The economic impact of immigration from crisis-affected regions across Nordic countries is estimated to reach hundreds of billions of euros, leading to a public dialogue regarding remigration as a potential strategy for cost reduction.
Recent data emerging from Scandinavia, specifically from the Danish Ministry of Finance and analyzed by the White Papers Policy Institute, suggests that certain migrant groups represent a significant annual net expense for the state. These statistics, adjusted for inflation to a 2025 price level, indicate that individuals from specific conflict zones incur particularly high yearly expenditures.
Austrian MEP Harald Vilimsky cites the data, which was complied the White Papers Policy Institute:
“The financial consequences of mass immigration. The White Paper Policy Institute also refers to the costs for Somalis in this context and concludes that Sweden will spend approximately 117.3 billion euros on the 102,000 Somalis living in Sweden over the next 50 years,’ the MEP wrote on X.
Die finanziellen Folgen der Massenzuwanderung: "Das White Paper Policy Institute verweist dabei auch auf die Kosten für Somalier und kommt zu dem Schluss, dass etwa Schweden in den nächsten 50 Jahren 117,3 Milliarden Euro für die 102.000 in Schweden lebenden Somalier ausgeben… pic.twitter.com/wxIiTXGTmU
— Harald Vilimsky (@vilimsky) March 18, 2026The data identified Somalia as having the highest impact, with annual costs reaching approximately €23,000 per person. This is followed by Syria and Lebanon at €19,000 each, Iraq at €18,000, Afghanistan at €15,000, and Eritrea at €13,000. Negative fiscal figures are also associated with origin countries such as Morocco at €11,000 and Turkey at €8,000. Even groups with comparatively lower financial impacts, such as those from Vietnam and North Macedonia, still result in net annual costs to the government budget.
Nordic welfare states are spending €23,000 a year on each Somali they are hosting.
This means that over the next 50 years Sweden will spend €117.3 billion on the 102,000 Somalis who live there.
Deporting the 46,000 without citizenship would save €53 billion.
Offering the… pic.twitter.com/JnsUxBmmdx
— White Papers Policy Institute (@WhitePapersPol) March 8, 2026The long-term implications for national finances are substantial when these figures are projected over several decades. For instance, the White Papers Policy Institute estimates that Sweden could spend €117.3 billion over the next 50 years to support its population of 102,000 Somalis.
In light of these projections, specific scenarios involving remigration have been proposed as fiscally responsible measures. One such scenario suggests that deporting 46,000 individuals without citizenship could save the state €53 billion. Furthermore, offering a departure incentive of €100,000 to each of the 56,000 individuals holding citizenship is projected to result in an additional saving of €58.7 billion.
Data from other nations has shown similar trends. A landmark study from the University of Amsterdam entitled “Borderless Welfare State: The Consequences of Immigration on Public Finances,” shows that net costs of immigration to the Dutch public sector over the period 1995-2019 were an astounding €400 billion, averaging €17 billion a year, with a peak of €32 billion in 2016 due to the 2015 “refugee crisis.”
In France, migration costs the state approximately €25 billion a year and many migrants remain unemployed even after years, said French author and academic Jean-Paul Gourévitch in 2021.
Employment data shows that it is a myth that immigration to France has economic benefits, Gourévitch said in an interview with Radio Sud.
“I have studied this topic extensively, and today everyone in France, from the left to the right, agrees that immigration costs more than it brings in,” Gourévitch said. “There is a major difference between left and right (oriented) economists regarding the costs: the leftist economists say the deficit is six to ten billion [euros per year], while those on the right say it is 40 to 44 billion. My own scientific research shows that the deficit is 20 to 25 billion [euros].”
The costs in Germany are also enormous, which pokes a major hole in the claims that newcomers will help pay for German pensions and help fill demand from German industry, which is desperately searching for skilled workers. In fact, the data shows that the German state spent €48.2 billion on migrants, including social housing, medical costs, education, integration courses, and other expenses, such as border security.
