Sweden could deport 80,000 asylum seekers: minister

Sweden is planning to deport up to 80,000 asylum seekers over the next few years, a government representative said on Thursday.

Swedish authorities received some 163,000 asylum applications in 2015 but the country is now planning to step up deportation efforts, interior minister Anders Ygeman told public broadcaster Swedish Television.

"It's about motivating people and being ready to help with their repatriation," Ygeman said. "But ultimately, we have to be prepared to use force."

Swedish authorities were planning to charter jets for the specific purpose of sending migrants back to their home countries, the minister said.

The government is mulling over introducing government benefits for returnees, Ygeman added, meanwhile stressing the importance of stopping those whose asylum applications were denied from staying in Sweden.

"We have to make it as difficult as possible, both logistically once someone has been notified of rejection, but also against all employers who exploit illegal labor," Ygeman said.

A spike in deportations should not be expected until a year from now, the minister said.

Asylum admissions peaked in Sweden in November when the country admitted up to 10,000 migrants per week, according to figures from its migration agency.

Since then, the center-left government has introduced a number of measures to limit admissions, among them temporary residence permits for all asylum seekers except those seeking refuge under a United Nations quota system.

The Swedish government has since early 2016 been imposing fines on train, ferry and bus operators whose passengers enter the country from Denmark without valid photo identification. Endit