Norsjö, Lycksele and Malå are the inland municipalities where in-migration was greater than out-migration in 2022 – Malå had the highest proportion with 152 immigrants. More than 75 percent of these were under the age of 40 – including Sharon Meijer and Chris Laura.

Took the caravan and drove around the country

The family lived in Peru, Belgium and then in Rotterdam in the Netherlands before choosing to find a new home in Sweden. They sold their possessions and took the caravan around Sweden before they found their dream house in Malå.

"We joked about Malå at first. There is a town near Lima called Mala and thought it was fun to find a place with the same name in Sweden. In retrospect, this is the best decision we've made," says Chris Laura.

Now Chris works in industry in Norsjö and Sharon works at the hotel in Malå.

"I feel much more relaxed here," says Sharon Meijer.

Malå municipality invests in migration

To continue the migration trend, Malå municipality will allocate SEK 60,000 in 2023 to promote migration. It is a collaboration the municipality has with associations and companies.

Citizens can therefore submit their ideas to the municipal board, for example what makes the housing market more attractive or make life in the villages in the municipality visible.

In the clip, Sharon and Chris talk about the biggest differences between big city life and life in Malå.