The Swedish government announced on Tuesday that it would require migrants to commit to an “honest life.” This paves the way for expulsions for links to criminal groups or threats to “Swedish democratic values”.
Published on: November 21, 2023 – 7:29 p.m
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Sorting of migrants planned in Sweden? The government announced on Tuesday, November 21, that it would require them to commit to an “honest life,” paving the way for expulsions for links to criminal groups or threats to “Sweden’s democratic values.”
“A prerequisite for successful integration is that people who want to live in Sweden also adhere to basic standards and live honestly,” Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said at a press conference with the Sweden Democrats (SD), a far-right party that supports the government .
The Swedish executive will launch a review of Swedish legislation to see whether it is possible to invoke certain grounds for revoking residence permits, Equality Minister Paulina Brandberg said.
She has already given examples of “lifestyle failures”: welfare fraud, debt, drug addiction, illegal living or even association with criminal groups and extremist groups “that threaten core Swedish values”.
This revision of the law must examine “whether it is possible and appropriate to include statements that seriously endanger Sweden’s democratic values.”
“Only Swedish citizens have an unconditional right of residence in Sweden”
“A fundamental principle of Swedish immigration legislation is that only Swedish citizens have an unconditional right of residence in Sweden,” SD spokesman for migration issues Ludvig Aspling told reporters.
A former judge, Robert Schott, must submit his conclusions by mid-January 2025.
For his part, Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer announced that he had requested a report on the possibility of extending the deprivation of citizenship, especially in cases of serious crimes, terrorism or lying when applying for citizenship. In some cases this would amount to rendering certain people stateless.
“I personally have nothing against it. But it is part of a review and we will see what comes out of it,” Gunnar Strommer told Swedish public broadcaster.
Conservative leader Ulf Kristersson came to power in 2022 by forming a majority bloc with the support of the SD. He is committed to fighting immigration and crime.
Sweden has welcomed large numbers of immigrants since the 1990s, mostly from conflict-ridden regions – including the former Yugoslavia, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran and Iraq.
With AFP