Sweden's migration minister has claimed Britain could reduce illegal immigration across the Channel by adopting the same policies that have seen asylum claims in his country plummet to their lowest level since 1984.
Sweden's approach
Johan Forssell, part of Sweden's right-wing coalition that took power in 2022, told The Telegraph that cutting benefits, deporting criminals, and housing asylum seekers in reception centres had dramatically reduced migration numbers.
Sweden is expected to receive just 4,200 asylum seekers this year, the lowest figure since 1984. Since Forssell's party came to power, asylum claims have dropped by 75% and deportations have increased by 60%.
UK context
In the UK, a staggering 30,000 people arrived by small boat in the year ending July 31, 2026, with record numbers packed onto each vessel in recent weeks. Home Office figures show that of around 178,845 asylum claims between 2018 and 2025, 44.5% (79,589) were granted refugee status.
Politicians in Britain have argued that leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is the only way to solve the crisis, as human rights lawyers use it to fight asylum cases.
Forssell's comments
Forssell said: "If you come to Sweden, you need to learn Swedish, you need to find a job, you cannot commit crimes. That is not an extreme view, is it?"
He added: "There are so many Leftists nowadays saying the migrant crisis is over. The situation in the UK has taught everyone that migration is still a very explosive topic, and the crisis is not over. And that is the same lesson that Europe learned last weekend with Spain [...] we need to secure our borders."
ECHR reform
Forssell said leaving the ECHR wasn't the only way to cut immigration and boost deportations, but the treaty needed reform as it was a system "working in favour of criminals rather than in favour of their victims".
He said: "We are fully committed to doing things by the book. But we have seen some cases, especially regarding criminals, where these conventions have protected them, the criminals, rather than the victims of crime, and that will not stand. It is possible to reduce asylum-related migration, and to do that in a short period of time and in full accordance with international law and human rights. There is no silver bullet, but what we have done is that we have been looking at every piece of legislation, trying to make it strict and firm."
Reform UK's plan
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said his party's plan to intercept and return migrant boats crossing the English Channel would comply with international law. The party has proposed using the Royal Navy to transport migrants to France or Belgium under a plan called "Operation Fortress", which it describes as a humanitarian response.
At a press conference, Farage said: "Operation Fortress will be a combined military operation."
