A healthcare crisis is unfolding in Sweden.
Hospitals are running short of staff, and stricter migration rules are now pushing foreign healthcare workers out – including many from the Philippines, Info Migrants reports.
Sweden depends heavily on foreign staff. More than 27 percent of its doctors are trained abroad, while immigrants make up 53 percent of healthcare assistants and 37 percent of assistant nurses.
Filipinos are among the key groups filling these roles across Europe, often stepping into jobs that are hard to fill locally.
But new migration rules have had consequences.
System under growing pressure
Around 650 deportation orders have been issued since 2025, many affecting healthcare workers, with two-thirds denied new permits.
This has created uncertainty for Filipino nurses already working in Sweden, while also discouraging new arrivals. For many, Sweden is no longer seen as a predictable place to build a career.
Sweden’s healthcare system was already under strain. Over the past decade, the country has relied on nearly 4,000 foreign doctors, 2,000 nurses and 33,000 assistant nurses to fill critical gaps. Without them, staffing levels would be significantly lower.
The situation is expected to worsen. An additional 50,000 workers will be needed in elderly care by 2030 as the population ages.
When experienced staff leave, the burden increases on those who remain, particularly in intensive care, psychiatry and elderly services, where shortages are already severe.
Risk of losing talent to competitors
Faced with mounting criticism, the government has paused new deportations and is preparing to ease some rules for key healthcare roles, including lowering salary requirements.
Sweden’s Deputy Prime Minister, Ebba Busch, said the migration rules have had an outsized impact on the healthcare sector. While new deportation decisions are on hold, existing orders will still be carried out.
The measures are intended to slow the outflow of skilled workers. Still, uncertainty remains a major concern.
Countries such as Germany and Canada offer clearer and more predictable pathways, making them more attractive destinations for Filipino nurses.
For now, many are waiting to see how the new rules will be implemented – and whether Sweden can offer the stability they are looking for.
