Sweden to increase spending on helping immigrants by $214 million

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden will increase spending on better integrating immigrants into the labor market and increase compensation for municipalities where refugees settle, the government said on Thursday. Next year, the added spending measures will total 1.8 billion Swedish crowns ($214 million). Earlier this week, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said the government would oblige all municipalities to accept refugees. The new spending includes a roughly 50 percent increase of the yearly compensation from the central government to 125,000 crowns per person up to the age of 65, it said in a statement. Labor market measures include more money to validate foreign exams taken by immigrants and to the Swedish Public Employment Service for finding jobs quicker. In its latest forecast, in July, the Swedish Migration Agency expected 74,000 asylum seekers this year, but an official told daily Dagens Nyheter on Thursday the figure would likely be revised upwards to above 80,000. (This story has been refiled to clarify it is an increase by $214 million, not to $214 million) (Reporting by Daniel Dickson; Editing by Alistair Scrutton)