Sweden's Public Sector Remains Dependent on Foreign Workers Despite Anti-Immigration Political Rhetoric

Just days before Sweden's legislative elections scheduled for September 13, all of the country's major political parties are defending restrictive immigration policy and seeking to limit refugee arrivals, Le Monde reports. This hardening of rhetoric, however, contrasts sharply with a different economic and social reality on the ground.

According to the article, Swedish municipalities and regions have never needed foreign-born workers more to fill labor shortages in public services. This dependence affects sectors essential to the country's day-to-day functioning, though Le Monde does not specify which ones in the available excerpt.

This paradox illustrates a tension between the political positions displayed by Swedish parties during the election period and the concrete needs of local public employers, who struggle to recruit sufficient staff without turning to workers of foreign origin.

Le Monde underscores that this situation unfolds in a context where immigration has become a central issue in Swedish public debate ahead of the September 13 vote, with all major parties displaying a shared determination to restrict migration flows, particularly regarding refugee intake.