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🇮🇸 Iceland /Crime & Justice

Sweden's gang exit program sees increased participation amid rising violence

From Morgunblaðið · () Icelandic

Translated from Icelandic, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Sweden's "avhopparprogram" aims to help gang members leave criminal life, with participation tripling since its 2022 launch.
  • The program offers relocation, job or education support, and police protection, but success is challenging due to the difficulty of leaving gangs.
  • Södertälje shows higher success rates, with 26% of participants building new lives outside gangs by 2025, compared to 10% nationally.

Sweden's "avhopparprogram," or exit program, is witnessing a surge in participation as more members of Swedish criminal gangs seek to leave their violent lifestyles. Since its inception in 2022, the number of individuals joining the program has nearly tripled, reflecting the escalating gang violence across the country, which includes daily shootings and bombings.

The initiative, run nationwide, aims to provide a pathway out of organized crime by offering participants relocation, assistance with finding employment or education, and a change in mindset towards a law-abiding life. However, statistics from the Swedish police indicate limited success, highlighting the immense difficulty individuals face in severing ties with their gangs. "Everyone deserves a second chance in life," stated 'David,' a program participant who shared his story with Swedish public broadcaster SVT.

Everyone deserves a second chance in life.

— DavidA program participant sharing his experience with Swedish public broadcaster SVT.

To be eligible, applicants must be in genuine danger from criminal associates and demonstrate a sincere desire to leave their past behind. Social services in Swedish municipalities support participants, who also receive special police protection. In Södertälje, a municipality southwest of Stockholm that has been a hotspot for gang activity, the program has shown particularly promising results. By 2025, approximately 26% of participants in Södertälje had successfully established new lives outside of criminal organizations, a figure significantly higher than the national average of 10%.

'David' began selling drugs at fifteen, drawn by the allure of the lifestyle. The program's success in Södertälje is attributed by its manager, Anette Berg, to a small, dedicated team that builds new connections with participants from start to finish. While statistics can clearly identify those who fail to leave crime, Berg noted that the true measure of success lies in the transformation of those who successfully reintegrate into society.

it is a little unique but here [in Södertälje] we are a small team that builds new connections together from start to finish.

— Anette BergManager of the program in Södertälje, explaining the local approach to SVT.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Morgunblaðið in Icelandic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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