Response to interpellation 2022/23:147 on social dumping
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
KD considers social dumping to be an important and complex problem 1. KD argues that the investigation was discontinued to free up resources, but that its proposals can be used 1. KD emphasizes that the Settlement Act should be reviewed for national equality and that reduced migration alleviates the problems 1. KD considers changes in the Settlement Act and a new investigation to be important measures 2. KD argues that social dumping is rooted in housing shortages and high migration pressure 3. S considers social dumping to be a major concern where wealthy municipalities shift costs onto others 4 5. S criticizes that the investigation was discontinued without warning 4 6. S argues that social dumping only moves to other municipalities 6. S advocates for requirements for municipalities to have diverse construction 6. S considers that additional directives send a wrong signal.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)
Madam Speaker! Eva Lindh has asked me what I intend to do to counter social dumping.
Social dumping is a complex issue that spans several policy areas. It involves, among other things, housing and labor market issues and the fact that the municipalities interpret and apply the Settlement Act in different ways.
The previous government appointed several inquiries shortly before the 2022 election. One of these was the inquiry Counteracting Social Dumping (dir. 2022:56). The government has now conducted a review of all ongoing inquiries and, in a prioritization among these, decided to terminate the aforementioned inquiry. Even though this inquiry has been discontinued, other work that is significant for the issue is being conducted.
The municipal fiscal equalization system equalizes for differences in tax capacity and for cost differences which, among other things, are due to socioeconomic factors, for example education and income levels and length of residence in Sweden.
The parliamentary committee A Purposeful Municipal Economic Equalization (dir. 2022:36), which among other things looks at the system for cost equalization, has been tasked to analyze whether it compensates to a sufficient extent for socioeconomic factors and shall, if necessary, propose changes.
There are also other government investigations and agency assignments that are linked to the issue of social dumping. The County Administrative Boards, for example, have a mandate to support the municipalities in their work to prevent evictions and counteract homelessness. The assignment continues until 2026.
The investigation Sharpened controls in property acquisitions (dir. 2022:93) shall propose measures to sharpen the control in transfers of properties in order to protect residential tenants against unscrupulous transfers of rental properties and prevent the Swedish property market from being exploited for crime.
The Government intends further to review the settlement regulations in accordance with the Tidö Agreement. Good conditions for reception in the municipalities are central for the integration of newcomers to function.
The Government is concerned that there should be a well-functioning cooperation between the municipalities and will continue to follow the issue.
Eva Lindh (S)
Madam Speaker! Social dumping occurs when a municipality has persons in need of support move to another municipality without the persons themselves having expressed a desire to move. It is often municipalities with high unemployment and a severely strained economy that need to take over responsibility and costs for persons who have been moved from more affluent municipalities.
Social dumping is a real problem for the people affected but also for municipalities that are already struggling with major challenges. Not infrequently, as has been said, wealthier municipalities have urged people to seek out municipalities that have greater challenges. There may be vacant housing there but, now I am generalizing, poorer access to work and thus also self-sufficiency for the people who are forced to move there. The municipalities that already have difficult challenges and a poorer labor market find it even harder to meet their residents' needs.
Statistics Sweden was commissioned by the S-led government to map the phenomenon and propose measures. This mapping has shown that social dumping occurs and that it has severe consequences for certain municipalities and for the affected individuals. It turns out that the groups most vulnerable to this active influence to move to another municipality are newcomers and persons with substance abuse or other social problems.
So we cannot have that. We need to act now to stop the social dumping.
At the beginning of the summer of 2022, the S-led government appointed an inquiry tasked with proposing measures to counteract social dumping. Two days before Christmas Eve, it was shut down completely without any warning. The government has made a prioritization and deemed that the inquiry on social dumping is not a priority. I do not believe that the people who are affected and the municipalities that face even tougher challenges agree with the government that this is not a prioritized issue.
To be honest, I have some difficulty understanding this. The Minister's response shows that it is considered that the phenomenon exists and that it is concerning. Why then is an inquiry, which has worked for some time to investigate the phenomenon and to produce proposals for measures so that action can be taken, being shut down? I find that very difficult to understand. The shutdown means that one does not have a basis for that the measures that are eventually proposed are actually those aimed at countering social dumping. That is what inquiries are for.
Does the Minister consider social dumping to be a problem? And if the answer is yes – the Minister did indeed present some measures – which measures are planned specifically to tackle social dumping?
Adnan Dibrani (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer!
I begin where the interpellor Eva Lindh finished, namely by asking a very simple question: Does the Minister think that social dumping is a problem?
From the Minister's account, one could, if one wants to be a bit malicious, say that this is not a concern. But for me, it is a major concern. There are municipalities, especially in the large cities, that are doing quite well financially but which in principle send citizens to other municipalities that are having a very tough time in order to avoid taking on those costs in that way. You dump them on municipalities that, as a rule, have it much tougher. It is completely insane!
It is regrettable that the minister basically only answers that it is a complex issue. An investigation is commissioned that works on exactly this, and refers for example to the municipal equalization investigation that is ongoing now and which I am also involved in. We do not look at social dumping there. But perhaps such directives will emerge in the future.
It is strange to refer to other investigations. I am starting to wonder. I really hope that the minister also thinks this is a problem. The entire investigation regarding the equalization system is about helping municipalities in our country with different structural concerns, both socioeconomic and demographic. It is not about enabling social dumping, which one could interpret the answer as. I hope that I have heard incorrectly and would like to have an answer to this, because I do not want to participate in an investigation that enables more municipalities to push citizens to another municipality and in that way shift costs. It is not the solidary thought that I live by in our country.
I conclude, therefore, by once again asking whether this phenomenon is a complex problem or a real concern for the Minister.
Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)
Mr. Speaker! Both Lindh and Dibrani have asked me if I think that social dumping is a problem. I answer: Yes, it is. I think that this is an important issue.
In the previous interpellation debate, I said that we are not just sitting in our offices and covering our ears. I meet many municipalities and county administrative boards, and I have met SKR on a couple of occasions. I know that this problem occurs. At the same time, both Dibrani and Lindh know that when a new government takes office, different reprioritizations are made among investigations and some are discontinued to free up resources for new investigations, in order to be able to implement the policy one ran on for election. That is how it works.
The investigation had progressed some distance, and I have met with the current investigator; I was very careful to do so. The current investigator has also written a letter to me as minister, and I know that it is public and has also been shared with others. In the letter, it is described how far one had progressed in the investigation and also some conclusions. There were also a couple of concrete proposals which we will, of course, see if it is interesting to proceed with.
Even though one can now say that there is an objective concept for social dumping, it is not always obvious what is social dumping and what is not. We do not have municipal arrest in Sweden. People are free to move wherever they want after the establishment period is over. That is, as is known, two years.
There is an inherent conflict in this. Where there are plenty of jobs and thus greater opportunities to integrate, there is a severe shortage of housing, and where there are plenty of houses, there are often poorer opportunities to get a job and thus also poorer opportunities for integration. The inherent conflict makes the issue very complex. I think one can afford to say in the interpellation response that the issue is complex. We had exactly this debate a week ago in this chamber, and I answered in the same way then: Yes, I think this is a problem.
The Settlement Act must be reviewed. There are provisions in the Tidö Agreement regarding more national equality in how the Settlement Act is interpreted, how long it should apply, and how long the receiving municipality is responsible for the newly arrived. I think that is very good and believe that it will contribute to, to some extent, alleviating the problems with and the occurrence of social dumping.
We can also see in the forecasts that migration will decrease. It has already decreased and will continue to decrease going forward. This will most likely mean that the problems with social dumping become smaller, as they are often linked to precisely the migration policy and how the settlement law is designed.
Social dumping has been a major problem during periods of very high migration, for example, not least after the Syrian war. It was also for this reason that the Riksdag decided on the Settlement Act, in order to achieve an even distribution of asylum seekers in our country. For some municipalities, it was difficult to offer housing after two years, and that was solved by offering housing in municipalities where there is plenty of such. It may not seem so strange, but it created major problems for the municipalities that had to receive many who need support from social services and other services. The issues with this will most likely decrease as migration decreases in the future.
Eva Lindh (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the answer, Minister! It was a clear answer that this is a problem. Now we at least have the same description of the problem or view that it actually is a problem. That is a foundation. The next step is about what we do about it – and that was exactly what the investigation was to look at. What can we do? What does the phenomenon look like? Which municipalities are particularly affected? We know some parts, but we do not yet know enough.
It is clear that as a fellow human being, one feels great sorrow over the cynical treatment of people that lies behind the words social dumping. Without the person themselves wanting it, they are made to move to another municipality. I have met several of these people who have told me that they were told that otherwise they would lose their social assistance or the conditions to manage life and maintenance.
Many children and families are also among them. It is not, as we might think, only about adult persons, which is a sorrow in itself. But this affects many children, who also are not registered at their school in time. This means great difficulties for the municipalities.
Let me move on to the measures. The Government refers to the inquiry on the municipal economic equalization system, which I and my colleague Adnan Dibrani are members of. It is to look at an equalization of so-called non-controllable factors. In our equalization system, one is also compensated for socioeconomic factors. The inquiry is to look at changes.
I, however, find it very difficult to understand what Adnan Dibrani was also touching upon. This is not a measure, but rather it is more about the whole thing being okay when one is compensated for it. Furthermore, I do not quite see how we are to find opportunities to compensate, because it does not look the same. Not all municipalities are affected, and some municipalities are more affected. I find it difficult to see how one can find a system without the investigation receiving an expanded mandate and more time to look at such a complex issue.
In the question regarding the measures, the social services state that one must base it on the individual's specific needs and that one cannot force persons to change their place of residence. But the National Board of Health and Welfare also needs a clarification on this. It is something that has been looked at and proposed. Right now, nothing happens when a municipality forces a person to change their place of residence.
We obviously do not have municipal detention, and people must be allowed to settle wherever they want. But it is precisely "where they want" that is the problem when we talk about social dumping. It is not about voluntariness here. The individuals have not wished to change municipalities. One can say that everyone is free, but these people are not. They have been forced to change their place of residence even though they themselves did not want to.
Adnan Dibrani (S)
Mr. Speaker! I thank the Minister for a clear answer: Yes, it is a concern.
I completely agree that every government must review the existing investigations, but if one truly thinks that this is a concern, perhaps just this specific investigation should have been allowed to remain.
The Minister mentions municipal detention and says that one is free to move wherever one wants. No one has proposed anything such as that. The problem is not that people would not be free to move wherever they want, but that wealthy municipalities send homeless and economically vulnerable people to poor rural municipalities to avoid the cost of support measures. That is the concern, not that one would not be free. Wealthy municipalities dump costs on rural municipalities. That is a concern.
When the investigation was discontinued, a letter was sent which the Minister has read. I have not read the letter myself. The Minister is welcome to explain which measures will prevent social dumping. He also mentions the investigation that both Eva Lindh and I are part of. Will there be any additional directives? Will one of the additional directives, in that case, be that one should look at social dumping? Will the investigation be given more time?
If such supplementary directives are issued, I think one sends a wrong signal to Swedish municipalities. The signal one would send in that case is: Keep doing what you are doing, because we will compensate for this anyway! I do not think that is a good signal. A good signal would be to convey that this is wrong, that one should not do this, and that we live in a country where we help each other and are stronger together.
I finally want to comment on what the minister has repeatedly pointed out about the fact that he is not sitting locked away but is actually listening. It is absolutely correct; one should listen to what people say, but one should also take it to heart.
Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)
Mr. Speaker! I unexpectedly thought of the phrase "I hear what you are saying." It is perhaps the most loathed answer one can receive. It means precisely that one hears but does not take in what is being said. Of course, one should take in good arguments and what is said that is good. Then, perhaps one should not take in everything that is said. One must have common sense and sift through what is said.
I receive quite a few questions, which is completely understandable. It is entirely justified to ask the responsible minister about what concrete measures the government intends to take. Some of the measures that are swirling around in the air are such as lie on other ministers' desks. Even the proposals that have come from the investigator himself concern the Social Services Act. I therefore cannot make promises here that we will do one thing or another in different areas. The government will have to come back with concrete proposals.
I do, however, make the assessment that the changes to the Settlement Act that are now being signaled and the investigation that is to be conducted are a measure that will be important to clarify the municipalities' responsibilities when they receive newly arrived people according to the Settlement Act and how long this commitment applies. It will be an important part.
I am also convinced that the reorganization of the migration policy will lead to less migration pressure on Sweden, and it will mean that the need to send citizens to other municipalities will decrease. The municipalities will therefore have better conditions to take care of those who come according to the Settlement Act.
I want to bring up another matter which is not actually a measure. However, I note that it was something pointed out by a high-ranking municipal politician in one of the municipalities affected by social dumping. They had noted a behavior and an increased influx of newly arrived people from individual municipalities. They then called the municipality concerned and pointed out the problem. After that, the social dumping ceased. My hope is that the municipalities can, to some extent, resolve this through bilateral talks with one another.
I will not single out any individual municipalities, but here it was a municipal representative who said that the social dumping ceased after a telephone call. Sometimes perhaps one can solve problems by taking other paths than through legislation, investigation, and state bureaucracy. Perhaps one can also sometimes solve problems through simple conversations. I think it was a good example.
I will, of course, consider the proposals that have come from the investigator and go through them a bit more carefully.
When we debate this issue, I sometimes get the feeling that the Social Democrats are opening up for special housing for people who have come here as newcomers after the establishment period is over. They seem to want to have special queues for persons with an immigrant background. It sounds a bit like that sometimes.
We must have an understanding that growth municipalities with a severe housing shortage often have difficulty finding housing once the establishment period is over. Many groups want to access the housing. It is not only newcomers who need a home from social services. Very many others also need it, for example, those vulnerable to violence in close relationships or persons who for various reasons have suddenly encountered social problems such as substance abuse and other issues.
Many people need these homes, and it is not entirely easy to know how they should be distributed. Even though it is a major problem, I can also understand that it arises because there is such a great housing shortage in many municipalities.
Eva Lindh (S)
Mr. Speaker! I must once again say that I truly regret that the investigation was discontinued. I have not really heard any other reasons than that it has been deprioritized. This is a high-priority issue, both for those who are affected and for the municipalities. I want to emphasize once again that it is regrettable. The investigation could have given us more knowledge about how it works, which municipalities are affected, and what we should do.
I have also heard some such stories, Minister – one has called a municipality and said that people have been received there, and then it has stopped. The problem is only that they then come to other municipalities instead. It is not actually the case that it has stopped. When one has been able to follow it, one has seen that it has been other municipalities instead that have been affected by social dumping. Then the problem has not stopped, but simply been directed towards others. It is therefore difficult to compensate for social dumping, because the phenomenon, so to speak, moves. Sometimes it is certain municipalities that get more, sometimes it is other municipalities. It is thus complicated.
Speaking of this issue with housing, I think it would be a reasonable requirement to place on all municipalities to have a versatile construction. It would mean that the municipalities have the opportunity to offer different types of housing, which not all have today.
Social dumping is a phenomenon that is deeply regrettable, both for the individuals and for the municipalities affected. We need to act now. Thank you for the debate!
Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)
Mr. Speaker! As I have said before, we intend to take the issue further. I know that this is a problem. I will continue the dialogue with both SKR, which is naturally an important actor in the issue, and individual municipalities that say they have been affected by social dumping.
This is very much rooted in the housing shortage that we have seen for a long time. Not least, there is a shortage of apartments with affordable prices. The availability of such apartments is, however, naturally not always a guarantee that these groups are helped; I believe that rental apartments with low rent are attractive even for the fairly broad middle class which is, admittedly, well established in Sweden.
Another reason is a very high migration pressure. It has been difficult for many municipalities to absorb the amount of newcomers who have arrived and, not least, to offer them housing when the establishment period is over. This is therefore also rooted in the migration policy. Now, migration has already decreased, and it will continue to decrease moving forward. I believe this will result in a reduced problem with social dumping. The future will show whether I am right or wrong.
As said, I and the government intend to consider the proposals that have been received and delve deeper into this issue, which we will have reason to return to. I thank the interpellor Eva Lindh for the debate.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.