Sweden has passed a new migration law that will allow residence permits to be refused or revoked if foreign nationals are deemed not to have lived in an orderly manner, marking another major tightening of the country’s immigration system.
The Swedish Parliament adopted the government’s amendments to existing immigration laws on Monday by 302 votes to 44, with the Left Party and the Green Party voting against the measure. The changes will mainly come into force next month.
Under the new rules, a foreign national’s conduct will carry greater weight when authorities decide whether to grant, extend, or revoke a residence permit. The law does not set out an exhaustive list of behaviors that will be treated as unacceptable, leaving the Migration Agency to assess cases individually. It means that an immigrant who may not hold a criminal record but has acted in a disorderly manner in other ways could be told to leave.
Decisions can be appealed to a migration court.
Government representatives and investigators have cited several examples of conduct that may count against an applicant, including failing to follow Swedish laws and regulations, ignoring decisions by public authorities, systematically avoiding debts or fines, working illegally, failing to pay taxes, criminality, and links to extremist organizations.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell defended the proposal when it was presented in March, saying Sweden should demand more from those seeking to remain in the country.
“Anyone who doesn’t make the effort to do the right thing shouldn’t be able to count on staying,” Forssell said.
The measure forms part of a broader shift in Swedish migration policy under the current government, which has moved to make residence, citizenship and asylum rules more restrictive.
Earlier this month, Parliament also approved the removal of permanent residence permits for several asylum-related categories, including people granted protection, long-term residents in Sweden, and their family members.
Hailing the move, the right-wing Sweden Democrats wrote on X, “The Sweden Democrats are delivering on our election promises! Today, the Swedish parliament voted yes to double penalties for gang criminals, the reintroduction of official liability, and character requirements for residence permits.”
While the party is not in government, it props up the current administration on the proviso that restrictive immigration reforms continue to be implemented.
Earlier this year, Sweden also passed a strengthened return package giving police and migration authorities more tools to enforce deportation decisions. Several public authorities will be required to share information with police if they suspect a foreign national has no right to remain in the country. The package also expands the use of fingerprints, photographs, and checks of mobile phones in migration cases.
Other recent changes include stricter work-permit rules, including a salary threshold of at least 90 percent of the Swedish median salary for most applicants, and tougher citizenship rules.
The ordinary residence requirement for citizenship recently rose from five to eight years, alongside tougher requirements on self-sufficiency, conduct and knowledge of the Swedish language and society.
The government also increased voluntary repatriation grants at the start of the year, allowing eligible adults with protection-related residence permits to receive up to 350,000 Swedish kronor if they return permanently to their country of origin.