The authorities in Sweden are making plans to expel as many as 80,000 failed asylum-seekers, the BBC quoted Swedish interior minister as saying on Thursday.

Anders Ygeman said charter aircraft would be used to deport the migrants but it would take several years.

Some 163,000 migrants applied for asylum in Sweden in 2015, the highest per capita number in Europe.

The numbers have fallen significantly since Sweden imposed tighter border controls this year.

Along with Germany, the Scandinavian country is a prime destination for refugees and other migrants entering the EU illegally.

Of the approximately 58,800 asylum cases processed in Sweden last year, 55% were accepted.

Of those facing expulsion, Ygeman was quoted in Swedish media as saying: "We are talking about 60,000 people but the number could climb to 80,000."

But he later tweeted to say he had not taken a position on how many migrants had grounds for asylum, it being a matter for the authorities and the courts.

Source: MENA