Sweden Proposes Stricter Expulsion Laws to Increase Deportations of Foreign Criminals

The Swedish government, led by Migration Minister Johan Forssell, is advancing a legislative proposal aimed at significantly tightening expulsion laws for foreign criminals. Despite a 2022 law reform intended to increase deportations, the number of expulsion sentences has remained stagnant at around 500 annually. The new reforms, planned for implementation on September 1, 2026, are expected to raise this figure to approximately 3,000 deportations per year.

Key changes include lowering the threshold for deportation eligibility to any sentence exceeding fines, effectively requiring at least six months of imprisonment for consideration. Moreover, prosecutors will be mandated to request deportation in cases where the sentence involves imprisonment, addressing previous issues where prosecutors hesitated to seek expulsion if they believed strong ties to Sweden might allow the offender to stay.

Although judges will continue to weigh defendants' connections to Sweden, the criteria for when these ties can outweigh grounds for deportation will become more stringent. The proposal also introduces extended travel bans for deportees, with some bans potentially being indefinite.

Migration Minister Johan Forssell stated, "Now Sweden will have the toughest regulations in the Nordics for expelling criminals. Those who come to Sweden and commit crimes have exhausted Swedish hospitality and should be expelled." He emphasized that these stricter measures aim to restore public trust in the justice and migration systems by prioritizing the safety of victims and law-abiding citizens.

Ludvig Aspling, spokesperson for migration policy for the Sweden Democrats, highlighted longstanding concerns, noting that "serious criminals and dangerous foreigners have been allowed to remain in Sweden despite being convicted of serious offences."

This legislative initiative reflects a concerted effort to address what authorities identify as systemic flaws in the current expulsion process, improve enforcement, and reinforce protections for society at large.