He built a startup from scratch in just six months to strengthen food security in Sweden. Created local jobs. But in less than 11 months, Abhijith Nag Balasubramanyam, an Indian entrepreneur, has been forced to sell his business and return to India due to a “hostile” and “xenophobic” immigration system. The development comes at a poignant moment — amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment as Sweden tightens its citizenship policies.
In a searing LinkedIn post, Abhijith said his exit was not by choice, but allegedly due to hurdles created by the Swedish migration agency, locally known as Migrationsverket. The agency basically oversees residence and work permits in Sweden.
“I have sold the company as I am being forced to leave the country by the end of this month. This isn’t an exit by choice. It is an eviction by an incompetent and increasingly hostile state apparatus,” Abhijith wrote.
Little did the entrepreneur anticipate this day when he founded Hydro Space Sweden AB in May 2025. The microgreens company, which was started in the Swedish city of Skelleftea, was a searing success, receiving positive response from customers.
The focus of the venture was to strengthen local food security in northern Sweden. However, even as the business gained traction, his immigration case was unravelling.
“In return, I was met with a lack of transparency and a total absence of human decency from Migrationsverket,” Abhijith said.
In recent years, Sweden has pitched itself as an innovation hub open to global talent. However, Abhijith said his case underscored the wider climate of hostility towards international founders. “The reality of the Swedish ‘startup-friendly’ image is a facade,” he said.
ORDEAL WITH SWEDISH MIGRATION AGENCY
He also went on to describe in detail his ordeal while dealing with Migrationsverket.
Accusing the agency of “gross incompetence”, the entrepreneur said the officials handling his case had “zero business acumen”, failed to guide clearly on the documentation process, and changed the grounds of rejection at will.
“My experience with the Swedish migration agency wasn’t just a bureaucratic hurdle; it was a masterclass in systemic dysfunction and unprofessionalism,” he further wrote on LinkedIn.
Abhijith also spoke openly about the emotional toll the whole process had on him. He said the uncertainty had “destroyed” his mental health, prompting him to take a break and return to India.
“I do not have the energy, or the desire, to spend my capital fighting a legal battle against a system that is fundamentally broken and seemingly xenophobic,” Abhijith wrote.
“Instead, I have decided to take a break and move back to my home country to work on my mental health,” he further said before signing off.
While the Swedish migration agency has not publicly responded to his claims, the incident comes at a time when the European nation has introduced new rules to cut immigration ahead of a parliamentary election in September.
Earlier this month, Sweden brought in a new set of rules for citizenship applicants, mandating an eight-year stay, up from five, and a strict language and culture test.
