Sweden’s government on Wednesday unveiled legislation that would sharply expand the deportation of non-citizens with criminal records, declaring that offenses carrying more than a fine should, as a rule, result in removal from the country.
Under the proposal, prosecutors would be required to seek deportation during sentencing in eligible cases, rather than leaving it to discretion. Officials estimate the changes could raise annual deportations from roughly 500 to about 3,000, reports AFP.
“For far too long in Sweden, foreign criminals who have committed serious crimes in the country have been coddled,” Minister for Migration Johan Forssell said at a press conference.
The bill will now be reviewed by Sweden’s Council on Legislation, which examines draft laws before they are introduced in parliament. Forssell said the government intends for the measure to take effect on Sept. 1.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s government, which took office in 2022 with support from the Sweden Democrats, has made immigration and crime central issues. It has already expanded police powers, increased penalties, and advanced measures aimed at youth offenders, including a proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13.
Sweden has faced more than a decade of escalating organized crime, much of it tied to gang conflicts and control of the drug trade. Fatal shootings have decreased in recent data, while bombings have risen, according to official statistics.
The government says the new deportation framework is intended to address foreign nationals convicted of crimes, and it argues the current system has not gone far enough. The legislation, if approved, would significantly shift how criminal cases involving non-citizens are handled in Swedish courts.
In Denmark, similar laws are in motion. According to Infomigrants.net, “The Danish government… unveiled a major legal reform to facilitate the deportation of foreign nationals who have been sentenced to at least one year of prison for serious crimes. One precondition for the new law is that the imprisonment has to be "unconditional," which means that those who have received deferred sentences or house arrest for lesser crimes would likely be excluded from the new legislation.”
Under the proposal, prosecutors would be required to seek deportation during sentencing in eligible cases, rather than leaving it to discretion. Officials estimate the changes could raise annual deportations from roughly 500 to about 3,000, reports AFP.
“For far too long in Sweden, foreign criminals who have committed serious crimes in the country have been coddled,” Minister for Migration Johan Forssell said at a press conference.
The bill will now be reviewed by Sweden’s Council on Legislation, which examines draft laws before they are introduced in parliament. Forssell said the government intends for the measure to take effect on Sept. 1.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s government, which took office in 2022 with support from the Sweden Democrats, has made immigration and crime central issues. It has already expanded police powers, increased penalties, and advanced measures aimed at youth offenders, including a proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13.
Sweden has faced more than a decade of escalating organized crime, much of it tied to gang conflicts and control of the drug trade. Fatal shootings have decreased in recent data, while bombings have risen, according to official statistics.
The government says the new deportation framework is intended to address foreign nationals convicted of crimes, and it argues the current system has not gone far enough. The legislation, if approved, would significantly shift how criminal cases involving non-citizens are handled in Swedish courts.
In Denmark, similar laws are in motion. According to Infomigrants.net, “The Danish government… unveiled a major legal reform to facilitate the deportation of foreign nationals who have been sentenced to at least one year of prison for serious crimes. One precondition for the new law is that the imprisonment has to be "unconditional," which means that those who have received deferred sentences or house arrest for lesser crimes would likely be excluded from the new legislation.”
