The Whole-of-Government turn in Swedish return policy: The reconfiguration of institutions, actors, and ethics

Sweden’s return and readmission policy has been transformed through the gradual adoption of a Whole‑of‑Government (WoG) approach, which has recentralized authority, strengthened hierarchical control, and reduced space for ethical deliberation within state institutions. Drawing on policy analysis, focus groups, and interviews, the article shows how practices once viewed as ethically problematic have been reframed as necessary elements of a “humane” asylum system. This ethical normalization is accompanied by increased institutional closure, a culture of silence, and growing distrust toward external scrutiny. The WoG model also extends outward, as civil society organizations are increasingly instrumentalized in facilitating “voluntary” return, and development aid is redirected to secure third‑country cooperation on readmission. These trends have intensified under the Tidö Agreement but represent the culmination of three decades of incremental securitization and instrumentalization, reinforced by EU frameworks and funding. Together, they have produced the most centralized and coercive return regime in Sweden’s postwar history.