressure on Sweden’s systems and sparked public debate about migration. In response, political parties across the spectrum agreed on stricter asylum and family migration rules, marking the beginning of a new political consensus that Sweden should adopt a more restrictive stance on migration. This shift became more pronounced after the 2022 elections, when a centre-right coalition, led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, took power. The coalition reached an agreement with the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, granting them significant influence on migration policy. Although the Sweden Democrats did not join the government, their support gave the new administration the political backing to implement the most sweeping migration reforms in recent Swedish history. Since 2022, the government has introduced major changes across nearly every aspect of migration policy, including asylum procedures, refugee resettlement, family reunification, and access to social benefits. The goal is to make Sweden’s asylum policy as restrictive as possible while still complying with EU and international laws. Exceptions are made for highly skilled workers, but other areas of non-EU migration are being tightened. For example, rules for family reunification have been made stricter, and the annual refugee resettlement quota has been reduced from 5,000 to 900. These reforms also include making access to certain benefits conditional on employment and residence requirements, and raising the bar for obtaining citizenship and for deporting non-citizens. As a result of these policies, the number of asylum applications in Sweden has dropped significantly. In 2025, the country received around 6,700 first-time applications, with an approval rate of 23%—less than half the EU average. This represents a dramatic shift from 2015, when Sweden was among the top countries in Europe for asylum seekers per capita. The trend is expected to continue, with fewer than 4,000 applications anticipated in 2026 and even fewer in 2027. Politically, the shift has created a new consensus. Even the Social Democratic Party, which previously led Sweden during the 2015 crisis, now supports the current government’s restrictive policies. This change in political alignment reflects broader public opinion, which has increasingly favored lower levels of immigration, especially for refugees. The Social Democrats are following a strategy similar to their Danish counterparts, focusing on issues like welfare and the economy rather than migration in upcoming elections. Meanwhile, the ruling parties continue to emphasize migration as a central issue in their campaign, arguing that a Social Democratic government would rely on more liberal parties for support. As a result, the 2026 election is likely to focus on whether future governments can be trusted to uphold the current restrictive migration policies.