Students from countries outside the EU will from next autumn have to pay tuition fees to study at Swedish universities. But the Liberal Party’s higher education policy committee, led by Krantz, wants to introduce new labour force grants to attract foreign students, according to Svenska Dagbladet.

The main targets of the scheme would be talented young people who want to take two-year Masters’ programmes in natural sciences or technology-related subjects. Under the proposal they would have tuition fees paid and receive living allowances. In return, they would commit to staying in Sweden to work for “a couple of years.” If they failed to keep to their end of the bargain, they would be obliged to pay back the money.

Ylva Johansson, the Social Democrats’ spokeswoman on welfare issues, criticized the plans. She said that the best students from other countries had better options than living in “serfdom” in Sweden.