Eight-Month-Old Child and Teenagers Face Deportation Challenges Amid Changing Swedish Immigration Rules

An eight-month-old boy born in Sweden is facing deportation to Iran, his parents' country of origin, despite his family holding residency permits in Sweden. The boy lacks his own residence permit due to changes in immigration rules that removed the possibility for relatives of workers with permits obtained through the "spårbyte" program to gain residency. His mother received a work permit in 2022 after having been an asylum seeker, but this pathway was closed in April 2022, preventing the boy from obtaining permanent residency. The family has appealed the decision to the Migration Court, while actual deportations to Iran are currently paused due to security concerns in the country.

In a related immigration issue, teenagers who turn 18 in Sweden risk deportation even if their families have been allowed to stay. This dilemma arises largely due to reforms tightening residence permit rules in 2016, which require immigrants to hold temporary permits for at least three years before applying for permanent residency. Consequently, once youths turn 18, they lose their status as family members and must independently prove their right to remain. The recent removal in 2023 of the provision for "particularly distressing circumstances" by the current government has led to heightened media and political attention.

Political parties like the Green Party (MP), the Left Party (V), and the Centre Party (C) support reinstating protections for these young adults, while the Social Democrats call for an immediate halt to deportations pending a permanent solution. The government is reportedly considering a "ventil" mechanism allowing young adults living at home and dependent on their parents, especially for education, to extend their residency. Meanwhile, the Migration Court of Appeal has permitted review of a case that could influence future rulings on these deportations.

These issues highlight tensions in Sweden's immigration policy affecting vulnerable children and young adults closely tied to families who legally reside and work in Sweden, underscoring the need for legislative clarity and humane consideration in the face of recent harsher regulations.