Objectives
News 
Immigrants in Sweden Who Refuse a Job Offer Could Lose Welfare Benefits
Carmen Munteanu - Communications Coordinator
3 February 2014
As of July 1, 2014, Sweden will adopt a new legislative measure whereby immigrants who unjustifiably refuse a job offer, despite participating in the dedicated integration programme, will lose the right to the integration benefit.
The programme is designed to encourage newly arrived migrants to both work and take part in introduction activities. There are currently no sanctions against those who refuse to take a job offer, nor any statistics on the number of immigrants involved in an integration programme who rejected a job offer.
Nevertheless, the Swedish Ministry of Employment wants the same sort of rules to apply for newly arrived immigrants as for other unemployed in Sweden. Swedish officials propose that anyone who "without good reason" declines an offer of suitable work will lose their right to the introduction benefit – a social benefit granted to them unconditionally until present, during their participation in integration programmes. Although, according to the Swedish National Employment Agency, this could be the case of only a few people, the legislative changes will come into effect this summer.
Source: Newsletter European Web Site on Integration - No. 53, January 2014
Back