Sweden to pay immigrants up to $34,000 to return

Sweden's government said Thursday it would drastically increase grants for immigrants who choose to leave the country and return home, to encourage more migrants to do so.

The announcement came despite a government-appointed probe last month advising against a significant increase in the amount of the grant, saying the expected effectiveness did not justify the potential costs.

Sweden has taken in a large number of migrants since the 1990s, mostly from conflict-ridden countries such as the former Yugoslavia, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran and Iraq.But the Nordic country has struggled for years to integrate immigrants.