Swedish jobless, child, parent benefits - anywhere?

Committee study may recommend jobless, parent, child benefits to be paid outside the EU. 

  • Persons may soon collect unemployment benefits when they leave Sweden and relocate outside the EU, and the same policy is under consideration for child benefits and parent subsidies as well as maternity pay.

  • In today's globalized world, 14% of the Swedish population was born abroad, and this group has a tendency to drift in and out of the country. Such individuals or families often move to Sweden, return to their country of origin, and then move back to Sweden again.

  • In bureaucratic language, this has been dubbed "Circular Migration," and currently, about 3% of Sweden's population, or 283,400 persons, fall into this group. In particular, many leave Sweden upon retirement in order to live in less expensive surroundings where their modest benefits stretch in value to give them greater purchasing power than in the EU.

  • "Circular migration is a reality to which we must adapt. The important thing is that we support spontaneous migration by facilitating relocation in and out of Sweden," said Mikaela Valtersson, chairperson of the committee studying this issue.

  • For this reason, she contends that persons should be able to transfer their Swedish unemployment benefits, pregnancy leave pay, children's' allotments or parents' allowances along with them when they go to a country outside the European Union. Furthermore, even persons who live as permanent residents inside Sweden and qualify for benefits ought to be able to receive those funds outside the EU without, as is the case today, forfeiting the both the payments and their resident permits.

  • The commission will submit their recommendations and final proposals by the end of March, 2011.

  • Source: Riksdag & Departement, www.rod.se