Dumping Unemployed Migrants on Woke Sweden, By Richard Miller (Londonistan)

The article from the Remix News article "More Unemployed Migrants to be Dumped on Sweden"

https://rmx.news/article/more-unemployed-migrants-to-be-dumped-on-sweden/

reports on the bankruptcy of Northvolt, a Swedish "green" electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer, filed in Stockholm earlier in March 2025. Northvolt, which supplied companies like Volkswagen and Volvo, was a flagship in Europe's bid to rival China and the U.S. in the EV battery sector. Its collapse is framed as a double blow: a setback for Europe's industrial ambitions and a looming social crisis involving its migrant workforce. Based in Skellefteå, a small northern Swedish city, Northvolt employed nearly 3,000 workers, with over one-third (around 1,000, per SVT) or at least 700 (per Northvolt's claim) hailing from non-EU countries on work permits. The Swedish Migration Board, however, lists 1,650 work permits tied to Northvolt across all its sites, hinting at a larger migrant footprint.

The article's core concern is what happens next. Legally, these non-EU workers must leave Sweden within three months of losing their jobs unless they secure new employment. Yet, it notes that many don't comply, staying illegally and often tapping into Sweden's unemployment benefits. This is contextualized by Sweden's broader migrant unemployment rate, cited as double that of the general population. The piece implies that Northvolt's failure will "dump" hundreds of jobless migrants onto Sweden's welfare system, exacerbating economic and social strains. It also mentions a 2026 scheme offering migrants 350,000 SEK (€30,000) to return home voluntarily, suggesting a belated policy shift. Northvolt's downfall—plagued by debt, production delays, and a €2 billion BMW order cancellation in May 2024—underscores the stakes.

The Remix News framing leans critical, portraying Sweden's progressive immigration and welfare policies as naive or unsustainable, especially when tied to a failing "green" venture. The article doesn't explicitly say "wokeness," but its tone suggests that Sweden's openness to migrants and generous social safety net are ideological missteps now colliding with economic reality.

Here, "wokeness" refers to Sweden's progressive stance on immigration, multiculturalism, and welfare—policies that welcomed Northvolt's migrant workers and now face scrutiny as the company collapses.

The article exposes cracks in this "woke" model. If many of Northvolt's 700+ migrant workers stay illegally after their three-month grace period and draw benefits—as the piece claims—Sweden's generosity becomes a liability. With migrant unemployment already double the national rate (a stat the article doesn't quantify but implies is significant), this suggests a systemic failure to integrate non-EU workers into the labour market. The "dumping" narrative paints Sweden as a passive victim of its own policies: a permissive immigration framework (issuing 1,650 work permits for Northvolt) and a welfare state that incentivises staying over leaving. Critics could argue this reflects a "woke" disconnect—prioritising inclusivity over economic viability or enforcement. If hundreds of jobless migrants remain, costs could balloon—unemployment benefits, even if modest, scale up with numbers—straining taxpayers in a country already debating welfare sustainability.

Northvolt's collapse amplifies the critique. A "green" venture tied to progressive ideals, its failure (debt, delays, lost €2 billion BMW deal) mirrors the perceived fragility of Sweden's broader approach. Relying on migrant labour for an unproven industry, without ensuring job security or swift deportation mechanisms, risks leaving society to pick up the pieces. The article's subtext—that Sweden's openness invites exploitation—gains traction if these workers, unable to find new jobs in three months, become a semi-permanent underclass. Public perception could sour further, boosting anti-immigrant sentiment (e.g., Sweden Democrats' rise), as natives question why benefits flow to non-contributors.

Sweden's "wokeness"—its progressive immigration and welfare stance— falters under Northvolt's fallout. The article casts it as a cautionary tale: noble intent undone by poor planning, leaving unemployed migrants "dumped" on a strained system.

https://rmx.news/article/more-unemployed-migrants-to-be-dumped-on-sweden/

"The Swedish company Northvolt, which produces batteries for electric vehicles (EV), filed for bankruptcy in Stockholm earlier this month. The failure of the company, which presented itself as a "green" venture and works with major European auto manufacturers such as Volkswagen and Volvo, constitutes a major blow against Europe's efforts to develop its own EV battery industry to compete with those in China and the United States.

Perhaps even more significant in its long-term implications, however, is the fate of Northvolt's migrant workers.

More than one in three workers at Northvolt's factory in the small city of Skellefteå, in northern Sweden, comes from a non-European Union country, according to the Swedish news portal SVT.

While migrant workers are legally obligated to leave Sweden if they do not find new employment within three months, in many cases they fail to comply and remain in the country illegally. Often, they also begin receiving unemployment benefits from the Swedish state. The unemployment rate among migrants in Sweden is double that of the population in general.

Northvolt's Skellefteå factory currently employs nearly 3,000 workers. Of those, Northvolt says that 700 hold work permits, meaning that they come from outside the European Union. Although statistics from the Swedish Migration Board show that 1,650 work permits were granted to migrants where Northvolt was listed as the employer at all of its locations across Sweden.

Last year, Sweden announced a scheme to make a one-time payment to migrants currently living in the country of 350,000 SEK (approx. €30,000) in order to voluntarily return to their homelands. The program is set to begin in 2026.

Northvolt was founded in 2016 with high hopes, but has endlessly struggled with debt and production delays. The fact that its situation had become untenable became clear in May of last year, when BMW cancelled an order with Northvolt worth €2 billion.