Post by : Bianca
Haleem
The government of Sweden has announced a new proposal that could make it easier to deport migrants who fail to meet an “honest living” requirement.
The right-wing government, which came into power in 2022 with a strong focus on tightening immigration policies, is pushing forward several reforms ahead of the upcoming legislative elections in September. One of the key proposals is this new rule aimed at stricter monitoring of migrants' behavior.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell said that migrants must not only follow laws but also act responsibly in society. He explained that actions such as not paying debts, ignoring official decisions, misusing welfare benefits, or obtaining residence permits through false information could result in losing the right to stay in the country.
The government also mentioned that working without paying taxes or failing to pay fines could fall under violations of this “honest living” standard.
Ludvig Aspling, a migration policy spokesperson for the Sweden Democrats party, clarified that personal statements alone would not be treated as proof of misconduct. However, such statements could be considered as signals of links to serious concerns like violent extremism.
The proposal has raised concerns among rights groups. Civil Rights Defenders warned that the law may be too unclear and could affect fairness. Legal director John Stauffer said the rule could create unequal treatment between citizens and migrants.
He also highlighted that even non-criminal statements being considered in some cases could harm freedom of expression and lead to self-censorship among migrants.
In addition, the government is planning to allow authorities to cancel residence permits if migrants are seen as a security threat or if they are found to have provided false information during their application process.
If approved by parliament, the new law is expected to come into effect from July 13.
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